Women's European Football Championship | Mental weakness in the German national team: It doesn't have to be the title right away

The second matchday of the group stage at the European Championships has just ended, and the German women's soccer team has already "achieved their first goal." This is how Bernd Neuendorf described their early advance to the quarterfinals. This is no understatement from the president of the German Football Association (DFB); a similar tone of caution was also heard from the team. And yes, Group C at this European Championship is by no means an easy one. But the DFB also seems to have learned from the past. Because the women were eliminated in the group stage for the first time at the last World Cup, the embarrassment for the president was all the greater: Neuendorf missed the tournament because he wanted to travel to Australia for the round of 16.

DFB President as spectator

Now, Neuendorf isn't just traveling around Switzerland to watch football matches; he's also actively promoting a 2029 European Championship in Germany. When the DFB president spoke about the German women's soccer team in Zurich on Wednesday, he also said that a lot of work is being done behind the scenes on this bid. He'll be back in the stadium on Saturday for the final group match against the Swedes.

It's time for new goals for the German women's team. "We want to win the group," said captain and defensive leader Janina Minge, and not just with an eye on the upcoming clash. After all, the group winners could face the so far outstanding world champions from Spain in the final at the earliest. That's exactly where the German women's football team wants to be. And if their stated dream of winning the title is to become reality, they will have to improve significantly. Because it's not just the technically strong Spanish women who are making a better impression with their possession-based game. The tactically disciplined defending champions from England brought their attacking power to the pitch with impressive conviction in a 4-0 win against the Netherlands on Wednesday. With a mixture of both styles of play, the newly formed French team is also among the favorites; their opening victory against England was followed on Wednesday evening by a weaker performance in a 4-1 defeat against Wales.

Confident Swedish women

The German and Swedish women's soccer teams will have also watched these matches, as their respective opponents in the quarterfinals come from this Group D. However, who the opponents will be seems secondary, as both teams ultimately prefer to focus on themselves. "We want to beat Germany," Sweden's captain Kosovare Asllani leaves no room for doubt. A draw would be enough for the German women's opponents on Saturday in Zurich to win the group. "Because we're better," defender Nathalie Björn immediately explained why they will win.

For the German women's team, the match against the confident Swedes comes at just the right time: After their opening victory against Poland and the hard-fought 2-1 win against Denmark, their opponents' quality is improving once again. In the style of these often-described "tournament teams," national coach Christian Wück 's team can now demonstrate that they are capable of playing better football.

The German women's soccer team showed what they're capable of on Tuesday against Denmark. Against a good opponent with limited resources, the German national team managed to build pressure and create goal-scoring opportunities from a solid defense. However, this highly promising team is still too easily impressed – and in doing so, it makes its opponents stronger. Until the opening goal was disallowed by video review, the German team dominated the game in the first 20 minutes and created several chances. Then the break: Suddenly the Danes were present, posing a threat with simple moves and while outnumbered, and quickly took the lead.

Wobbling when resisted

"We suffered three blows to the neck," analyzed Wück. By this he meant the lead goal that was ruled out, the deficit, and the penalty at the end of the first half that was also overturned due to video review. "That does something to a team," said the national coach . Even if all of this was couched in subordinate clauses, it is still astonishing. And by no means helpful: No game has ever been won with excuses. But even the players referred to these scenes, including the long interruptions, to explain the adversities of the game. So if it really is true that correct decisions by the video referee have such an impact on the team, it is a mental weakness that urgently needs to be addressed.

When the team encounters resistance, it still falters. This is understandable given the recent upheavals with coaching changes , player retirements, and the rebuilding process under Wück . Perhaps the major goals should also be redefined. It doesn't always have to be the title: The DFB men demonstrated at their home tournament last year that a European Championship can be a success even without a trophy. With their victory against Denmark, the women showed they're on the right track.