Gwinn and Frohms credit supporters after win: "We wanted to give the fans something back."
Back-up keeper Ann-Katrin Berger also spoke to the German public television mics about her historic performance. As positive a tailwind as the DFB-Mädels are riding heading into the coming games in France, there is unfortunately fresh concern for team talisman Lena Oberdorf.
| Giulia Gwinn | Steffen Prößdorf CC BY-SA 4.0 |
The German women's national football team were able to rebound from a concerning and error-filled performance last Friday night in Reykjavik and produce a thoroughly convincing 4-0 win over Austria last night before an impressive crowd of 43,953 spectators at the Heinz-von-Heiden Arena in Hannover.
Speaking to German public television after the victory, both Frauen-nationalmannschaft trainer Horst Hrubesch and starting right back Giulia Gwinn credited the many live fans who came out in support for helping spur the team on.
“The atmosphere at the last game in Rostock against Poland was already outstanding," a delighted Hrubesch noted after the full-time whistle, "But it was topped today."
“There were over 43,000 people in the stadium today and it was clear to us that we wanted to give them something back," Gwinn added, "We wished to inspire them with our football and get them involved from the first minute."
Last night's performance certainly left everyone involved with the DFB team in a good mood, but question marks linger as the DFB-Frauen now prepare for an exceedingly tough group in the coming Women's Olympic football tournament.
Hrubesch suddenly has a choice to make at the goalkeeping position. Merle Frohms - by far the more experienced net-minder in terms of international caps - committed several notable errors in Friday night's loss. Backup Ann-Katrin Berger managed to get her name on the scoresheet twice with a pair of assists last night.
“I don't think I've ever made two assists in one game in my career," Berger noted in her own post-match interview, "That's a bit crazy, I have to say. I worked for it putting in my performance for the team.”
Hrubesch left it open whether Wolfsburg's Frohms - who has been capped 52 times at senior level despite being four years younger than Berger - would start against Australia in the opening Olympic group stage match in eight days' time, merely commenting that he "wised to see" both of them prior to the competition.
Another question mark of greater concern and urgency for the team involves the injury status of midfield talisman Lena Oberdorf. The 22-year-old unfortunately had to exit proceedings in the 70th minute last night with an injury.
With an MRI scheduled for today, Hrubesch noted that he was merely "prepared to pray that it was nothing serious".