A rather easy group for the German soccer players at the 2023 World Cup and no flying back and forth between Australia and New Zealand: national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was able to leave the preliminary round draw in Auckland's Aotea Center satisfied.
Morocco, Colombia and South Korea are the first opponents waiting for the Vice European Champions at next year's tournament. "We're looking forward to having three very different teams that will give us different tasks. But we want to solve them, so we're preparing now," said Voss-Tecklenburg.
At the World Cup from July 20th to August 20th, the DFB women will not only be playing their three Group H games, but all kinds of games in Australia, where the distances between the venues are considerable. Possible opponents of the vice European champions in the round of 16 are France and Brazil. Theoretically, Germany can only meet the defending champion USA in the game for third place or in the final. The German selection escaped difficult group opponents such as Olympic champions Canada, Brazil and the former world champions from Japan and Norway. The two best in each of the eight groups of four advance.
DFB opening game in Melbourne
The German team will play the opening game against Morocco on July 24 in Melbourne. The 2003 and 2007 world champions will face Colombia in Sydney on July 30 and South Korea in Brisbane on August 3. All three opponents finished second in their continental title fights that year.
"We will meet three very different teams," said Joti Chatzialexiou, sporting director for national teams at the DFB. You don't want to "allow yourself to slip up in the preliminary round", the goal is "to win the group and then be as successful as possible in the knockout round".
South Korea described Voss-Tecklenburg as a "very strong team that plays technically fine football." The 54-year-old also referred to the head coach of the Asian women: Colin Bell (61), who was born in England, once played for FSV Mainz 05 and coached the men of SV Waldhof Mannheim and the women of 1. FFC Frankfurt. The national coach sees Colombia as a team "with a lot of lifeblood and passion" and "a completely different style of play". You've never played against World Cup newcomers Morocco.
First World Cup with 32 teams
The kick-off times for the games have yet to be determined; due to the time difference, the games will take place during the German night or in the early morning. The ninth edition of the World Cup will be played for the first time with 32 teams (previously 24). In the opening game, New Zealand challenges the Norwegians.
The DFB women, like the two host teams, European champions England, defending champions USA, Sweden, Spain and France, were seeded in pot 1 as group leaders. Three participants will not be determined until the play-offs in February, candidates include Panama and Papua New Guinea. Four venues are in New Zealand, five in Australia. The final is in Sydney.
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Germany lost to Sweden in the quarter-finals. Most recently, however, the DFB women shone at the European Championships in England and only lost to the hosts' team in the final.
