2024-07-23 05:14:06
The goalkeeper position is not really a problem area in the national football team. Nevertheless, there are signs of change.
It is not unusual for a goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet. However, it is quite common for her to set up a goal herself. National goalkeeper Ann-Kathrin Berger managed both in the last test before the Olympic Games. And what’s more: Berger set up two goals with her long clearances against Austria.
Not only, but also due to her strong performance against the German neighbors, Berger’s chances of being in the starting eleven for the first Olympic preliminary round match against Australia (July 25, 7 p.m., in the live ticker at t-online.de) have increased significantly. A spectacular change is imminent, even though the place in goal was actually clearly given to Wolfsburg’s Merle Frohms.
Weeks ago, the outgoing head coach Horst Hrubesch did not want to commit to his previous number one. He wanted to see all the goalkeepers at least once, which is why Stina Johannes was between the posts at the beginning of June against Poland and the supposed regular keeper Frohms in the botched 0:3 defeat in Iceland.
The fact that the trip to Scandinavia turned into a total failure and the heaviest defeat since 2018 (0:3 against France) was also due to a mistake by the goalkeeper, who made a serious mistake before the 0:1 after an opponent’s corner.
Looking at the two most recent appearances that Hrubesch and goalkeeping coach Michael Fuchs were able to observe in the games, Berger’s choice is hardly surprising. For her, it would be the “icing on the cake” to now be in the starting eleven after being confirmed as a nominee. For Frohms, on the other hand, it would be a disappointing setback, as the 29-year-old has been considered untouchable for a good two years.
Coach Hrubesch remained tight-lipped after the furious 4-0 win in front of a sold-out crowd in Hanover. “We’ll decide when we’re in Marseille,” he said, not wanting to give any information about his choice of number one. “We know that we have good goalkeepers. Anne did a great job, that’s for sure. But with Merle I also know what kind of goalkeeper we have,” said the 73-year-old.
ARD expert Almuth Schult was also full of praise: “We have to talk about Ann-Kathrin Berger. I have never seen a goalkeeper make two assists,” said Berger’s predecessor in the DFB goal. “She had nothing to do defensively, but she did what she needed to. Confident, she collected plus points,” was the 33-year-old’s conclusion.
For Berger, who fought her way back onto the field after being diagnosed with cancer twice, the dream of becoming the first-choice goalkeeper for the DFB is more realistic than ever. The timing couldn’t be better.