The squad of women in the Bundesliga at VfL Wolfsburg has once again gained considerable substance. At national level, only Bayern Munich should be able to hold a candle to the double winner.
That’s how last season went
After the departure of top performers Ingrid Syrstad Engen and Fridolina Rolfö to FC Barcelona and the end of the career of long-time pillars Lena Goeßling, Lara Dickenmann and Zsanett Jakabfi, those responsible at VfL were aware before the start of the season that the team might be facing a year of transition would. Especially since there had also been a change in the coaching position: Bundesliga novice Tommy Stroot replaced Stephan Lerch, who took over the U19 juniors at TSG Hoffenheim.
With 19 wins in 22 games to the championship
The new coach threw himself into the work with a lot of passion and meticulousness, brought in new ideas and managed surprisingly quickly to give the team a signature. The start of the season was a bit bumpy for Wolfsburg standards with one defeat and one draw in the first six games. But the subsequent series of 15 wins and a draw from the remaining 16 games was all the more impressive.
The 6-0 away win at the then reigning champions FC Bayern Munich four rounds before the end of the season was the culmination of an impressive first division series by VfL, which culminated in the sovereign title win.
DFB-Pokal: And the “wolves” say hello every day…
The almost obligatory Wolfsburg triumph was also in the DFB Cup. For the eighth time in a row, the women from Lower Saxony won their favorite competition. In the final, Turbine Potsdam was clearly defeated 4:0. Previously, VfL had won 3-1 against Munich in the semi-finals and thus already cleared what was supposedly the biggest stumbling block.
Not much was missing, and the “wolves” even got the treble. Because even in the Champions League they advanced to the semi-finals. However, a 5-1 defeat in the first leg at FC Barcelona in front of a record crowd of 91,648 spectators at the Camp Nou stadium robbed them of all chances. Stroot’s team proved that much more could have been possible against the Catalans in the second leg, with a convincing and well-deserved 2-0 win.
Who is coming, who is going?
Unlike in previous years, when exceptional striker Pernille Harder, Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir, Noelle Maritz, Nilla Fischer and Caroline Graham Hansen left VfL at the end of the season, all the important field players have remained loyal to the Werkself. But there was a serious change in the goalkeeper position: Almuth Schult said goodbye to the “wolves” after nine years on the Mittelland Canal in the direction of the USA.
Another face of VfL was Anna Blass for many years. She had played for Wolfsburg since 2007 – but recently less and less. The 35-year-old has now moved to Switzerland to join Grashopper Club Zurich. The other departures, Shanice van de Sanden (Liverpool FC), Lotta Cordes (1. FC Köln), Joëlle Smits (PSV Eindhoven) and Turid Knaak (career end), did not belong to the Wolfsburg tribe.
Four national players strengthen VfL
The six departures are offset by five new signings. It almost goes without saying that, with the exception of Kristin Demann, these are all current national team players. However, in view of the financially strong European competition, it was not a matter of course that the champions were able to win the German national goalkeeper Merle Frohms as well as to get the vice European champions Marina Hegering and Jule Brand. And Demann has already made 20 appearances for the DFB team.
The Slovenian Sara Agrež, who was already captain of Turbine Potsdam at the age of just 21, completes the quintet of the newcomers. Both the defender and attacker Brand, who is two years younger, still have a future ahead of them, while Frohms, Hegering and Demann are already seasoned Bundesliga players.
There is still a lot of potential in the squad
The Wolfsburg squad has once again gained considerably in footballing substance. And the potential of the squad is far from exhausted. Because the highly talented Lena Oberdorf (20 years old), Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir, Agrež, Lynn Wilms (all 21) and Lena Lattwein (22) are far from being at the end of their personal development.
Also gratifying for Stroot: top striker Ewa Pajor seems to have finally overcome her knee problems. The Pole was absent for months last season due to injury.
EM vacations disrupt the preparation for the season
However, the bumpy preparation could become a problem for the Wolfsburg coach. Because the 33-year-old could only welcome ten players at the start of training. The other players were still on vacation after the EM. VfL won their first competitive game in the DFB Cup at second division FSV Gütersloh 8-2: Alexandra Popp (35’/52’/83’/85′), Jill Roord (32′), Dominique Janssen (34′), Lynn Wilms (87′) and Ewa Pajor (90′).
forecast
Even though runners-up FC Bayern Munich have strengthened their squad with European champions Georgia Stanway and French international Emelyne Laurent, VfL are going into the season as favorites for the title. The Wolfsburg squad seems to be the best in terms of breadth. Accordingly, Stroot’s goal was to “win the cup and league again” and to get “as far as possible” in the Champions League.
It remains to be seen whether the women from Lower Saxony will be able to play for victory in the Champions League as they did last season. The clubs from England and Spain in particular have once again invested enormously. Barcelona just signed European champion Keira Walsh from Manchester City.
According to British media reports, a record transfer fee of 460,000 euros was paid for the transfer.
This topic in the program:
sports show | 09/17/2022 | 6:00 p.m
