The women’s national team has reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games as second place in Group F and will travel to Brasilia from the coastal city of Salvador for their clash with China on Friday (21:00 CEST). Assistant coach Ulrike Ballweg spoke in an interview for DFB.de with journalist Paula Widmer about Germany’s upcoming opponents, the short recovery time before the quarterfinal and being more consistent defensively.
DFB.de: Ms Ballweg, you have reached the quarterfinal and your opponent was confirmed as China on Wednesday.
Ulrike Ballweg: I was in the stadium for China’s game on Wednesday. They are a technically good team that are secure on the ball and play well. We will be a facing an opponent that will demand a lot of us.
DFB.de: You’ll be fighting for a place in the semi-finals on Friday.
Ballweg: Yeah, the quarterfinals are a very different situation. This is when the Olympics really begins. The players will be that bit more focused and concentrate harder. You have the chance to play for a medal If you reach the semi-finals. It’s a real incentive.
DFB.de: What will you be working on with the team ahead of the quarterfinal?
Ballweg: We will be working on keeping things tight at the back amongst other things. You could see that we had a few difficulties there in the final group match against Canada and against Australia before that. We have to be more consistent in this area and win the ball back. We will do this better in the next game.
DFB.de: There are only two days between the final group match and the quarterfinals. How does the coaching staff deal with this?
Ballweg: It’s really difficult, especially with travelling on one of the days. Our medical team will be doing everything they can to make sure the players recover as quickly as possible so that they can turn their attention to the next game. There will be a recovery training session before we depart for Salvador, with aqua jogging or light jogging and streching. All of the players also received a massage following the last match. The coaching staff will then prepare the team tactically. There isn’t a lot of time to get it all done.
DFB.de: The team will be moving to a very different venue following the long stay in São Paulo and the short trip to Brasilia.
Ballweg: I’ve heard that the hotel is right on the beach. We are looking forward to prospect and the new scenery. Salvador should also be a very nice city. It is always great to experience new things and get a feel for them.
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The women’s national team has reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games as second place in Group F and will travel to Brasilia from the coastal city of Salvador for their clash with China on Friday (21:00 CEST). Assistant coach Ulrike Ballweg spoke in an interview for DFB.de with journalist Paula Widmer about Germany’s upcoming opponents, the short recovery time before the quarterfinal and being more consistent defensively.
DFB.de: Ms Ballweg, you have reached the quarterfinal and your opponent was confirmed as China on Wednesday.
Ulrike Ballweg: I was in the stadium for China’s game on Wednesday. They are a technically good team that are secure on the ball and play well. We will be a facing an opponent that will demand a lot of us.
DFB.de: You’ll be fighting for a place in the semi-finals on Friday.
Ballweg: Yeah, the quarterfinals are a very different situation. This is when the Olympics really begins. The players will be that bit more focused and concentrate harder. You have the chance to play for a medal If you reach the semi-finals. It’s a real incentive.
DFB.de: What will you be working on with the team ahead of the quarterfinal?
Ballweg: We will be working on keeping things tight at the back amongst other things. You could see that we had a few difficulties there in the final group match against Canada and against Australia before that. We have to be more consistent in this area and win the ball back. We will do this better in the next game.
DFB.de: There are only two days between the final group match and the quarterfinals. How does the coaching staff deal with this?
Ballweg: It’s really difficult, especially with travelling on one of the days. Our medical team will be doing everything they can to make sure the players recover as quickly as possible so that they can turn their attention to the next game. There will be a recovery training session before we depart for Salvador, with aqua jogging or light jogging and streching. All of the players also received a massage following the last match. The coaching staff will then prepare the team tactically. There isn’t a lot of time to get it all done.
DFB.de: The team will be moving to a very different venue following the long stay in São Paulo and the short trip to Brasilia.
Ballweg: I’ve heard that the hotel is right on the beach. We are looking forward to prospect and the new scenery. Salvador should also be a very nice city. It is always great to experience new things and get a feel for them.
