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🇩🇪 Germany /Sports

Germany Suffer Heavy Loss to Spain in World Cup Opener: “Ice Bath and Full Focus on Tomorrow”

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Germany lost 83-53 to Spain in a nervous World Cup opening performance, despite Leonie Fiebich’s team-high 13 points.
  • The Germans face Japan on Saturday, then Mali on Monday, after Spain’s victory ended their hopes of winning the group.
  • Germany entered the tournament targeting a medal but is without star Satou Sabally, who is recovering from a concussion.

Germany’s women’s basketball team had barely finished acknowledging its home fans after an 83-53 defeat by Spain when attention turned to Japan. The next game arrives only 22 hours after the World Cup opener, leaving little time to dwell on a performance Leonie Fiebich called for an “ice bath” and immediate focus on the next challenge.

You naturally want to be disappointed, but you cannot be. We have to switch immediately and focus on tomorrow. Ice bath and full focus on tomorrow.

· Leonie FiebichFiebich urged Germany to recover quickly after the defeat by Spain.

Fiebich led Germany with 13 points, but the team struggled with nerves throughout the game. Spain, one of the tournament favorites, pulled away by double digits in the first quarter and led 50-24 at halftime. The hosts played before 12,550 spectators at Berlin’s sold-out Uber Arena, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Sports Minister Ronald Rauhe among those present.

“Afterward, you are always wiser. We have to analyze it carefully. Tomorrow is Japan, that is a completely different game. We have to keep looking forward and see that we finish second,” coach Olaf Lange said. Nyara Sabally summed up Germany’s frustration more bluntly: “It was a shit game.”

Afterward, you are always wiser. We have to analyze it carefully. Tomorrow is Japan, that is a completely different game. We have to keep looking forward and see that we finish second.

· Olaf LangeGermany’s coach assessed the loss and outlined the team’s immediate tournament focus.

Japan opened its campaign with a 102-97 win over Mali. Germany will meet Japan on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Mali on Monday. The group winner advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-place teams enter play-ins for the remaining places in the last eight. Germany had set a medal as its target, but the team must recover quickly, and it is already without star Satou Sabally because of the effects of a concussion.

It was a shit game.

· Nyara SaballySabally gave a blunt assessment of Germany’s opening performance.

Despite the defeat, Merz praised the atmosphere in the arena during halftime, calling it “great publicity” for Germany’s bid to host the Olympics. The chancellor was visiting the team two days before an important state election in Saxony-Anhalt, although the game offered Germany little to celebrate.

This atmosphere is what I wish for the whole country, especially for Germany’s Olympic bid. It is great publicity. Germany can do it.

· Friedrich MerzThe German chancellor praised the arena atmosphere despite the team’s heavy defeat.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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