Germany make small gains from unwanted USA trip

In the early hours of the morning before Germany's second match against the same opponents within 72 hours, the hotel fire alarms rang out twice. Soon the bleary-eyed evacuated players were posting footage of themselves in the streets of New York, eating donuts and making the best of a bad situation.

It was perhaps an apt metaphor for the whole trip. 

"The night was not what we had imagined, but the players handled it in an outstanding way," said Martina Voss-Tecklenburg.

The Germany coach had made her frustrations about the long haul trip known before they departed. A 2-1 win on Friday and a loss by the same scoreline on Sunday may ultimately help in terms of preparation for next year's World Cup, but it was far from ideal.

"We couldn't say no again, as we had already called off potential participations at the She Believes Cup," she said ahead of the two matches. "We still owed [the games] to the US, but I wouldn't have minded if we had had a different agreement, like to play only one game or have more time in between. We tried everything, had lots of talks, even at the highest level. We'll now make the best of it and do everything to ensure that our players stay healthy."

Even that didn't materalize, with key midfielder Lena Oberdorf sent for x-rays on a shoulder injury she picked up in Sunday's game. The Wolfsburg midfielder's teammate, Jule Brand, opened the scoring in front of 26,317 spectators at the Red Bull Arena before Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh turned the game around for the US.

Berger back after beating cancer again

Oberdorf's injury aside, game two was perhaps most significant for goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger's return to the national team following a recurrence of her thyroid cancer.

"I saw her smile just like that," Voss-Tecklenburg said of Berger's reaction to the pre-game national anthem. "I was very happy about that, because I know that it was very special for her to play here today in front of 26,000 people after her cancer treatment. It was an important moment."

Berger played only the first half of a tight game, with veteran Almuth Schult replacing her at the break, giving regular keeper Merle Frohms a rest. Voss-Tecklenburg shuffled her pack in the two games, giving opportunities to players on the fringes.

Paulina Krumbiegel was perhaps the player that took her chance the most. The Hoffenheim midfielder missed almost all of last season, and the Euros, with a cruciate ligament injury but marked her return to the national team with the late winner in game one after Megan Rapinoe had canceled out Klara Bühl's opener in Fort Lauderdale.

"I have to process all this first," Krumbiegel, 22, said after the match. "I couldn't have imagined it any better: to play at all, then to help the team win, it's just a really great feeling."

USA taking note of Germany's progress

The reaction stateside was less positive, with former US great, and third most capped player of all time, Carli Lloyd tweeting: "We have more technically better and talented players than ever before in the history of the USWNT. The rest of the world have invested more. The rest of the world are also fit and mentally tougher. That was always our edge. But now that's fading. So you're left with just talent?"

The USA's revenge in the second game will have softened some of the domestic criticism that followed the first. But Voss Tecklenburg did admit that the winners of the last two World Cups were more wary of her side: "We noticed that many have seen our first game and are full of respect," she said.

As Germany move on from their defeat in the Euros final and start to look towards the World Cup in July and August next year, progress appears steady but significant. The next time they meet the world champions could well be in a World Cup knockout match. They won't mind traveling for that one.

Edited by Matt Ford