The Germany U-20 coach is well aware of what awaits her side. "The USA set the benchmark when it comes to speed, athleticism and also creativity within a match", Meinert explained. "They’re a team you always expect to finish among the top four at tournaments. We’ve played against the USA often enough, and although we were still a step behind them five or six years ago, I think we’ve caught up now. This fixture is always an open encounter; you’ve got to be particularly well prepared to play this team in order to remain completely alert for the entire 90 minutes."
China and Brazil complete the "Group of Death"
Today is not only the day the U-20 World Cup gets underway in Canada at 17:00 local time, but also Maren Meinert’s 41st birthday. A win in Germany’s opening match would therefore be both the perfect start to the tournament and the best possible gift for an experienced coach who previously led the DFB’s U-20 women to victory at their home World Cup in 2010 and lost only in the final of Japan 2012 – to the USA.
Last Friday, the Germany squad arrived in the host city of Edmonton amid ideal conditions in which to launch their title bid. In addition to their opening clash with the Americans, the DFB’s young representatives will face China here on Saturday (live on Eurosport from 01:00 CET), before travelling to Montreal for a meeting with Brazil on 12 August (live on Eurosport from 22:00 CET). Germany’s three opponents read like a who’s who of women’s football, creating a formidable "Group of Death".
Today is not only the day the U-20 World Cup gets underway in Canada at 17:00 local time, but also Maren Meinert’s 41st birthday. A win in Germany’s opening match would therefore be both the perfect start to the tournament and the best possible gift for an experienced coach who previously led the DFB’s U-20 women to victory at their home World Cup in 2010 and lost only in the final of Japan 2012 – to the USA.
Last Friday, the Germany squad arrived in the host city of Edmonton amid ideal conditions in which to launch their title bid. In addition to their opening clash with the Americans, the DFB’s young representatives will face China here on Saturday (live on Eurosport from 01:00 CET), before travelling to Montreal for a meeting with Brazil on 12 August (live on Eurosport from 22:00 CET). Germany’s three opponents read like a who’s who of women’s football, creating a formidable "Group of Death".
Meinert: "We’re well prepared for this World Cup" Nevertheless, Germany’s U-20 coach remains confident about her side’s prospects. "The last few days have been positive", Meinert said. "We had a smooth flight and have adjusted quickly to the time difference. The team have been training well and are full of energy. I think we’re well prepared for this World Cup." The former attacking midfielder knows the USA match will be not be straightforward, and explained: "We’ve got to find our feet quickly and push forward confidently. We’ve got to be very alert during set pieces, make sure we don’t let our opponents play their preferred high-tempo game and keep things tight. If we can do all that and attack well too, it should be a good match."