With the power of captain Alexandra Popp, the German footballers want to conquer Wembley and even more sympathy at home.
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg expects “a great final” against hosts England on Sunday in front of around 90,000 spectators. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also announced that this is the case. The semi-final show of the DFB women with the two-time goal scorer Popp also carried away the TV viewers in Germany. The heroine of the evening by Milton Keynes was only “incredibly happy” and “incredibly proud”.
Germany convinces with team spirit
When the 31-year-old from Wolfsburg received the small blue trophy for “Best Player” on the sidelines after the 2-1 win over France – her team-mates stormed towards their leader again, hooting. The fact that Popp is now playing such a tournament after a serious knee injury last year, another operation in January and a corona quarantine in preparation for the European Championships in Herzogenaurach – nobody expected that.
“The way we stand together on the pitch makes me incredibly proud that we did it as a team,” Popp said after the game. “I’ve been with the women’s national team for ten years – and I’ve honestly never experienced such a team spirit, such a team structure.”
The 2016 Olympic champion, who missed the last two European Championships due to injuries, is now even battling for the title of top scorer with England’s Beth Mead (also six goals). “I benefit enormously from the girls. The first goal is clearly to win the European title,” she said.
Record ratings and Scholz on site
Popp’s fifth and sixth goal in the fifth European Championship game and the record European champions’ entry into the final were seen by almost half of all television viewers on ZDF on Wednesday evening. An average of 12.187 million viewers and a market share of 47.2 percent means a record audience for this tournament.
The Chancellor also congratulated the DFB women and hopes to be able to experience the title win live in the stadium on Sunday (6 p.m. CEST/ARD and DAZN). “That was a great achievement,” wrote the SPD politician on Twitter. “I’m looking forward to going to London and supporting the German team in their dream final against the hosts England at Wembley.”
Midfielder Oberdorf outstanding
While Popp scored up front, Lena Oberdorf resolutely cleaned up behind her in defensive midfield. The 20-year-old from VfL Wolfsburg also impressed in TV interviews in English. “I’m just proud of her,” she said of her captain and also praised the entire selection, which suffered a 2-3 defeat in Serbia in the World Cup qualifier in April and at the time had great doubts about the EM mission triggered: “If I were a fan, I wouldn’t recognize us at this tournament.”
Popp headed the second goal “outstandingly”, said Oberdorf and added with a smile: “Just a beast in there.” The striker not only made it into the European Championship final with the two-time world champion, but also made it big on the cover of the specialist magazine “Kicker” on Thursday – actually a male domain.
Coach full of praise
Voss-Tecklenburg didn’t know where to stop when she praised her, even though after the final whistle she ran to goalkeeper Merle Frohms, who had repeatedly prevented the French team from equalizing after the break.
“In addition to Merle and Obi and Poppi, I would like to highlight everyone,” said the 54-year-old and took a deep breath for a long list: “What Jule Brand played, what Giuli Gwinn played, what Feli Rauch played. What Marina (Hegering) together with Kathy (Hendrich) did today. What Sara (Däbritz) and Lina (Magull) kept trying to move forward. What Svenni (Svenja Huth) ran. And then those who came in…”
For Frohms “everything is possible” in the European Championship final. The future Wolfsburg player (last Eintracht Frankfurt) could only roughly imagine the backdrop: “I think it will go beyond all dimensions, what’s waiting for us there.”
