Germany's women draw blank in Hrubesch's farewell

It won't have been the most memorable  game of Horst Hrubesch's 32-year coaching career, but it will probably be among his most memorable occasions.

In front of a crowd of 3169 in Erfurt, Germany, the two teams struggled for fluency in a friendly match that also served as a testimonial for the 67-year-old. Hrubesch counts Bundesliga titles, a European Cup and a European Championship among his honours as a player and an Olympiic silver medal with Germany's men team as a coach, among his honors.

"The girls are on a good path," Hrubesch said after the match. "I'm looking forward to following their progress."  

Hrubesch will be taking his own path from now on, touring the world with his wife. But he won't take one last win with him after Alexandra Popp spurned Germany's best chance of a somewhat cagey game in the second half. 

He will, however, take the gratitude of his players. Hrubesch took over the once-dominant German women's side last March after Steffi Jones had struggled. The man who became famous for his aerial prowess as a player led the DFB Frauen to seven successive wins as they booked their place at World Cup 2019, where his successor Martina Voss-Tecklenburg will lead the side.

"Of course,  this isn't how we imagined the result would be," said Popp. "We owe a lot to Horst Hrubesch."

The popular coach believes he leaves the side in good shape and said he's enjoyed a new challenge at the end of a long career.

"For me, this task was new territory," Hrubesch said. "But we've grown together incredibly quickly. It was a lot of fun. You've seen how beautiful women's football can be. I believe we're going to have a good World Cup."