Silencing the home crowd in French-speaking Montreal, overcoming one of the big World Cup teams with 'power football' and keeping the title dream alive. That’s how the master plan for the Germany women’s national football team reads for their monumental task in the quarterfinals against fellow favourites France on Friday (22:00 CEST).
After the impressive final 16 match against Sweden (4-1) and the subsequent ticket to the 2016 Olympics, Germany women go into the match against the trophy-hungry third-ranked side in the world, an encounter worthy of a final, full of confidence. “It will be a battle and we want to show them directly who is in charge of the ring,” said Simone Laudehr. “We don’t want to give France any breathing space,” Lena Goeßling threw down the gauntlet to Équipe Tricolore.
"World Cup trophy is no.1 priority"
Both of the midfield duo summed up precisely how head coach Silvia Neid felt, who encouraged her side to play “presence and passion. It will be decisive not to let France come into the game. If they can rear their link-up play, then it will be pretty tough against them.” And it won’t get much easier in the semi-finals, with the prospect of facing two-times champions USA looming large.
After qualifying for Rio 2016, “the first bit of pressure has been lifted,” said Alexandra Popp, but that was merely an intermediate goal for the two-time World and European Champions, “the first priority is the World Cup trophy.”
The last eight was the final stop for Germany at the last World Cup in 2011, on home soil, as they bowed out to eventual winners Japan. Four years later, the Germany national team are perhaps better deployed across the board than before. The climate has changed in particular. “The group we have harmonises superbly. We have a lot of fun and laugh a lot,” said Popp, who missed the 2013 EUROs triumph in Sweden through injury.
"A bit like indoor footie”
In the French-speaking city of a million, Germany have to adjust themselves to a ‘home game’ for the French. But that should give them even more motivation. “It makes scoring a goal all the nicer and it always quietens the place,” said Laudehr, with Popp adding, “It’s also really cool sometimes when the whole stadium is against you. It can push you.” Annike Krahn and Josephine Henning, who ply their trade in the French capital, can give insider information on the much lauded World Cup quarterfinalists from 2011, who claimed victory over all of Germany, USA, Brazil and Canada in the lead-up to this year's tournament. “It can help, but they also know me too,” said Krahn, who will play at the centre of defence alongside Babett Peter, who herself is in the side in place of the suspended Saskia Bartusiak.
One change will also be the ‘indoor football’ in the covered Olympic Stadium. “It’s a bit like indoor footie with the artificial turf,” said Celia Sasic, for whom as half-French, the match carries a special meaning. Furthermore, the goalscorer celebrates her 27th birthday the day after the game – and there’s no way she will want to spend that day on a plane back home.
