Germany began its campaign at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship with a decisive 32-25 victory against a nordic opponent Wednesday in Stuttgart, marking a strong start in their pursuit of a qualifying spot for the next round [[3]]. Following the win, key German player Vogel assessed the team’s performance and looked ahead to Friday’s match against Uruguay, a team returning to the World Championship stage after a 14-year absence [[1]].despite the anticipated skill gap, Vogel emphasized maintaining focus and momentum as Germany seeks to secure one of the group’s three qualifying positions.
Germany kicked off their tournament campaign with a dominant 32–25 victory over a team from the Nordic region on Wednesday in Stuttgart.
Following the match, German player Vogel acknowledged that opening games rarely go perfectly, but expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance. “It’s typical for opening matches that not everything works perfectly for sixty minutes, but I think we performed well, we were almost always in the lead, and when we hit a slump, we tried to get out of it quickly,” he said.
“The defense was definitely important, especially in the second half when we only conceded eleven goals. We were stable in the first half too, but there were small mistakes, communication problems that we need to fix. Overall, it was an enjoyable match, and of course, the first two points are very important,” Vogel emphasized.
Vogel also noted areas for improvement, specifically when playing with a man advantage. “We sometimes rushed things a bit when we had a man up, attacking too quickly, when we should have been building longer attacks,” he explained. “We need to do that more intelligently, be a little more accurate in attack, but it also depends on how the opponent plays.”
The left back, a two-time league champion and four-time Hungarian Cup winner who joined FTC in 2020, went on to say that Friday’s opponent, Uruguay, represents the weakest team in their group. Despite this, he stressed the need for complete focus to maintain control of the match.
“We can’t risk losing any points. It’s important for us to play a good game, build on our momentum, and entertain the audience. That’s why we’ll approach the match exactly as we do every one: we’ll analyze the opponent, prepare, and then defend well again and add another layer,” he promised.
Vogel highlighted the positive atmosphere of playing in front of over five thousand fans in Stuttgart, calling it a great feeling. The win gives Germany an early lead in the group stage as they look to advance.
Germany’s third opponent will be Serbia, with the top three teams from the group qualifying for the next round.
