0:1 against the USA - From the gold dream: DFB women play for Olympic bronze
Horst Hrubesch embraced his disappointed footballers one by one, offering them comfort. Despite fierce resistance and clever tactics, Germany's national team failed to reach the Olympic final in Paris, losing to the USA in the semi-finals. Sophia Smith scored the winning goal in the 95th minute, securing a 1:0 victory for the four-time gold medal winners after extra time. Without captain Alexandra Popp and striker Lea Schüller, the team coached by Hrubesch struggled, but they now hope to win bronze in the match for third place in Lyon on Friday.
"It's shit. I think we hardly conceded anything today. To lose the game from one chance is extremely bitter," said Laura Freigang, who had failed to score with a header just before the end of extra time. She admitted to crying briefly. "The best thing is that there's a game for bronze in three days. Of course, we're all disappointed tonight. It's not easy to swallow. But now we're even more determined to win a medal. It's not over yet. We can still win something," said the Frankfurt player.
Can the DFB women win their fourth bronze medal?
The opponent in the match for third place will be the loser of the game between world champions Spain and Brazil. The German women have won bronze three times before: in 2000, 2004, and 2008. "We shouldn't come home empty-handed," Hrubesch had told his players before the semi-final. The 73-year-old and his team had hoped to continue their tour de France to Paris and the Olympic village. But Smith dashed their hopes. Despite learning from their 1:4 defeat against the USA in the group stage, the German women were unable to reach the final.
The absence of Popp (illness) and Schüller (patellar tendon inflammation) was announced by the DFB just a few hours before kick-off. "The 120 minutes took everything out of me, and I was unfortunately very susceptible to an infection," Popp wrote on Instagram, referring to the quarter-final against Canada. The 33-year-old is the only remaining player from the gold-winning team in Rio de Janeiro 2016. "I'll be cheering the girls on from the hotel bed," she added.
Lena Oberdorf, the injured player, watched the game from the stands behind the German bench. The 22-year-old world-class player had been ruled out of the Olympics with a cruciate and medial collateral ligament injury just before the tournament. Her teammates often held up her jersey with the number six in front of the cameras. As a VIP guest, she arrived at the hotel on matchday with a thick brace and crutches.
Popp had replaced Oberdorf in midfield during the tournament so far. Now, Munich's Sydney Lohmann started in her place. Nicole Anyomi was nominated as a replacement for the three-time tournament top scorer Schüller and played from the beginning.
Marina Hegering was the defensive rock at the start, having a tough time against the high-speed strikers of the USA, especially Trinity Rodman, daughter of former basketball star Dennis Rodman, who caused havoc on the right wing. She set up Rose Lavelle after four minutes, but goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was lucky that the shot was central.
Hegering then repeatedly stopped the US attackers, even using tactical fouls when necessary. The German women dug in and largely controlled the four-time world champions until half-time. Jule Brand even tested Alissa Naeher with a solo run in the 24th minute.
About the quick Wolfsburger, the German women's national team kept putting pressure on after the break, repeatedly delivering stinging attacks. Captain Giulia Gwinn's warning shot after an hour underscored the growing confidence of Hrubesch's team.
Mallory Swanson caused a scare soon after, rounding goalkeeper Berger but hitting the outside net. Otherwise, the Americans struggled for ideas. Hrubesch brought on Eintracht colleague Laura Freigang for the ailing Anyomi. Shortly after, captain Hegering also had to leave injured. The pressure from the USA mounted again. And at the start of extra time, Smith outsmarted left-back Felicitas Rauch, chipping the ball over the perhaps too early rushing Berger. Ten minutes later, the attacker missed the chance to make it 2:0. In the final stages, Laura Freigang failed to equalize with her chance.
Despite the absence of key players like Alexandra Popp and Lea Schüller due to injuries, Germany hopes to secure their fourth bronze medal in women's football, a feat they previously achieved in 2000, 2004, and 2008. Their upcoming opponent in the match for third place is yet to be determined, as it will be the loser of the game between world champions Spain and Brazil.
