Germany made the perfect start to their FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ qualifying campaign, showcasing their attacking firepower with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Slovenia.
One player who stood out in Christian Wuck’s side was Sjoeke Nusken. The midfielder covered ground tirelessly, impressing with her work off the ball and was at the heart of everything good about the European giant’s performance.
Speaking to FIFA ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Norway, Nusken discussed the challenges that lie ahead in the qualification campaign, her hopes of continuing that development, and Germany’s chances of securing a direct ticket to the finals in Brazil.
Obviously, the priority is to make it through: that’s our main mission and end goal. However, we also want to keep pushing on and honing our strengths, while working to address some of our weaker points. We set out on a path last year, and now it’s all about building on that. We want to take the next step as a team.
I think we can take positives from all of that. Claiming Olympic bronze was a great achievement and, while we weren’t able to get over the line in Madrid [in the Nations League final], that match proved we can go toe-to-toe with Spain, which wasn’t necessarily the case previously, in my view. We’re doing a better job of executing our game plan and performing to our ability. On top of that, we now have something of an aura around us, which we’re determined to maintain. We have so much quality in our ranks, and we know what we’re capable of, so we want to keep showing that out on the pitch.
There’s a whole host of teams who have what it takes to win the title. It’s striking how much the gap at the top has narrowed in recent years, and so many nations are now forces to be reckoned with. The days of a single, all-conquering national team look to be over, and you have to bring your A-game every time you step on to the pitch, because every match has the potential to be on a knife-edge.
That’s a very good question. I don’t mince my words out on the pitch. My sense is that being a central midfielder almost invariably means that you come into close contact and build connections with all your team-mates. It’s important to call the tune when you play in the engine room, because you’re in the thick of the action, which gives you a great vantage point.
I definitely consider my ball-winning ability one of my strengths. As for why, that’s a tough one… I played football with boys for a long time, so that probably sharpened my reading of the game. Up against the boys, I always had to have my wits about me because, otherwise, I had no chance in 1v1 situations: they were way faster and stronger than me. I think that’s stood me in good stead, as I’ve developed a sixth sense for where the ball is going, which enables me to react quickly and regularly make interceptions.
Austria always give us a run for our money. We’ve sometimes struggled early on in matches against them. I can recall a few occasions when we’ve come out of the blocks slowly in the first half and then dominated after the break. It’s always exciting to go up against them, in any case, especially because so many of their players are familiar from the German Bundesliga. There are also a few who, like me, play in England, so we know each other inside out, and it’s always a special encounter.
I expect all the games to be difficult, but I do feel that Norway will pose the strongest opposition. I know some of their players, and they gave a good account of themselves overall at the EURO. They’ve got real individual quality running through the team, so Saturday’s match promises to be a cracker.
To be totally honest, I haven’t given any thought to Plan B. Our focus is simply on winning every match and clinching qualification as soon as possible.
