The national coach had promised the chancellor before kick-off that he would see goals. The chancellor had promised the national coach that he would "stay on the ball" and continue to advocate equal pay. In other words, for the DFB to reward women and men equally for tournament success.

For the European Championship title last year, the German women – who were narrowly defeated in the final – would have received 60,000 euros per player, while the men had been awarded 400,000 euros per player at the European Championships and World Cup in the past two years.

The Duisburg Tuesday evening, however, could not stimulate the Chancellor's imagination in the gallery that the entire title bonus could be due this summer. Exactly five months before the start of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg not only had to break her chancellor's goal promise, but also recognize that there is more than just contours to be made in the interaction and also on the way to increased tactical variability.

Problems in game structure

The 0-0 draw in the friendly against Sweden gave the 55-year-old only a few joyful moments. At the start of the international match in 2023 against an athletically stronger and almost equal opponent, the German game was very susceptible to failure. It seemed hardly rehearsed and in many scenes low speed and imprecise. Passes without right conviction and routes without right profit characterized the appearance.

Although the team has hardly been changed since the cheerful European Championship summer. Although a six-day training camp took place in Marbella before the game. And although the national coach had ordered six forces of VfL Wolfsburg, the irresistibly advancing Bundesliga sovereign, into the starting eleven. In the second half, eight Wolfsburg women were on the pitch at times.

But the protagonists were able to experience again after the final whistle that a lot has changed for the better in German women's football. Not only that just over 20,000 spectators in the stadium were curious about this team. Even after the game, the affection of the audience was considerable – the crowd of autograph and photo hunters was large and the applause so warm that the players did a lap of honour on the battered Duisburg green despite the goalless draw.

"More fight than game"

It was "more of a football match than a football match," said Voss-Tecklenburg after the match in her hometown. The fact that her team has allowed this against an admittedly good opponent will keep the national coach busy for a while. None of the tried tactical formations presented the Swedes with special brain teasers.

"We have a brutal quality in the squad and it still takes a little routine to get the rehearsed things on the pitch," said goalkeeper Merle Frohms, who was often in action and had to intervene a few times in extreme distress reflexively or in flight.

In April, there will be a final training course for the DFB women before they come together again for immediate World Cup preparation. Unchallenged by the mandatory tasks in the tournament qualifiers against weaker nations, there will still be two games against top opponents.

We are currently talking about the Netherlands and Brazil. After the half-baked performance against Sweden, which was primarily an endurance test for robustness and physique, the playful ability should be put to the test again. The national coach would certainly promise that to the Federal Chancellor.