Squad work ethic pleases Germany coach Wück
Friday, May 15, 2015
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Germany coach Christian Wück paid tribute to "not just the ones who started or the 14 who featured, but everyone" following his side's defeat of Spain on spot kicks.
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• Germany advance to the semi-finals, defeating Spain 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw
• Christian Wück's Germany keep their fourth successive clean sheet in Bulgaria
• Constantin Frommann saves from Carles Aleñá and Óscar in the shoot-out
• Wück: "Frommann is always this good at penalties – he's a German goalkeeper!"
• Spain coach Santi Denia rues the chances his team spurned in Stara Zagora
Christian Wück, Germany coach
The first half was Spain's, but our substitutes all did very well and in the second half we were a little bit better than Spain, so the result wasn't unfair. A positive thing was that again we didn't concede a goal and also, as everybody saw, we have a very good goalkeeper. Maybe I will play Felix Passlack as a No10 again. Johannes Eggestein didn't have a good day, so we made a change by bringing on Janni Serra. Janni and Felix know each other from Dortmund, so it was in our best interests to get Felix in the middle [so they could link up].
Frommann is always this good at penalties – he's a German goalkeeper! For my team it was a big deal to play against Spain and not to concede. Our second half was very good and, mentally, it meant so much to win this game. We've only practised penalties once, but, well, we're a German national team … Compliments to my players, not just the ones who started or the 14 who featured, but everyone.
Santi Denia, Spain coach
It was a very tough quarter-final. We worked very hard to try and achieve our objective, which was to reach the semis and make it to the [FIFA U-17] World Cup in Chile. We've got another chance to do that now. In the first half we were the better team and had some clear chances which, if we'd have taken one of them, would have changed the game. If you get chances and don't take them then it's always going to be difficult. Then came the penalties, which are about luck, and it didn't go our way. The lads are really down, very sad, there are tears being shed in the dressing room, but now us coaches have to make them see that the chance to go to Chile is once-in-a-lifetime and they need to seize it. There are moments when the lads have to cry it out and you can't deny them that.