It was the fifth minute of stoppage time and the German national team delivered in 2: 2 against Japan within a few seconds the evidence why the DFB team after the early European Championship finals in 2017 and many unfortunate games under former coach Steffi Jones back to extended, but it will not belong to the top favorite group of the 2019 World Cup in France.

After the unlucky game with two goals gifts from goalkeeper Almuth Schult urged the players of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg in the closing stages on the winner.

Morale, commitment, enthusiasm, all that was in the second half and so initially Turid Knaak came to a good scoring opportunity and a little later had Dzsenifer Marozsan with a volley from 13 meters, the even better opportunity. However, Olympique Lyon's playmaker scored her team-mate Lina Magull, arguing with her bad luck instead of continuing to relegate, thus forgetting the chance of another ball capture. The development is positive, but the rejuvenated team - the average age of the squad against Sweden and Japan was 24.9 years - is still too often in the way itself.

DFB women in the Einzekritik

Almuth Schult, Tor : What a used day for the German goalkeeper. She was mainly required as a ball distributor, had to grab only in the 30th Minute with a cross for the first time. Her long passes did not always find a buyer - and then the Wolfsburg also passed the big mistake before the 0: 1, when she kicked herself on a slight pass against the foothold, the ball therefore played directly to Yui Hasegawa and the Japanese midfielder hit with a lift from 25 meters. Who thought, that was a rare and thus in 90 minutes unique mistake, was deceived. Schult again played a pass into the feet of a Japanese, the 2011 World Champions took advantage of the dropout and went through Kumi Yokoyama again in the lead (69.). Schult will go to the World Cup, probably also number one, but she has to improve a lot in the passing game.

Kathrin Hendrich, defense (until 75th minute) : In the attack, the right-back acted much higher positioned than Schweers on the other side, but could not bring their freedoms profitably into the German attack. In the middle of the first half Hendrich suddenly appeared in the front line when she started goalkeeper Chika Hirao - that was certainly not the plan of coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. In the second half, the offensive game worked better on the right side as well.

Linda Dallmann, defense (from 75th minute) : The Essene came late into the game, but was still an invigorating element for the German offensive. Dallmann went into dribbling, dared to direct duels, which previously had shown only a few players.

Marina Hegering, defense : Had many ball contacts in the initial phase, this time as center-back in a four- and not in a triple chain as against Sweden. Hegering made a mistake in the 13th minute, but remained without consequences. She otherwise radiated a remarkable calm, as if the former junior national player had not had to wait ten years for her first international match. How great is the confidence of the coach in the Essen, showed up at the beginning of the second half, when she switched from central defense into defensive midfield and also knew how to convince. Hegering had her share of 2: 2, she forced Hirao with their presence in a duel to error. Voss-Tecklenburg does not have to nominate her squad until May 14, but Hegering's flexibility makes her a safe candidate.

Johanna Elsig, defense (up to 45th minute) : Was asked by Voss-Teklenburg after a quarter of an hour to play more, more to participate in the game structure. She wanted to do that, but promptly put a high cross pass in the side (20.). Did not find her safety in the episode again. Voss-Tecklenburg had already announced in advance operating times for all four central defenders in the squad, Elsig substitution to the break made but also for performance reasons sense.

Sara Doorsoun, defense (46 minutes) : The 27-year-old came for Elsig in the game and acted as a much more defensive center-back at the side of her Wolfsburg teammate Lena Goessling. Doorsoun was rarely challenged when Substitute Rikako Kobayashi was cleared in the 62nd minute, but she was bad. Doorsoun will have to prove himself in the Bundesliga in the coming weeks to be sure of the World Cup.

Verena Schweers, defense (up to 45th minute) : The left-back rarely intervened in the German attacks, instead remained on the side of Elsig and Hegering to hedge in the defense. That was not enough for Voss-Tecklenburg and so she took the Munich player out of the game at break time.

Turid Knaak, defense (from 45th minute) : Voss-Tecklenburg deliberately avoided after the game to criticize or praise players. When Knaak but then slipped out an appreciative sentence, the player SGS Essen have done their job well after the substitution. That's exactly how it was, Knaak has many positions on offense, against Japan she came from the left and came to two great chances (55./90.+4), the goalkeeper Hirao but could both parry.

Lena Oberdorf, midfielder (up to 45th minute) : She convinced as a strong organizer in the defensive midfield. Ball safe, with good overview - and that at the age of 17 years. Oberdorf started with a good pass into the depth of the first liquid attack (21), but not in a scoring opportunity. The Essene was in the first half in her only second international match one of the few bright spots in the German game, thus increasing their chances of a World Cup nomination. She still does not belong to the narrow circle of secure World Cup candidates, but if she continues to convince in the Bundesliga, she will bring Voss-Tecklenburg as a ball-safe alternative for the midfield in their squad.

Lena Goeßling, midfielder (from 45th minute) : The coach knows what she has at one of her few veteran internationals. Against defensive opponents Goeßling can steer the game from behind, plays smart passes. So it was against Japan, as she took the play structure after the break in their hands and thus had their share of the upswing. But it is also clear that Goeßling has speed deficits and against fast strikers should not be the first choice.

Lina Magull, midfielder : good start with two chances to shoot. But until the break the defensive midfielder dived but was rarely involved in the game. The improvements in the German game in the second half had also to do with Magull to do more deep runs and appeared a few times before the Japanese goal. Worth seeing was her direct conclusion after a double pass with Marozsan (53.), less well her lifter, who passed free before Hirao at the gate (57.).

Svenja Huth, midfielder : Before the game, the attacker was awarded as national player of the year 2018. However, she did not start in the front line against Japan, but on the right side in the attacking three-way. Huth was not included enough in the game, so she missed the move to the gate, her best scene before the break was a cross on Alexandra Popp, who did not get the ball (21.). In the second half Huth got more passes. She hesitated too long in her first good scoring chance (67 '), but then was on the spot when Hirao dropped the ball and headed for a 2-2 draw from close range.

Dzsenifer Marozsán, midfield : The playmaker of Olympique Lyon remains the best technician in the squad of the DFB. Their first contact, their overview, their accuracy of fit can lift the game to another level. Marozsan wanted to surprise goalkeeper Hirao in the 25th minute with a free-kick from the right side on the short corner - they had met in the Champions League quarter-final against Wolfsburg for Lyon - but the Japanese was at the post. Marozsan had the first good scoring opportunity in the second half as well, but she did not get the ball right behind the ball and only stroked it in the direction of Hirao, who was able to fend off the ball. In the final phase, the former captain came to two great opportunities, but they both forgave (90./90.+4).

Giulia Gwinn, midfielder : Was little on the left side involved in the game, then also appeared in the 33rd minute for the first time when she avoided the right side. Gwinn was narrowly offside after a pass from Marozsan. After the break, she moved into the back four and replaced Schweers as left-back. Together with the substitute Knaak she formed a more agile couple.

Alexandra Popp, attack (until 81 minutes) : The new captain of the national team acted in the first half quite unhappy - as they admitted after the game itself. After the missed first big chance Popp chose the wrong decisions a few times, most clearly seen in a well-timed pass from Marozsan in their run, but she completely misjudged and broke off their sprint. Shortly before the break Popp came relatively free from a central position to the conclusion, but shot wide by the gate (41). Even the last action of the first half belonged to the Wolfsburg, a counterattack, but she concluded a bit too stubborn himself - Hirao parried easily. Increased after the break, which not only the header to 1: 1 showed.

Pauline Bremer, attack (81 mins) : The Manchester City striker came into play for Popp and should give the offensive the last impetus. That did not succeed, but she made her big appearance in defense. Japan came in stoppage time to the best scoring opportunity without Schult stake, Bremer cleared a header for a corner on the goal line (90. + 1).

Voss-Tecklenburg, who was dissatisfied with the first half of the 2011 World Championships, knows that too. "We had a lot of problems building the game," said the 51-year-old. "Passtempo, passport accuracy, we did not like it all."

The bottom line remains a series of eleven unbeaten games, starting with interim coach Horst Hrubesch and continued by Voss-Tecklenburg, which has been responsible for three games. Among them were wins against strong Canadians, World Cup hosts France, traditionally well-placed Swedes and now the draw against Japan. Germany has again reached the top of the world, but there are some things that speak against the third world title after 2003 and 2007:

Individual mistakes

It is extremely rare for a player at this level to make the same mistake twice in a game and thus blame two goals. Goalkeeper Schult passed with her non-enforced bad passes exactly that and she is thus exemplary for a problem that Voss-Tecklenburg must tackle in the World Cup preparation in Grassau, Bavaria: "We need on the defensive over 90 minutes of consistency, still have the opponents too easy, "summed up captain Alexandra Popp.

Guide players

Popp forms together with Schult, Lena Goessling, Marozsan, Svenja Huth and the missing against Japan Melanie Leupolz and Sara Däbritz the framework around which the World Cup regular team is to be built. This septet brings in experience, but struggles with different problems:

  • Schult , apart from her mistakes, still has to increase her fitness level after a long illness.
  • Goeßling is no undisputed regular and because of the lack of speed she is not the ideal center-back against absolute top strikers.
  • Although Leupolz and Däbritz are no longer out of action , they can still win the Champions League with Bayern and therefore drive to the World Cup without the necessary freshness.
  • Marozsan is still the best footballer in the DFB squad, but shows again and again a performance-inhibiting phlegm.
  • There remain the two strikers Popp and Huth , who often prove their goal threat but still have to confirm it in the big games.

Opportunities and

Because even the game against Japan has shown that the German team still has deficits in the exploitation of their great opportunities. Popp and Huth both scored the two goals, but Marozsan, Knaak and Magull missed it several times to make the draw a clear victory.

Missing rootelf

It is understandable that Voss-Tecklenburg, after taking up their job at the beginning of the year, first of all wanted to get an overview and test as many players as possible. But that has the consequence that the national coach without well-rehearsed tribe goes into the World Cup preparation. Until the World Cup opener against China on 8 June in Rennes is only a test match against Chile on May 30 on the program. The training sessions in Grassau get so much greater importance.

After all, the team itself sees the starting point realistic. "World-ripe, I would not call the performance yet," said Popp after the draw in Paderborn in front of nearly 5000 spectators. And Marozsan added: We still have a lot of work ahead of us. "An early tournament like two years ago should not happen again.