However, the Germans boast a wealth of individual quality of their own. Six-goal Davie Selke is just ahead of Portugal's Andre Silva at the top of the goalscoring charts. Sorg's team have scored 11 times at the tournament so far, but keeper Oliver Schnitzler has conceded just two, with three clean sheets from four matches to date. "I know what it’s like when you lose a final. We'll do whatever it takes to find out how it feels when you win,” he said. Akpoguma believes the team now has the requisite maturity: "Our time has come. We're ready for it now."
Sorg will field a full-strength line-up for the final, as a couple of minor injury concerns from the semi-final have cleared up and every member of the squad is fit. There has been precious little time for regeneration, but that is more than compensated by the strength of the team's desire. "Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it,” commented Joshua Kimmich, drawing on the example of Bastian Schweinsteiger in the World Cup final in Rio.
The U-19s are keen to make history of their own in Budapest. "If you win the European Championship it stays with you for ever. No-one can take it away from you. And thinking of that gives you the strength for the last task,” declared coach Sorg. A triumph on Thursday would act as a bond between the players, the coaching staff and the officials for ever, he said.
Travelling support and VIPs in attendance
UEFA has already sold more than 5,000 tickets for the game. The official National Team Fan Club has ordered tickets for the final and a good-sized travelling contingent will noisily get behind the starlets at the stadium. Many fans are on their way to Budapest as part of organised coach parties.
The team will also be supported by a high-ranking delegation led by DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, general secretary Helmut Sandrock and newly-appointed sporting director Hansi Flick. The delegation also includes DFL managing director Andreas Rettig, DFL elite academy committee chairman Dr. Uwe Harttgen, DFB youth committee chairman Christian Pothe, DFB youth development sporting director Frank Engel, and U-21 coach Horst Hrubesch, who led Germany to its most recent European championship title at this age level in 2007/2008.
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The Germany U-19s are only one game away from adding a second prestigious trophy of the summer to the DFB collection when the junior hopefuls play Portugal in the European Championship final at Szusza Ferenc Stadium in Hungarian capital Budapest this evening (kick-off 7 pm, live on Eurosport).
"We're determined to win it," declared coach Marcus Sorg, praising his team for their hard work over the last year and in particular at the tournament, where they have shown great strength of character, an abundance of individual quality and the team spirit which is essential for trophy success.
Akpoguma: We're feeling good
"At the start of the European Championship we told the players it wouldn't be the team with the best individuals who won the trophy, it would be the team who played best as a unit," Sorg continued. The group captained by Niklas Stark have obviously taken the coach’s words to heart, as evidenced by a series of increasingly assured performances in Hungary.
"It wasn't especially difficult," revealed Hany Mukhtar from Hertha BSC: "We all get along really well and we've become very good friends. Going out there with this group of lads is brilliant fun." Nürnberg’s Stark was asked in an interview whether it was a great honour to be Germany captain: "Yes, it is a great honour, but just being part of this group is even better," he replied.
There is a sense of controlled excitement on the eve of the final, and the mood among the junior internationals is more than positive. "We have a good feeling,” reported Kevin Akpoguma. The defender, who is vice-captain and one of the leading personalities in the dressing room, said the mood was relaxed but utterly determined. "We're very close now, and we're going to bring it home this time,” the Hoffenheim hopeful stated.
Strong Portugal side
However, no-one is expecting an easy victory similar to the 4-0 win over Austria. "Portugal are a very good football team. They're well organised, they’re solid in defence and have plenty of attacking quality,” warned Sorg, who meticulously prepared his team the previous evening with a thorough analysis of their opponents.
However, the Germans boast a wealth of individual quality of their own. Six-goal Davie Selke is just ahead of Portugal's Andre Silva at the top of the goalscoring charts. Sorg's team have scored 11 times at the tournament so far, but keeper Oliver Schnitzler has conceded just two, with three clean sheets from four matches to date. "I know what it’s like when you lose a final. We'll do whatever it takes to find out how it feels when you win,” he said. Akpoguma believes the team now has the requisite maturity: "Our time has come. We're ready for it now."
Sorg will field a full-strength line-up for the final, as a couple of minor injury concerns from the semi-final have cleared up and every member of the squad is fit. There has been precious little time for regeneration, but that is more than compensated by the strength of the team's desire. "Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it,” commented Joshua Kimmich, drawing on the example of Bastian Schweinsteiger in the World Cup final in Rio.
The U-19s are keen to make history of their own in Budapest. "If you win the European Championship it stays with you for ever. No-one can take it away from you. And thinking of that gives you the strength for the last task,” declared coach Sorg. A triumph on Thursday would act as a bond between the players, the coaching staff and the officials for ever, he said.
[bild2]
Travelling support and VIPs in attendance
UEFA has already sold more than 5,000 tickets for the game. The official National Team Fan Club has ordered tickets for the final and a good-sized travelling contingent will noisily get behind the starlets at the stadium. Many fans are on their way to Budapest as part of organised coach parties.
The team will also be supported by a high-ranking delegation led by DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, general secretary Helmut Sandrock and newly-appointed sporting director Hansi Flick. The delegation also includes DFL managing director Andreas Rettig, DFL elite academy committee chairman Dr. Uwe Harttgen, DFB youth committee chairman Christian Pothe, DFB youth development sporting director Frank Engel, and U-21 coach Horst Hrubesch, who led Germany to its most recent European championship title at this age level in 2007/2008.
