Germany play Brazil in a women’s friendly on Wednesday, but two months before the World Cup, thoughts of another 7-1 scoreline are far from the injury-hit hosts’ minds.
“Half of our team’s gone,” said goalkeeper Nadine Angerer after seven of the Germany squad were forced to pull out before the international in Fuerth.
Few football fans need reminding of the men’s historic 7-1 drubbing of hosts Brazil in the semi-finals as Germany went on to win last year’s World Cup.
But Germany’s women are simply hoping for a morale-boosting win in their penultimate warm-up ahead of their World Cup finals in Canada from June 5 to July 6.
Brazil are set to include forward Marta, a five-time winner of the world player of the year award, in their ranks.
The 29-year-old turned up the heat on the tie by accusing the Germans of playing up to the referee in previous meetings between the sides.
“We are all well aware that the Germans are usually much bigger and stronger than the Brazilians. But sometimes they try things on,” said Marta in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Sometimes we look like little girls compared to their two-metre tall women, but they try it on and the fans turn against us.
“They are just negative methods to try and decide a game, but I don’t like it.”
The injury-hit Germans are set to include experienced strikers Anja Mittag and Alexandra Popp, who have scored more than 60 international goals between them.
Germany, the world’s top ranking team, posted a 3-1 win over Brazil, ranked seventh, in March’s Algarve Cup on their way to finishing third by beating Sweden in a play-off.
The Germans are targeting a third World Cup title in Canada having been knocked out by eventual winners Japan in the quarter-finals of the 2011 finals on home soil.
Germany face Thailand, Ivory Coast and Norway in Group B while Brazil will take on Spain, South Korea and Costa Rica in Group E.