Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Bayern’s students with a pack of four
Drama about line judge in DFB mandatory victory
The German soccer players need more than half time to get on the track against Serbia. Four goals by Lea Schüller ensure a mandatory victory in the end. Before the break, the failure of an assistant referee causes great excitement. She has to be taken to the hospital.
With four goals, Lea Schüller gave the German soccer players their second victory in qualifying for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. The DFB selection of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg prevailed in Chemnitz with 5: 1 (0: 1) against Serbia, but needed a significant increase in performance after the break.
The failure of the English assistant referee Helen Edwards, who had to receive medical treatment in the first half and could not continue, caused a stir. “She is conscious, has complained of being unwell and is on her way to the hospital in coordination with the medical service and emergency doctor,” said DFB spokeswoman Anne Seitz. Edwards was replaced by Fourth Official Helen Conley. The interruption caused spooky moments in front of the 1604 spectators.
In front of only 1604 spectators, Schüller from FC Bayern Munich (49th, 54th, 71st and 77th minutes) and Melanie Leupolz (79th) scored the goals for the 2016 Olympic champions who failed in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup. Nina Matejic had brought the initially strong guests into the lead early (3rd). The hosts showed against the world number 41. a muddled first half. After the 7-0 win against Bulgaria last Saturday, the DFB team now lead Group H with six points. Other opponents are Israel, Portugal and Turkey.
Squad rejuvenated
For Voss-Tecklenburg the game was another important test with a view to the EM 2022 in England. Leupolz also felt the growing competitive pressure in the younger squad from the Champions League finalist FC Chelsea, who sat on the bench again for the first time, but then scored as Joker from a distance, which was worth seeing. In the attack, the only 18-year-old Jule Brand from Hoffenheim replaced Sydney Lohmann from Bayern.
“We will be challenged more,” Voss-Tecklenburg had prophesied and the 53-year-old was right. The Serbians had a lightning start when the 16-year-old Matejic moved the central defender Lena Lattwein and shot in flat to make it 1-0. Goalkeeper Merle Frohms only touched the ball with her fingertips. The German team didn’t like the offensive pressing of the outsider. The midfield with US professional Dzsenifer Marozsan, captain Sara Däbritz from Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern ace Lina Magull had great difficulty in staging the attackers.
After the break, Schüller equalized after a misunderstanding between goalkeeper Milica Kostic and Dina Blagojevic. The game of the record European champions was now more aggressive, more precise and clearly superior. Brand crossed a lightning counterattack on Schüller, who headed 2-1. And the 23-year-old then did the hat trick with her 18th international goal – and even scored another goal. The next qualifying games for the German team are on October 21 in Israel and on October 26 in Essen against Isreal.