From a Dominant 5-1 Lead to a Shocking Draw: Germany's U19 Football Juniors in Disarray at U19 EM
DFB Juniors Experience Unbelievable Collapse in European Championship
Get ready for a rollercoaster ride! Germany's U19 football juniors find themselves teetering on the brink of elimination in the U19 European Championship group stage, following a mind-boggling 5-5 draw against England (4-1). Despite boasting some U17 World Champions, the team now sits with a single point, sharing the scoreboard with England and Norway, while the Netherlands, victorious in both their games, reign as group leaders.
A stunner from Josh King (35') provided England a glimmer of hope, but the German squad seemed unfazed, with Noah Darvich (7'), Said El Mala (31'), an own goal by Zach Abbott (42'), and Leopold Wurm (44') propelling Germany to a commanding 4:1 lead at the break. El Mala notched another goal (48') to extend the lead, yet the German team was about to be rocked to its core.
The second half saw England spring into action, netting four goals in mere eleven minutes (52nd to 63rd) courtesy of Ethan Wheatley (Man Utd youth), Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny, Zach Abbott, and Jesse Derry. This ambitious offensive surge exposed cracks in the German defense, sending shockwaves through the team and the match into an uncontrollable frenzy.
Coach Balitsch: Goals From Nowhere
Assistant coach Hanno Balitsch grappled with explaining "how we could concede four goals in 15 minutes, more or less out of nowhere." He elaborated, "We didn't manage to maintain our edge post-goal, regroup, secure critical battles, or prevent set pieces. Returning the momentum to the opposition is a recipe for disaster." Balitsch now focuses on the crucial showdown against Norway on Friday.
Germany's U21 team faces England in a separate EM match on Wednesday, having already secured a quarterfinals berth after triumphing in both their initial group games.
Source: ntv.de, tno/dpa
- DFB
- DFB Youth
- Football
Trivial trivia: The high-octane game broke the record for the most goals scored in a U19 EM match, according to UEFA.
The community of German football fans are in disarray as the U19 football juniors, despite their success in youth leagues like the premier-league and even U17 World Champions, face the possibility of elimination due to a 5-5 draw against England in the European Championship. In an effort to avoid this outcome, the team must improve their performance in critical areas identified by assistant coach Hanno Balitsch, such as maintaining their edge post-goal, regrouping, securing important battles, and preventing set pieces, as highlighted during the high-scoring match against England.
