Women's national student team impresses in France

On Wednesday evening, 07.06.2017, the German women's national student team, led by Phil Weimer and head of discipline Dr. Carolin Braun, faced the 2015 Universiade winners France in Reims (France). In perfect football weather and with around 5,000 enthusiastic spectators, the German players faced a French team that was as strong as ever. In addition to an open exchange of blows in the first quarter of an hour, the numerous spectators, including several school classes, also saw show interludes such as "Captain America", who was roped down from the stadium roof to place the match ball on the kick-off point.

In the first 15 minutes, the game was characterized by fast transitional play and a lot of running by both teams. After some initial uncertainty, both teams got into the game well and had a few chances. However, the score remained 0:0 at half-time. After the restart, the German team made a total of five changes in order to use all of the team's players in this match in front of a great crowd. Despite the short preparation time due to the short training course and the personnel changes in the second half, the team put in a strong performance over 90 minutes and represented German student soccer excellently.

The required tactical formations were adhered to and the team created some good opportunities to score. In the end, it remained a fair draw that could have been crowned with a goal on either side.

The German team, which consists mainly of players from the first and second Bundesliga as well as a few regional league players, put in a performance that can be built on. Coach Phil Weimer was delighted with the game: "The team put in a very good performance, which I'm very pleased with! Our basic tactical considerations were implemented very well, as the players are all very well trained. Due to the short preparation time, we had to rely on the intelligence of the players, who confirmed the trust placed in them."

Head of women's soccer at the adh and coach Dr. Carolin Braun: "Due to a number of last-minute withdrawals due to injuries and last-minute scheduling conflicts, there were a total of 11 new players in the team, some of whom could only be nominated a few days in advance. As a result, the planning and preparation for the match was not ideal, but we are extremely satisfied with the training course and the international match. The crowd in the stadium far exceeded our expectations and the players were eager to win the game. Even if it wasn't quite enough in the end."

In the end, it should be noted that Phil Weimer and Dr. Carolin Braun's German team were able to create a number of good scoring chances, showed great willingness to run and demonstrated real team spirit in a very short space of time. Another part of the trip to France included visits to various schools, where the players were on hand to answer questions from the French children and there was time for a short training session together at the end.

The team's next big highlight is just four weeks away. The German women's national team will then fly to Uruguay for an ambassadorial trip. There will probably be an international match against the women's national team and the senior national team from Uruguay. "This year, we're incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to take part in two great events!" explained Dr. Braun, while coach Weimer added: "The personal experiences that the players gain on such trips and the international opponents shape the players and help them develop both as people and as players! We were delighted with the superbly organized days in France and would like to thank the French delegation. We are already looking forward to an interesting sporting and cultural trip to Uruguay."

The players were: Frederike Abt (KIT Karlsruhe), Anne Fühner (PH Heidelberg), Lina Bürger (TU Darmstadt), Michaela Specht (Uni Mannheim), Annika Eberhardt (HS Darmstadt), Tabea Waßmuth (Uni Mannheim/all TSG Hoffenheim), Maren Haberäcker (HS Triesdorf), Nina Heisel (Uni Erlangen-Nürnberg/both SV Weinberg), Nathalie Klupp (PH Heidelberg/1. FFC Niederkirchen), Jana Rippberger (Uni Heidelberg/FC Ingolstadt), Magdalena Richter (Ruhr-Uni Bochum/FSV Gütersloh 2009), Lisa Seiler (EAH Jena/USV Jena), Sabine Stoller (Uni Freiburg/FC Freiburg), Natalie Härterich (Uni Stuttgart), Meike Van Elten (KIT Karlsruhe/both FV Löchgau), Nina Raasch (Uni Erlangen-Nürnberg/1. FC Nürnberg).