Inspired by the triumph of their senior team in the FIH 2023 World Cup, Germany’s Junior World Cup-bound players are gearing up for the bigger battles at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil from Dec 5-16.
Germany’s head coach Rein van Eijk said on Friday that the 20-member squad had just finished its five-day camp in Frankfurt/Mannheim, after which the players returned home for the final phase of nine days of decentralised training in small groups.
“It is the last week of camp. We have a group of players practicing in small groups in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Mannheim, and Munich. Those are the hubs where most players are based,” said van Eijk.
The Germans, who lost to Argentina 2-4 in the final of the 2021 Junior World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India, will arrive on Nov 30 in Kuala Lumpur and are scheduled to play defending champions Argentina in a friendly match three days later.
They are drawn in Pool B alongside South Africa, Egypt, and France. Germany has qualified for 13 editions (including 2023) of the FIH Junior World Cups since 1979. They won a record six times,emerging champions in 1982, 1985, 1989, 1993, 2009, and 2013. They finished runner-up in 1979 (Paris)and 2021 (Bhubaneswar, India), and third in 1997, 2001 and 2016. Thus, they have finished on the podium in every tournament since 1979 except in 2005.
“After our return to Germany from the Sultan of Johor Cup in Johor Bahru, we only had friendlies with the club teams. No matches were played with junior teams from neighbouring countries. We will only play one friendly match in Kuala Lumpur before the World Cup,” said van Eijk.
“We don’t want to put pressure on the players. They need to stay focused, not be stressed, and also avoid injuries,” he added.
The German juniors, added van Eijk, have played a total of 19 international matches, including the SOJC in Johor Bahru, this season in their build-up to the upcoming World Cup.
“If we are to include the friendly against Argentina on Dec 3, it will be 20 matches this season. That is enough for the players in their preparation. The World Cup will be a tough tournament, and we must move forward,” he stressed.
“Our participation in the Sultan of Johor Cup saw the players adapting well to the climate. It gives us a little bit of an advantage going into the World Cup over all the other teams, especially those from Europe. The hospitality of the Malaysian people was overwhelming, and we truly appreciate it.”
However, he agreed that Germany will need to up the ante and play much better in the World Cup than they did in the SOJC.
“We are aware of the need to play much better than we did in the SOJC. We won the tournament, but everyone saw Australia as a team to be reckoned with when we played them in the final. There are stronger teams too whom we might play if we cross paths such as Argentina, Netherlands, India, even Belgium, who are strong oppositions,” said van Eijk.
He added that forward Fabio Seitz, who plays for Cologne, is recovering from a foot injury sustained six weeks ago.
“He is getting all the best treatment and is recovering faster than expected.” he said.
Malaysia has been a lucky charm for Germany. The Germans won the Junior World Cup in 2009, defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in the final at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru. They also tasted another success – winning the Sultan of Johor Cup in their debut in 2012 and repeated that feat in October 2023 at the same venue.
Germany’s strength in the SOJC is an indication of an early warning to others that they will be a force to be reckoned with in Junior World Cup at the National Hockey Stadium.