Tale of 2 keepers as Germany scrape by the Netherlands

Germany have the fearlessness and skill of their two goalkeepers to thank for a narrow 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.

Merle Frohms and Ann-Katrin Berger were nothing short of sensational in the net, denying Netherlands time after time to keep a crucial clean sheet and set their team up for a flattering victory.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg had promised plenty of squad rotation over Easter, and certainly made good in the first of her team's two friendlies. There were no fewer than six changes to the starting line-up from Germany's last fixture against Sweden. Among the new faces was Sydney Lohmann, who endorsed herself to the coach by grabbing the game's only goal early on in the second half.

But energetic performances from those auditioning for a more permanent role in the squad couldn't mask a lack of cohesion, and it was the hosts who had the better of the chances. If it hadn't been for Frohms in the first half and Berger in the second, they could have ended Friday's friendly in Sittard in the Netherlands as worthy winners.

Coach Voss-Tecklenburg dissatisfied with possession game

"It was intense, it was wild," reflected Voss-Tecklenburg after full time. It was her first game since signing a two-year contract extension and despite a positive result, the coach was displeased with much of what she'd seen.

"Our control of the game and the quality of our passes have to improve," she said. "We put ourselves in danger again and again through our own mistakes." 

While their guests rotated, the Dutch wheeled out the big guns right from the off. Seven of their starters were veterans of the squad that won the European Championships on home soil back in 2017. 

A sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Sittard's Fortuna Stadion lent the occasion a hint of 2017's jubilant atmosphere. The Oranje's famous fans were in respectable voice, backed up at every opportunity by a predictable soundtrack of Dutch electronic dance music.

Frohms' fine game curtailed by back pain

Despite all the new blood in the starting 11, it was perhaps Voss-Tecklenburg's most relied-upon player who produced her team's standout performance in the first half. Goalkeeper Merle Frohms has been a non-negotiable name on the teamsheet for some years now. She more than proved her worth in the first half with two spectacular saves to deny Lineth Beerensteyn.

With Frohms complaining of back pain at half-time, Voss-Tecklenburg was forced to pull off her best player. In Ann-Katrin Berger, she was fortunate to find a more than adequate replacement.

The next last-ditch save, equally improbable and no less impressive, was made immediately after the restart. Just as Frohms had done, Berger threw herself into the line of fire with perfect timing and selfless disregard. Call it bravery or madness, it's what sets top class goalkeepers apart.

Just moments after Berger made this save, a poorly defended corner saw Germany go in front through Sydney Lohmann. Opportunism at one end followed heroics at the other.

"We had two goalkeepers who produced first-class performances today," said Voss-Tecklenburg after the game. "They killed the Dutch chances again and again."

Final preparations for summer World Cup

Despite all of her changes, there was little that was radically new about Voss-Tecklenburg's team on Friday. In her set-up, fringe doesn't automatically mean unfamiliar. All of those introduced into tonight's side have featured before, many have been in and around the squad for some time.

In Tabea Wassmuth and Jule Brand, the coach re-introduced players she knows and trusts. Lena Oberdorf, returning to the line-up after injury, is a nailed-on favorite who can be certain of a place on the plane to Australia in July for the women's World Cup. Even Laura Freigang, treated to no more 15 minutes at the end, has long been pushing for a more prominent place in the team.

All of which is testament to the depth and strength of Germany's squad, in which even the peripheral players have been around the block a few times. It's a problem for those on the very margins — the uncapped hopefuls for whom the World Cup is looking ever less likely — but Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is a coach who values and repays loyalty. 

Which is just as well, given that her trusted favorite Merle Frohms continues to produce such fine displays. In Ann-Katrin Berger, there's a first-class replacement waiting in the wings. 

As Germany's two terrific stoppers once again proved in the Netherlands, if you don't concede, you can't lose. And a team that can keep a clean sheet in tough circumstances is one to be reckoned with at any major tournament.

Edited by: Mark Hallam