The U19 European Championship ended prematurely for the DFB team. They lost 3-0 to Spain in their opener but despite picking up four points from their remaining two games, were still unable to reach the semis. DFB.de spoke to head coach Marcus Sorg about the experience.
DFB.de: Mr Sorg, everyone in your group had four points but you were eliminated thanks to your goal difference. How disappointed are you?
Marcus Sorg: Incredibly so. It’s always annoying when you don’t achieve your goals. It does, however, show the fine margins at this level. I’d like to congratulate Russia and Spain for progressing.
DFB.de: What was the key factor in your elimination?
Sorg: The table shows that we were all fairly equal, as well as displaying that consistency is crucial during a tournament. A lack of consistency cost us in the end.
DFB.de: What was the biggest issue in your opinion: Missing chances or conceding too many goals?
Sorg: One of the main problems was the lack of care and attention shown whilst we had the ball. The players are extremely talented but that is just one part. Consistency, as I’ve already said, is crucial. However, I’m sure the lads will learn from it. This setback will hopefully be good for their development.
DFB.de: So with this in mind, how important is lifting the title?
Sorg: There’s nothing better than winning a title but the qualification process is just as important in regards to the development of young players. We obviously want the players to do as well as possible, but provided they learn from the setback than everything is fine.