The DFB women’s U19s exited the European U19 Championship in Slovakia with a victory in their final group match. Maren Meinert’s team triumphed 3-1 over Austria following defeats to Spain (1-0) and Switzerland (4-2).
In an interview for DFB.de with journalist Paula Widmer, Maren Meinert evaluates the Women’s European U19 Championship and looks ahead to the U20 World Cup (6th November until 4th December) in Papua New Guinea.
DFB.de: Ms Meinert, how do you feel returning to Germany today?
Maren Meinert: We are obviously disappointed more than anything else. We imagined we would do better and wanted to progress from the group. However, Spain and Switzerland were clearly better than us.
DFB.de: What did your team do well and what do they need to work on?
Meinert: We have to improve in a number of different areas. We had problems with our technique, especially when we were under pressure, and weren’t able to combine well going forwards on many occasions. We will have to improve tactically ahead of the World Cup as well, in order to feel more comfortable defensively. These are the main points we will be working on.
DFB.de: What was the reason for things not going particularly well at this European Championship?
Meinert: You have to say that it has been a theme with the U19s throughout the entire year. We had a tough qualification round followed by a difficult Elite Round in April in which we didn’t face many strong opponents. The European Championship has now shown that it hasn’t been enough. Every individual player knows that if your technique isn’t up to scratch and you lack tempo to your play, you will struggle to stay at international level.
The DFB women’s U19s exited the European U19 Championship in Slovakia with a victory in their final group match. Maren Meinert’s team triumphed 3-1 over Austria following defeats to Spain (1-0) and Switzerland (4-2).
In an interview for DFB.de with journalist Paula Widmer, Maren Meinert evaluates the Women’s European U19 Championship and looks ahead to the U20 World Cup (6th November until 4th December) in Papua New Guinea.
DFB.de: Ms Meinert, how do you feel returning to Germany today?
Maren Meinert: We are obviously disappointed more than anything else. We imagined we would do better and wanted to progress from the group. However, Spain and Switzerland were clearly better than us.
DFB.de: What did your team do well and what do they need to work on?
Meinert: We have to improve in a number of different areas. We had problems with our technique, especially when we were under pressure, and weren’t able to combine well going forwards on many occasions. We will have to improve tactically ahead of the World Cup as well, in order to feel more comfortable defensively. These are the main points we will be working on.
DFB.de: What was the reason for things not going particularly well at this European Championship?
Meinert: You have to say that it has been a theme with the U19s throughout the entire year. We had a tough qualification round followed by a difficult Elite Round in April in which we didn’t face many strong opponents. The European Championship has now shown that it hasn’t been enough. Every individual player knows that if your technique isn’t up to scratch and you lack tempo to your play, you will struggle to stay at international level.
DFB.de: How important is this tournament ahead of the U20 World Cup in November?
Meinert: It’s important that we do something with what we have learned. We have been trying to impress on the girls in the past days that they will have to begin to think differently from now at the latest. The tournament was good for that. Competitions are also always important as they help you to develop because you can compare yourself to the other players at international level.
DFB.de: The European U19 Championship squad will move up to U20s next year. Eight older players will also be available as well. How will it work with the World Cup squad ahead of the tournament in Papua New Guinea?
Meinert: We will meet up with the U20s for a few days each month up until the World Cup to prepare. It’s important that the girls give their all in every training session in the upcoming weeks, as that is the only way to truly develop yourself further. It isn’t enough to only focus on your technique every four weeks. The players also have to be motivated to work on this area of their game when they are at home. It is something that this result has shown us. The European Championship has been good preparation for the World Cup.
