Germany women have been steadily climbing the FIH Pro League table as they continue to apply their compelling mix of well-drilled structure and individual flair. A 4-1 win over China and a 2-1 victory over USA has propelled Die Danas to within touching distance of the top four and the Grand Finals in June.
The team has a few weeks away from international competition now but then they have a testing run of matches, including match-ups against Argentina (WR:4), Netherlands (WR:1), and the high flying Belgium team.
Captain Janne Müller-Wieland initially had her doubts about the FIH Pro League and its format. How is she feeling as the league passes its mid-way point?
“Personally I really like tournaments. I like the atmosphere, the teams all being at the same place, games every other day etc. You have to perform on point to win. I miss I miss that side of an event. But on the other hand, it’s great for us to have top level games over the course of six months, instead of having one pinnacle a year and up to that point having preparation camps and test matches. It is also good that all the matches count and they are not just test matches.”
With three wins from their past four matches, Germany are flying high. Müller-Wieland explains that the coaching staff have made some changes to their playing system and moved some of the players into different positions or roles. She also says the switch in domestic hockey from the indoor game to the outdoor Bundesliga has been a really contributory factor to the team’s success.
“One big factor is that we are back in the field hockey season now – the middle of Bundesliga actually – so all of us have had much more time on the ball and played in league competitions. Compare that to our first few games, where we had been playing indoor hockey and couldn’t even train outside due to ice and snow.”
The recent announcement by FIH about some changes to the format of the Pro League in the 2020 and 2021 season has been met with approval by the German captain. “Considering the amount of kilometres and time we have travelled, plus the incredible changes as we move to different time zones, we have coped really well with the demands of the league.
“I prefer to play more often than just three times in three weeks. If we travel so far to top nations it would be nice to play them more often. So I do think the changes from FIH are a great idea, as the traveling cost a lot of time, money and nerves. This new system will help us to perform at our best.”
With eight games under their belt, Germany have everything to play for in the next few weeks. Taken on balance, Müller-Wieland is happy with the way things going: “I believe everyone will learn from this first year and make the FIH Pro League even better next year. There have been some great games in terms of atmosphere and, although there has been a lot of travelling, I would say so far, it has been a great trip.”
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