Some players from the Bundesliga, some from the Regionalliga, and some new faces - the Germany U20 arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup in Baden Württemberg with a new-look squad. Frank Wormuth’s team developed significantly in the space of a few days. After wins against Turkey (1-0) and the Netherlands (2-1), they beat England 1-0 in the final, and secured the title – without dropping a single point.
Frank Wormuth spoke to Ronny Zimmermann about the tournament. The 55-year-old sums up the matches, describes the work ethic of his team, and observes a new pattern in modern football.
DFB.de: Mr. Wormuth, congratulations on winning the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup 2015. What conclusions can you draw from the tournament?
Frank Wormuth: The tournament was very positive – not only in terms of the results, but also the way in which we approached our games, and the football we played. Particularly in the match against Turkey and the Netherlands, I think we carved out a lot of opportunities and executed our ideas well. The 'final' against England was hard-fought and very tight. The team came out on top though despite a weak period in the first half. Ultimately, we won three out of three and left the tournament as deserved winners.
DFB.de: You had the team all together for ten days, and had 3 matches alongside ten training sessions. How were the team able to develop in this period?
Wormuth: The team have internalised our footballing philosophy. That is the most important thing for me. We were able to put everything into practice in the games too. The team was able to anticipate very well, and combined effectively. If we lost the ball in the final third, then we pressed them immediately. I was impressed by the players' willingness. The framework is there, now it is just a case of adjusting a few screws.
DFB.de: Are there any individual players that have impressed you?
Wormuth: It is difficult to talk about individual players, as the team worked very well together. They supported each other on the pitch, and left a good impression. All the players performed well. There are always going to be some lads that feature more prominently throughout the matches. Nadiem Amiri impressed through his dribbling, but has to work on his end product. Moritz Sprenger was exceptional in defence. Thilo Kehrer has shown that he wants to lead a team. I could say something positive about every player, we had a lot of winners this time around.
Some players from the Bundesliga, some from the Regionalliga, and some new faces - the Germany U20 arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup in Baden Württemberg with a new-look squad. Frank Wormuth’s team developed significantly in the space of a few days. After wins against Turkey (1-0) and the Netherlands (2-1), they beat England 1-0 in the final, and secured the title – without dropping a single point.
Frank Wormuth spoke to Ronny Zimmermann about the tournament. The 55-year-old sums up the matches, describes the work ethic of his team, and observes a new pattern in modern football.
DFB.de: Mr. Wormuth, congratulations on winning the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup 2015. What conclusions can you draw from the tournament?
Frank Wormuth: The tournament was very positive – not only in terms of the results, but also the way in which we approached our games, and the football we played. Particularly in the match against Turkey and the Netherlands, I think we carved out a lot of opportunities and executed our ideas well. The 'final' against England was hard-fought and very tight. The team came out on top though despite a weak period in the first half. Ultimately, we won three out of three and left the tournament as deserved winners.
DFB.de: You had the team all together for ten days, and had 3 matches alongside ten training sessions. How were the team able to develop in this period?
Wormuth: The team have internalised our footballing philosophy. That is the most important thing for me. We were able to put everything into practice in the games too. The team was able to anticipate very well, and combined effectively. If we lost the ball in the final third, then we pressed them immediately. I was impressed by the players' willingness. The framework is there, now it is just a case of adjusting a few screws.
DFB.de: Are there any individual players that have impressed you?
Wormuth: It is difficult to talk about individual players, as the team worked very well together. They supported each other on the pitch, and left a good impression. All the players performed well. There are always going to be some lads that feature more prominently throughout the matches. Nadiem Amiri impressed through his dribbling, but has to work on his end product. Moritz Sprenger was exceptional in defence. Thilo Kehrer has shown that he wants to lead a team. I could say something positive about every player, we had a lot of winners this time around.
DFB.de: You had to integrate some new faces into your team. Is success during a tournament a good catalyst for this process?
Wormuth: Every victory helps the players build their self confidence. Their belief grows, not only in themselves, but in the team as a whole. We have always showed them where the room is for improvement. When a team tries to work on these things, and is successful simultaneously, then you can notice development. This was the case at the tournament.
DFB.de: In that sense it is a bit of a shame that we have to wait until November for the next set of U20 fixtures.
Wormuth: You’re not wrong (laughs). We want to build on the things that we have achieved this week. As coaches, we will of course always be observing their progress with their respective clubs. A large part of the squad has a good chance to be involved in the matches against Poland and Italy in November.
DFB.de: As well as being U20 head coach, you are also the leader of the footballing coaching training. Did you notice any tactical innovations during the Elite Cup?
Wormuth: The tournament was played at a very high level. All the teams played a modern brand of football. I have noticed a small pattern pertaining to winning the second ball. Quite often there is no short passing in the build up play, and players are choosing to play the long ball and then pushing up high. This is a shame for the defenders, who are often exceptionally good technically and tactically, but don’t have the chance to show this due to the lack of combination play.
