During the 2019 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Germany was the only European team to find the back of the net 35 times while only giving up three goals. With the World Cup just a few weeks away, there are many components that contribute to the success of the No. 2 ranked team in the world.

German new head coach brings exclusive experience

Germany has always brought strong performances during their national level play and their accomplishments speak for themselves. They have won eight European Championship titles, have qualified for every World Cup, and have seen two World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007.

Head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was named as the German head coach this past November. Tecklenburg had previously been the head coach of Switzerland for three years. Tecklenburg not only has player chemistry and strategies to continue working out with her team but also has insight from her playing years that other coaches don’t have.

Although this tournament will be the first major tournament for Tecklenburg’s coaching career, as a player she earned 125 caps for Germany where she won six league titles, four domestic cups, and won four European Championships.

Legends to look to

Forward Alexandra Popp has played with Germany over 77 times and made her mark as she scored at the 2015 Women’s World Cup and during the 2016 Olympics.

As the team captain, Popp went from being a rookie in 2011 with the U-20 Team to being named as the Female Player of the Year in 2014 by the German Soccer Association.

This past March, Popp made an impression during the Algarve Cup as she scored three goals during four games of the tournament. During this tournament, the 28-year-old helped lead Germany to take third place while in Portugal.

Midfielder Dzsenifer Maroszán was also apart of the 2015 World Cup roster and currently plays for Olympique Lyon in France. If Germany and France advance to the Round of 16, Maroszán will face some of her club teammates and has the advantage of already being familiar with the culture and styles of play.

During the 2016 Olympics, Maroszán scored in the final match where Germany celebrated their first win of the Olympic games. Maroszán’s skill earned her the recognition of being named Germany’s and BBC Female Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

With Germany being placed in Group B, they will face Spain, China, and South Africa early on. Germany is the top team in their group with Spain being the runners up in No. 13 of FIFA Rankings.

Germany will take the pitch on the second day of the tournament, June 8 as they face China at Roazhon Park with kickoff at 6 a.m. PST.

Germany’s full World Cup roster can be viewed here.