Thursday, March 17th - Preparation for Czech Republic:
The German U17 camp was buzzing withactivity.
Recovery training in the morning, tactical video analysis in the afternoon.
Czech Republic was technically excellent—their midfield controlled possession, their forwards were clever and mobile, their defense was organized.
During the video session they studied every move of the Czech team, analysed every player and their characteristics.
"This will be our hardest match yet," Coach Schmidt warned during the session. "They're better than Norway and Switzerland. They have players who can hurt you individually. Stay disciplined, don't give them space, and be clinical when we get chances." That was the main strategy for the game.
That evening, Coach Müller announced the starting lineup: no changes. Same eleven for the third consecutive match.
Marco felt the trust. Like someone once said, 'with great trust comes great responsibility'.
He was now an established starter for Germany U17, no longer just a prospect. With which came the expectations.
Friday, March 18th - Germany vs. Czech Republic:
The final qualifier kicked off at 3 PM with everything on the line. Germany needed just a draw to guarantee first place in the group. Czech Republic needed to win to have any chance of advancing.
The match started at a furious pace. Czech Republic pressed high, forcing Germany into mistakes, creating early chances. In the 8th minute, they scored—a brilliant individual goal from their playmaker, who dribbled past two defenders and finished low.
0-1, Czech Republic.
Germany was behind for the first time in the qualifiers.
Coach Müller's voice cut through the noise: "Stay calm! Stick to the plan! We have eighty minutes!"
18th minute: Germany equalized.
Özil received the ball centrally, turned his marker brilliantly, and played a defense-splitting pass to the Stuttgart striker. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, the striker stayed calm and finished.
1-1.
The match opened up. End-to-end action, both teams creating chances, with quality on display from both sides.
31st minute: Marco received the ball on the left wing. The Czech right back was tight on him— this was the tightest marking he'd faced all tournament. He had no space to turn.
Marco faked going inside, then pushed the ball down the line instead. The right back's momentum carried him past. Marco accelerated into the space, driving toward the box.
The Czech center back came across to cover. Marco shaped to cross but cut back inside instead, onto his right foot. The center back lunged, and now he was off-balance.
Marco shot.
The ball flew toward the top corner, dipping slightly—
The goalkeeper tipped it over the bar with an incredible save.
Corner kick. So close.
38th minute: From that corner, chaos filled the box. The ball bounced around, half-cleared, falling to Pezzoni at the edge of the area. He struck it firmly—but it blocked. The rebound fell to Özil—shot—saved. The second rebound fell to Marco at the edge of the six-yard box.
No time to think. Marco's left foot stabbed at it.
Goal.
2-1, Germany.
Marco disappeared under a pile of teammates. His second international goal, the potential winner in the crucial qualifier.
Halftime: Germany 2-1 Czech Republic.
Second Half :
Czech Republic dominated the second half, pushing desperately for an equalizer. Wave after wave of attacks. But Germany's defense held firm—Hummels and Boateng were immense, Zieler made save after save.
62nd minute: Marco was substituted, having given everything. He'd run himself into the ground, tracked back constantly, and scored the crucial goal. The coaching staff needed fresh legs to see out the match.
As he left the pitch, exhausted, Coach Müller hugged him. "Outstanding tournament, son. Absolutely outstanding."
The final thirty minutes were tense. Czech Republic hit the post twice. Germany cleared off the line once. But they held on.
Final whistle: Germany 2-1 Czech Republic.
Three wins from three. Nine points. Group winners.
Germany had qualified for the UEFA U17 Championship Elite Round.
The team celebrated on the pitch, jumping together, high fiving. Marco joined them, exhausted but elated. They'd done it—qualified from the group stage, advancing to the next phase of European competition.
Post-Tournament - Friday Evening:
In the locker room, Coach Müller gathered the team one final time.
"Gentlemen, three matches, three wins, nine points. You've qualified for the elite round in dominant fashion. I'm proud of every one of you." He smiled. "You have two months off from national team duty now. Go back to your clubs, keep developing, and we'll reconvene in May for the elite round. Enjoy this success—you've earned it."
The players dispersed slowly, exchanging contact information, making plans to stay in touch. Marco found Özil near the showers.
"Man, that was hell of a tournament," Özil said. "Two assists and two goals for you. Best individual performance on the team. Congrats."
"You weren't bad yourself. Three goals, one assist. We have the same number of goal contributions."
"We're a good combination." Özil pulled out his phone. "Stay in touch. We'll be doing this together for years."
"Yeah. We will."
That evening, traveling back to Dortmund by train, Marco reviewed his tournament statistics:
[UEFA U17 QUALIFYING - TOURNAMENT SUMMARY:
-Matches Played: 3
-Minutes: 182 (average 61 per match)
-Goals: 2
-Assists: 2
-Key Passes: 11
-Successful Dribbles: 9/12 (75%)
-Pass Accuracy: 87%
#Match Ratings:
- vs. Norway: 8.7/10
- vs. Switzerland: 9.0/10
- vs. Czech Republic: 8.8/10
Average: 8.83/10
#Overall Rating Progress: 70.5 → 71.2/100
#Tournament Result: GROUP WINNERS - QUALIFIED FOR ELITE ROUND
#Skills Improved:
- Match Composure: 8.0 → 8.4/10
- Dipping Free Kick: 7.9 → 8.3/10
- Decision Making: 8.2 → 8.6/10]
Marco closed the interface and stared out the train window, watching the German countryside pass by in the evening light.
Ten days ago, he'd arrived at the national team camp as a promising prospect. Now he was leaving as a qualified international player with two goals and two assists to his name, having helped Germany dominate their qualifying group.
The U17 Elite Round was in May—two months away. Until then, he'd return to Dortmund, continue his development, keep pushing toward his ultimate goal.
But tonight, just for tonight, he'd let himself feel proud.
He'd done it. Qualified for the next stage of European competition. Established himself as a key player for Germany U17.
And he was only fifteen years old.
The journey was far from over. But what a start it had been.