National coach Marco Sturm is looking forward to the start of the World Cup, but warns against having too high expectations: “Don’t compare yourself to the silver team”
Before the opening game against Denmark, national coach Marco Sturm explains in an interview what his goals are for the tournament, why the public has to stay on the carpet and what his personal wishes are.
Marco Sturm, it finally starts this evening. Are you still nervous as a coach?
Not at the moment. It tingles a little. But the tension comes shortly before the game. Then I realize that a new challenge is coming up. Especially against World Cup hosts Denmark. The arena has been sold out for months. We will face a team that is motivated to the core.
So is the situation comparable to the last home World Cup in Cologne? DEB-Selection started the tournament against Team USA?
You can say that, yes. The first game can be crucial for the rest of the tournament. That was the case for us in 2010 and last year in 2017. If you win the opening game, that success can get a team rolling. So we know what to expect. We will be ready and try to win the match anyway.
During the preparation there was a 3:4 defeat after overtime. What conclusions could one draw from this encounter?
The Danes are a strong team who will start the game with speed and intensity. They shoot from all positions. That will be a big challenge.
The anticipation of the Germans Fans is also great - but so is the public's expectations for Olympic silver. If you look at some of the comments on the Internet, reaching the quarter-finals is already certain, the semi-finals are almost within reach, so gold could perhaps emerge in the end. How do you see that?
First of all, it's nice that they Fans Keep your fingers crossed and believe in us. We have felt this again and again in the last few weeks. But I have said several times now that we have to stay on the carpet. This is a different tournament with different requirements and different players. We're starting from scratch again. I believe that the ice hockey experts can assess our performance quite well. Comparing us to the silver team is not possible and would be unfair to the guys who are here.
Does that mean specifically?
Our objective remains unchanged. We want to remain among the top eight teams in the world. If we can do that, I'll be happy. We have eight or nine World Cup newcomers in the team. These guys are getting a taste of the World Cup for the first time. I trust them absolutely. But you also have to give them time.
On the other hand, Leon Draisaitl, one of the best players in the world, is in the squad, and the defense is also receiving prominent reinforcements in Dennis Seidenberg and Korbinian Holzer.
Of course, these guys are the cornerstones, just like Patrick Hager, Yannic Seidenberg and Moritz Müller. We're glad we have her there and we don't need to talk about her qualities. But some prominent names are also in the spotlight among the opponents. It will be interesting to see how the boys develop as the tournament progresses. I'm confident about that.
What do you personally want for the World Cup tournament?
First of all, to avoid bad luck with injuries. That's the most important. From a purely sporting perspective, I hope that we improve from game to game as the tournament progresses. We never look too far ahead, but always take it step by step. It would be nice if our new players in particular could come to the fore. Just like Frederik Tiffels last year. That would not only be good for the World Cup, but also for the further development of German ice hockey. And if we achieved surprising results again, I wouldn't be dissatisfied, of course.