The ÖFB team made it to 18th place in the March edition of the World Football Association (FIFA) rankings and can look forward to an all-time high. Belgium is right behind and is 19th, last year the Belgians were ahead of the ÖFB selection.
“It’s a really interesting duel waiting for us and it’s definitely a good benchmark. We know that Belgium is roughly on an equal footing with us. Our goal is to repeat last year’s victory. We have the winning gene in us and want to bring that to the pitch,” said ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann.
However, some players are not available to her. Goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger (private reasons) and Lara Felix (ill) are out at short notice, with Vanessa Gritzner and Lilli Purtscheller a Sturm Graz duo being nominated. Julia Hickelsberger-Füller Austria’s Footballer of the Year 2022, working on her comeback after meniscus surgery. Maria Plattner, gold goal scorer in Belgium last year, also has to pass.
Hoping for high-flyer Campbell
Not so Eileen Campbell, who has been able to put herself in the limelight in her first three international appearances including the debut goal in the past few months. “She has a lot of feeling about how she moves in space, a certain speed that we can use, and throws herself into every header duel,” Fuhrmann praised the 22-year-old striker.
ÖFB women test against Belgium
Austria’s women’s national soccer team will face Belgium on Friday in Wiener Neustadt (Lower Austria). This test is the first home game of 2023. Even if the focus is on development, the Austrians want to continue the positive trend against Belgium.
Her performances are remarkable – the attacker from SPG SCR Altach/FFC Vorderland is currently number two in the league with eleven goals – especially when you consider that from a professional point of view she still has a full-time job in a law firm. “You have to decide for yourself how to take the next steps. If she can afford to work less, there will be more training time to be more stable physically,” said Fuhrmann. A move abroad does not have to happen immediately. “But of course that would be the next step, as it is more demanded in other leagues.”
“Need to make better decisions”
The second ÖFB course this year started on Monday in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, as usual before home performances. “We have to get better for the autumn because we concede too many goals in the box,” emphasized the Viennese. There is room for improvement, especially in the opening of the game. “We have to work on our risk-benefit management, make better decisions, we’re still too vulnerable,” says Fuhrmann. The next step should also be taken on the offensive. “We have to act smarter in the attack third, play better passes,” added the 42-year-old.
In her twelfth meeting with Belgium (seven defeats, two draws, two wins), she hasn’t had any “result stress”, which is why she can continue to play players from the second, as she did in the test double against the Netherlands in February (2:1/0:4). Give a series of deployment time in order to have “as strong a troop as possible” together in the fall. Before that, there will be a test against the Czech Republic on April 11 (7:15 p.m.) and another as part of a training camp in July. Then the Nations League opponents are already certain, the draw will take place on May 2nd.