Sad European Championship defeat: Germany loses 1:4 against Sweden!

Sad European Championship defeat: Germany loses 1:4 against Sweden!

There was great disappointment in the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich when the DFB women lost 4-1 to Sweden in the final group game of the European Championship. An early goal from Jule Brand in the 7th minute gave hope of a victory, but the following week was anything but pleasant for the German team. The German women seemed to be in good form in the first two games against Denmark (2:1) and Poland (2:0), but today the team was punished for their mistakes. The disappointment was noticeable not only on the field, but also by the fans, around 6,000 of whom found their way into the stadium, including Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil.

As the war progressed, Germany was confronted with major setbacks. Sweden equalized in the 12th minute through Stina Blackstenius and counterattacked just a short time later. An unfortunate own goal from Linder put the Germans 2-1 behind in the 25th minute. But the biggest drama came in the 31st minute when Carlotta Wamser, the replacement for the injured captain Giulia Gwinn, was shown a red card for handball on the line. Referee Silvia Gasperotti pointed to the spot, which Fridolina Rolfö converted to make it 3-1 for Sweden in the 34th minute. “We have to get this over with as quickly as possible,” explained Klara Bühl after the game.

Injuries and exclusions

The defensive problems will only intensify for the quarter-finals, which are scheduled to take place next Saturday. Wamser will be missing due to the red card and national coach Christian Wück now has to look for alternatives. Possible options are Kett or Sophia Kleinherne if the team has to compete against strong opponents like France in Basel. Wück experimented a lot and was able to win against Poland and Denmark before this game, but today's defeat was a bitter step back for everyone.

The uncertainty in the defense was clearly noticeable after Blackstenius equalized. Wamser had previously done the preparatory work for Brand's opening goal, but after her dismissal the pressure on the remaining players was enormous. While Wamser walks off the court visibly dejected, she was comforted by teammates, including Gwinn. The captain, who tore the medial ligament in her left knee in the first game, traveled to Munich for rehab on Sunday and watched the game from the bench.

The bitter balance

The 4-1 defeat against Sweden not only remains in the players' minds, but is also the biggest loss in the history of Germany's participation in the European Championship. A missed group win and the disappointing outcome of the game put the team in a difficult position. As DFB goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger stated: “It is better to lose now than in the quarter-finals.”

The challenge is now clear: the German team must find fresh motivation after this narrow defeat and prepare for the quarter-finals against France. How they will do this is now in the hands of the coaching staff and players. “The red card decided the game for us,” sums up Wück after the final siren, while the players have to concentrate on overcoming the mistakes they made in the next game.

Picture reports that the DFB women dropped the crucial points in the last group game. Loud Sports1 The red card was a crucial moment for Wamser n-tv pointed out the desolate second half of the DFB team.