Three games, three goals – after difficult preparations, Alexandra Popp impressively demonstrated her value for the German national team in the preliminary round of the European Championship. In the quarter-finals, Austria awaits you as a “very hot place”.
Alexandra Popp rubbed her nose a little after her header to make it 2-0, thanked the helpers Nicole Anyomi and Kathrin Hendrich and then pointed it out with three fingers: third goal in the third game. This means that the DFB captain is still in the running for the top scorer on her European Championship debut – behind the outstanding Englishwoman Beth Mead (5) and level with the Frenchwoman Grace Geyoro.
Captain praises quality from the bank
Much more important than her goal tally, however, was that the 31-year-old lasted 90 minutes in the 3-0 win against Finland at the end of the preliminary round for the first time since her corona infection. Shortly before the end, when she moved into midfield behind substitute Laura Freigang, she did a 40-meter sprint to the baseline to give the Frankfurt player another chance to score. Freigang’s degree didn’t go in, but somehow Popp’s effort also showed her appreciation for those who mostly stay on the bench and still support the team unconditionally.
“It’s just a good feeling and also a good sign that you have quality on the bench that can change a game again,” said Popp of the sports show and particularly praised the defenders Sophia Kleinherne and Anyomi, who each played their first against Finland scored an international goal.
Popp hugs Anyomi and Kleinherne – and thinks of Schüller
Popp now has 56 goals in 117 international matches – an insane number, even if you consider that the Wolfsburg native has had long injury breaks and is playing her first European Championship in England. As the most experienced member of the team, she naturally also bears a special responsibility for the others who are joining for the first time. Kleinherne and Anyomi hugged the leader in the Finland game particularly warmly. And she doesn’t forget her competitor in the storm center either. After the 2-0 win against Spain, she put on the jersey of Corona infected Lea Schüller backwards so that the shirt number and lettering of the Bayern striker, who was in isolation, could be seen.
Popp knows all too well what it feels like not being able to be there. She missed the EM 2013 due to a torn ligament in her ankle, four years later she was absent due to a knee injury. In April 2021, a piece of cartilage tore off the right kneecap. The fact that she also had to put up with a corona infection on the long way back fits her story of great successes and setbacks and stands for the strength of will of the “mentality monster”.
Voss-Tecklenburg: “Poppi is ready for the fourth goal”
The fact that Popp, despite her serious injury, delivers at the crucial moment and leads the way is perhaps the decisive building block in the DFB team. Her joker goal in the 4-0 win over Denmark was the sticking point, she says. That’s when she realized that she no longer had to think so much about her knee and her stressed body.
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was also certain that Popp would “head in at least one against Finland. Poppi showed what we expect from a center forward – with her presence and header power. We deliberately gave her 90 minutes. And now it is Poppi also ready for the fourth goal.”
Austria with unbelievable team spirit
If you could do that against Austria next Thursday (July 21, 2022 / 9 p.m. CEST/ live on Erste and on sportschau.de), the German team would come a lot closer to the semi-finals of the European Championship. The fact that the players know each other so well because many Austrians play in the German Bundesliga can be both an advantage and a disadvantage in Popp’s eyes. “They have an incredible team spirit and that can make a big, big difference,” she says of the surprise team in the preliminary round. “It’s going to be a very hot patch, what’s coming up for us.”
Win or fly – Popp is looking forward to knockout games
The daredevil is looking forward to the fact that from now on in the knockout round it’s “win or fly”: “These are the games that are the most fun,” she says, and heats up the atmosphere for the neighborhood duel a bit. “You don’t have to motivate a lot. Everyone is aware that it’s an all-in game.”