WU17 pioneers step into the light

Denmark kick off the first UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship in Nyon, Switzerland, hoping to both deny Germany the opportunity of holding a concurrent clean sweep of women's football team titles and write their own place in the history books by being the country to win both the inaugural WU19 and WU17 titles.

Enthused
It is a challenge that enthuses coach Bent Eriksen. "We held the Germans to a scoreless draw late last year and even if today [German coach] Ralf [Peter] will not admit it, we know they have good players, in particular Valeria Kleiner in defence, Dzenifer Marozsan in midfield and Svenja Huth in attack, who we are also aware of from the qualifying competition."

Quality
Denmark will be hoping their stars can make their own impression and Eriksen singled out two players who impressed with seven goals apiece in qualifying. "Our team reflects my opinion on the way football should be played, but in Denmark we are trying to always implement the same philosophy across all our national teams and we try to play the same way. From our team, I am hoping Katrine Veje and Pernille Harder, will show their quality. Undoubtedly, Germany have a good team and they score plenty of goals, but if we can avoid individual errors, we have a chance of winning."

Experience
Eriksen has adapted his team during qualification, and he hopes the step up in competition will also prepare his players for the challenges that lie ahead, particularly the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup which will be staged in New Zealand later this year. "I strongly believe we have the four strongest teams in Europe in this competition and I am proud our team is here," he added. "The competition will provide great experience for our players whatever the direction their careers may take in the future. Qualification was one thing, but here our experience is gained through hard matches. It is important to be here now."

Competitive
The pedigree of their opponents is unquestioned. German coach Peter praised the great talent depth at his disposal, buoyed by the success of the national team which holds the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA European Women's Championship and UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship, but he is also relishing the challenge of having his first crack at competitive action. "I have been involved at the German Football Association since 2001 in this role, and this competition will mark my first competitive opportunity," Peter admitted. "This is excellent experience for me, but also my team, and we are proud to be involved and we hope that our football quality will show that tomorrow."