Not long now until Melanie Behringer and Germany Women face China in the quarter-final of the Olympic Games. They will need to improve on their previous performances in the game in Salvador on Friday (21:00 CEST/ 16:00 local time). After the last group match, this is something that the players are well aware of. "We came together as a group and had a very good discussion", said Melanie Behringer. "Everyone needs to take a look at their own performances and figure out what more they can do for the team."
The players are all committed to the cause. "The atmosphere in the team is very good. We are all fully aware of what is at stake", says the leading figure from Bayern Munich. The change of location from Brasilia to Salvador represents a new start for the team. "We need to really get stuck in against China on Friday - it is a 50-50 match. We need to put in a better performance than we have done so far, but I am convinced that we will get the job done." Melanie Behringer looks focussed and highly motivated.
The midfielder sees a number of reasons for the team’s performance in the first three group matches. "Defensive work starts from the front. We all need to be more compact and more aggressive", explained the 30-year-old. "The opposition had too much time in the other matches. We never really got a hold of the games. Going forward, we had too few dangerous chances on goal, and we let too much go past us at the back. We are making too many silly mistakes and that must not continue."
Behringer is expecting a "fiery encounter"
Difficult opposition await on Friday. China are a strong team and were in a tough group with Brazil, Sweden and South Africa. Now they are in the knockout phase. "They are technically very strong. It will be a fiery encounter because everything is on the line for both teams. Whoever wins will make it to the semi-final," said Behringer.
A few years ago, nobody would have believed that the 30-year-old would now play such a central role in the team. At the 2013 European Championship in Sweden, Melanie Behringer had to get used to sitting on the bench. "I knew beforehand that it would be the case, but it was still difficult to get almost no time on the pitch", she said retrospectively. "My faith got me through at the time - it is my greatest support", she revealed. Her past experiences have made her even stronger. She knows how to get through difficult situations and take strength from them.
Melanie Behringer also passes this on to the younger players in the team. "I try to be a positive support to them, but the likes of Sara Däbritz, Melanie Leupolz, Alex Popp and Leonie Maier are very good players. I can sense how much they are looking forward to the quarter-final", said Behringer. "We absolutely must progress on Friday. Who knows when we will get the opportunity to compete in an Olympic Games again. This will definitely be my last Olympic tournament. It must not end here. And I have total faith in us."
Not long now until Melanie Behringer and Germany Women face China in the quarter-final of the Olympic Games. They will need to improve on their previous performances in the game in Salvador on Friday (21:00 CEST/ 16:00 local time). After the last group match, this is something that the players are well aware of. "We came together as a group and had a very good discussion", said Melanie Behringer. "Everyone needs to take a look at their own performances and figure out what more they can do for the team."
The players are all committed to the cause. "The atmosphere in the team is very good. We are all fully aware of what is at stake", says the leading figure from Bayern Munich. The change of location from Brasilia to Salvador represents a new start for the team. "We need to really get stuck in against China on Friday - it is a 50-50 match. We need to put in a better performance than we have done so far, but I am convinced that we will get the job done." Melanie Behringer looks focussed and highly motivated.
The midfielder sees a number of reasons for the team’s performance in the first three group matches. "Defensive work starts from the front. We all need to be more compact and more aggressive", explained the 30-year-old. "The opposition had too much time in the other matches. We never really got a hold of the games. Going forward, we had too few dangerous chances on goal, and we let too much go past us at the back. We are making too many silly mistakes and that must not continue."
Behringer is expecting a "fiery encounter"
Difficult opposition await on Friday. China are a strong team and were in a tough group with Brazil, Sweden and South Africa. Now they are in the knockout phase. "They are technically very strong. It will be a fiery encounter because everything is on the line for both teams. Whoever wins will make it to the semi-final," said Behringer.
A few years ago, nobody would have believed that the 30-year-old would now play such a central role in the team. At the 2013 European Championship in Sweden, Melanie Behringer had to get used to sitting on the bench. "I knew beforehand that it would be the case, but it was still difficult to get almost no time on the pitch", she said retrospectively. "My faith got me through at the time - it is my greatest support", she revealed. Her past experiences have made her even stronger. She knows how to get through difficult situations and take strength from them.
Melanie Behringer also passes this on to the younger players in the team. "I try to be a positive support to them, but the likes of Sara Däbritz, Melanie Leupolz, Alex Popp and Leonie Maier are very good players. I can sense how much they are looking forward to the quarter-final", said Behringer. "We absolutely must progress on Friday. Who knows when we will get the opportunity to compete in an Olympic Games again. This will definitely be my last Olympic tournament. It must not end here. And I have total faith in us."
