The World Opinion

Tag: Alexandra Popp

  • England and Germany set for ancient Euro 2022 ultimate

    England towards Germany at Wembley Stadium. A last that underlines the rising stature of girls’s football in Europe and echoes many years of historical past.

    When host country England takes on Germany within the Eu Championship ultimate Sunday, it’ll have a tournament-record crowd of just about 90,000. Euro 2022 as a complete can be simply the best-attended ever. It beat the former mark of 240,000 part-way during the staff level.

    “It’s going to be an ideal competition of soccer,” German trainer Martina Voss-Tecklenburg mentioned Wednesday. “That’s a vintage in football, England-Germany.”

    Upward push and shine ?

    The ?????’? ???? ????? is right here! ?#WEURO2022 | #ENG | #GER percent.twitter.com/jlsHQ8lomY

    — UEFA Ladies’s EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 31, 2022

    England is aiming to win its first primary ladies’s event identify at the web site the place the English males’s nationwide staff beat West Germany to win its most effective primary identify so far, the 1966 Global Cup.

    Germany has gained all 8 Eu finals it’s performed — and beaten England 6-2 within the 2009 ultimate — however its momentum had looked as if it would sluggish lately as different international locations invested closely in ladies’s leagues.

    WHAT IT MEANS

    England has scored a tournament-leading 20 targets on its approach to the overall, greater than part in two storming wins over former Eu champions, 8-0 towards Norway within the staff level and 4-0 towards Sweden within the semifinals.

    Beating eight-time winner Germany will be the absolute best method for England to jot down historical past.

    England confirmed it’s imaginable again in February, successful 3-1 in Wolverhampton for its first-ever victory towards Germany on house soil.

    Germany’s lovers are used to their staff successful titles, despite the fact that it’s now not relatively the all-conquering dynasty it as soon as used to be. Since Germany gained the Olympic gold medal in 2016, Euro 2022 marks the primary time it’s got previous the quarterfinals of a event.

    THE KEY PLAYERS

    Forwards Alexandra Popp and Alessia Russo have made very other contributions. Captain Popp has scored in each and every of Germany’s 5 video games — a brand new checklist — and began all excluding the outlet recreation towards Denmark. Russo has began none however is without equal have an effect on exchange. Alexandra popp ( left) and Alessa russo ( proper ) credit score ( twitter)

    After lacking the 2013 and 2017 Eu Championships with accidents, Popp is making up for misplaced time because the joint best scorer with England’s Beth Mead on six targets. Popp has her membership teammates round her as one in all 5 Wolfsburg gamers within the beginning lineup for the 2-1 win over France, when she scored two times.

    Popp began out as a full-back at now-defunct FCR Duisburg and gained her first Eu membership identify elderly 18. She studied at a sports-focused highschool with a unique permission to let her take football categories as the one woman along boys from the academy of fellows’s membership Schalke, and may be a completely certified zookeeper.

    Russo’s explosive have an effect on off the bench has been an important. The Manchester United ahead, who performed faculty football on the College of North Carolina, has scored 4 targets as an alternative at Euro 2022, together with a backheel during the goalkeeper’s legs towards Sweden within the semifinals. Her help for Ella Toone’s objective to ship the quarterfinal towards Spain to additional time used to be simply as treasured.

    “I believe whilst you’re taking part in your soccer you play your very best,” Russo mentioned. “Possibly (the backheel towards Sweden) does display just a little of self assurance — however I’m simply loving enjoying soccer.”

    THE COACHES

    England’s Sarina Wiegman and Germany’s Voss-Tecklenburg have already secured a spot in historical past as gamers and coaches.

    Voss-Tecklenburg has been a motive force in German football for many years — 125 video games performed for the nationwide staff and 4 Eu titles, a UEFA Ladies’s Cup (now the Champions League) identify as trainer in 2009, even 5 years enhancing a ladies’s football mag.

    She has famous England’s sluggish get started towards Sweden within the semifinal, when the hosts have been at the defensive. “The primary half-hour towards Sweden confirmed that you’ll harm (England), and that can be our activity,” she mentioned.

    Wiegman performed 99 occasions for the Netherlands and coached the Dutch to the 2017 Eu identify ahead of becoming a member of England, and remains to be unbeaten in 11 video games as trainer on the championships.

    “We mentioned ahead of the event and we nonetheless say it each and every time that we wish to encourage the country,” Wiegman mentioned. “I believe that’s what we’re doing and we wish to make a distinction, and we are hoping that we can get everybody so enthusiastic and happy with us and that much more boys and girls get started enjoying soccer.”

  • Proud Alexandra Popp leads Germany to Euros last

    Alexandra Popp neglected the ultimate two girls’s Eu Championships via accidents however the German skipper has greater than made up for it with six objectives on this version following a double in Wednesday’s semi-final win over France.

    8-time champions Germany beat France 2-1 with Popp scoring the opener within the first part and the winner in the second one to e book a place in Sunday’s last at Wembley in opposition to hosts England. Popp is enjoying at her first Euros on the age of 31 however she is main by way of instance having scored just about part of Germany’s objectives on the match, with the remainder of her workforce associates chipping in with seven.

    “I’ve to confess I’m extra emotional than I was as a result of I know the way I’ve arrived at this level. Being right here, having the chance to accomplish and being totally are compatible at this level makes me very proud,” Popp advised newshounds.

    “However I even have to mention a large because of everybody who has helped me — the scientific personnel at my membership, the coaches each at membership stage and right here. They saved believing in me they usually gave me the chance to be right here.

    “I’ve develop into very bad now, like previously. It wasn’t the case for moderately some time as a result of I used to be injured.”
    Popp blew her possibilities of profitable the name with Germany in 2013 when she performed via an ankle ligament damage to assist Wolfsburg win the treble in 2012-13, lacking the Euros in consequence.

    A knee damage in 2017 noticed her omit the Euros once more and some other damage ultimate yr would have intended a 3rd version with out a continental match for Popp had it no longer been postponed to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A favorable COVID take a look at ultimate month didn’t deter the ahead both as she put all her issues at the back of her to attain in each sport thus far — a match file.

    On Sunday, she is not going to most effective be combating for the name but additionally the Golden Boot having joined England’s Beth Mead on the best of the match’s function scoring charts, however for Popp it’s all concerning the workforce. “If I don’t get those passes, I don’t rating. It makes me satisfied once they create possibilities for me to attain,” she stated, praising the workforce’s spirit as the most productive she had observed in a decade. “It’s no longer my primary goal to win the Golden Boot, the primary goal is to win the Euros.”