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Decision made

May 27, 2011

Veterans Anja Mittag and Sonja Fuss have been excluded from this year's Women's World Cup squad, which will open the tournament on June 26 in Berlin. National coach Silvia Neid finalized her selection on Friday.

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Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz will be looking to win her third straight World CupImage: AP

Germany's Football Women's World Cup team will have to do without the services of previous World Cup winners Anja Mittag and Sonja Fuss after national coach Silvia Neid excluded them from her squad selection on Friday. Other notable exclusions from the team include Mittag's Turbine Potsdam teammate Josephine Henning, Conny Pohlers and goalkeeper Lisa Weiss.

“The decision hasn't been easy for us after weeks of analyzing and discussing,” said Neid, who will now prepare her 21-player squad for the opening game in Berlin on June 26 against Canada. “It was a decision for 21 players, not against five players.”

Silvia Neid
Neid said the decision who to select wasn't an easy oneImage: dapd

Germany will be led by the experienced Birgit Prinz, who has developed into one of women's soccer's most prolific strikers since making her national team debut at 16. She has recorded 128 goals for Germany on her way to winning two World Cups. Thirteen players from Germany's 2007 World Cup-winning squad will return to defend the title, along with four players from the team that won last year's U20 tournament. Germany enters the tournament as a heavy favorite, having won the previous two competitions.

Neid will have until June 10 to submit her final squad for the World Cup, which will remain unchanged barring any injuries.

Germany's women's World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Nadine Angerer (1. FFC Frankfurt), Ursula Holl (FCR Duisburg), Almuth Schult (Magdeburger FFC)

Defense: Saskia Bartusiak (1. FFC Frankfurt), Babett Peter (Turbine Potsdam), Annike Krahn (FCR Duisburg), Linda Bresonik (FCR Duisburg), Bianca Schmidt (Turbine Potsdam), Lena Goessling (SC Bad Neuenahr), Verena Faisst (VfL Wolfsburg)

Midfield: Simone Laudehr (FCR Duisburg), Melanie Behringer (1. FFC Frankfurt), Celia Okoyino da Mbabi (SC Bad Neuenahr), Kim Kulig (Hamburger SV), Ariane Hingst (1. FFC Frankfurt), Kerstin Garefrekes (1. FFC Frankfurt), Fatmire Bajramaj (Turbine Potsdam)

Strikers: Inka Grings (FCR Duisburg), Birgit Prinz (1. FFCFrankfurt), Martina Mueller (VfL Wolfsburg), Alexandra Popp (FCR Duisburg)

Author: Christian Nathler (dpa, AFP, SID)
Editor: Nicole Goebel