In a World Cup final, every little thing counts. Therefore, the German hockey goalkeeper Alexander Stadler is well prepared for all eventualities in the final for the world title against Belgium on Sunday (2:30 p.m. / DAZN). The penalty shootout is also part of the preparation. “Of course you train as a goalkeeper just like the shooters before a tournament like this,” said the 23-year-old.
“You look at what are the strengths, are there certain patterns in the shooters. You try to prepare as well as possible,” explained the keeper, who plays for Dutch club HC Den Bosch. That’s why Stadler took another close look at the second semi-final, which Belgium won against the Netherlands after a penalty shootout.
In the quarter-final win against England, it was Stadler’s representative Jean-Paul Danneberg who was able to save twice in the shootout and thus secured his team’s entry into the semi-finals. “I was allowed to save two, that was enough,” said the goalkeeper. It is questionable whether national coach André Henning will change the keeper again in the penalty shoot-out.
The shooters for the seven meters in the regular playing time are clearly defined in the German team. The first contender is Christopher Stir, who, however, missed a seven-meter penalty against England. Otherwise, Tom Grambusch is in demand. The defender has so far converted two seven meters very confidently. “If Christoph thinks he doesn’t want to shoot, we have brief contact,” explained Grambusch, who hadn’t shown any nerves from the point so far. “I’m already totally in the tunnel on the way there,” said the 27-year-old.
