U18 women: A step forward despite defeat

The only drawback was that several players had to withdraw due to illness or injury. "We trained with a reduced squad. But all the players who were there gave it their all, trained superbly and implemented what we had asked of them," said Mario Bellina, who was nevertheless pleased.

The 2:3 defeat also barely troubles the Head Coach: "We played well in the first period and very well in the second. The players implemented what we had worked on in training, and that is the most important thing for me. We ran out of steam a little in the final period. But that was not unexpected after the demanding training sessions."

Overall, Mario Bellina sees clear progress: "It has definitely been another step forward, especially compared to the tournament in Füssen."

For the final World Championship preparations, Mario Bellina hopes that some of the players who were absent this time will return. The national team will meet in St. Pölten on 1 January. They will move to Budapest on 4 January, where they face Italy in their opening game on 5 January.

They will play one final friendly against France in Bruck/Leitha on 2 January, who are also opponents at the U18 World Championship.