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In a party mood: Svenja Huth, Giulia Gwinn, Alexandra Popp, Sydney Lohmann (from left to right)
Photo: Nick Potts / dpa
They understand each other:
the woman who led the German celebrations at the end should of course be honored.
It was impressive how Alexandra Popp took a run-up in the 76th minute, spiraled into the air and headed the ball into the French goal with power and yet placed.
Milton Keynes' showdown, the moment that should bring the German national team into the European Championship final, was made possible by a player who, unlike Popp, is rarely in the limelight: it was Svenja Huth who crossed again with buttery softness and for the second time in this semi-final prepared a German goal.
Huth's crosses, as well as her teammate Popp's instinct for running paths, with whom she is under contract at VfL Wolfsburg, were the key to this success.
The result:
The German soccer players win 2:1 (1:1) against France and are in the final of the European Championship.
The hosts from England are waiting there.
Here is the match report.
In the tunnel:
Alexandra Popp has the astounding talent of elevating a football term suspected of being a cliché to a principle of success as a matter of course: mentality.
Often a nonsense that is difficult to grasp, it seems to make up Popp's quality at the EM.
Against Austria, the striker forced both goals with irrepressible zeal in pressing, before the semi-final against France Popp loudly drove her team-mates out of the tunnel onto the pitch.
Popp sang the anthem, visibly moved, with his eyes closed.
The driver of the DFB-Elf already seemed to be in competition mode before the ball was even rolling.
The first half:
The French showed their class with almost every touch of the ball – their ball skills under pressure, their acceleration.
Only: They rarely showed all of this for more than a few seconds before one, two, three German players had surrounded the ball carrier from all sides.
Strikers Delphine Cascarino, Melvine Malard and Kadidiatou Diani rarely saw each other, but always wore numerous white shirts with eagles on the chest.
Then Popp pushed a cross from Huth over the line with her usual vehemence.
Under the eyes of DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD), it looked like Germany would take the lead at the break - until Diani successfully tried billiards.
She can only beat herself:
Diani, still the most conspicuous Frenchwoman in attack, just took a shot from 20 meters.
Until then, Merle Frohms didn't even have to intervene in the German goal, kept her clean sheet in the tournament as a spectator.
Even Diani's attempt, which came across as an act of desperation, would not have changed anything if Frohms had not already dived into the corner with a dive.
So the ball bounced off the post – but not into the field from there, but on Frohm's back and into the goal.
Frohms' first goal against the European Championship was rated by Uefa as an own goal.
Learn from Callsen-Bracker:
The German team had prepared for other French dangers.
Above all, Wendie Renard, the towering defender of the French team, with her 1.87 meters in corners and free-kicks a popular target.
The problem: How do you train defensively against a player whose stature is unrivaled by anyone in your own team?
The solution to the riddle bears the name of Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker: The ex-professional is supposed to support the DFB women as a specialist in neurocentric training.
But because Callsen-Bracker measures 1.89 meters, he was allowed to help out as a Renard double for a short time.
The second half:
After the break, what had been learned had to be applied quickly in practice: the French were now better in the game, even had a period of pressure with three chances within four minutes - the most dangerous: a header by Renard, who found himself on the the second post and forced Frohms to defend with his feet (64').
Thanks also to Frohms, the German defense held tight.
Then Popp showed that she mastered the header even better than her French opponent (76th), substitute Linda Dallmann even missed the possible 3:1 (90th).
Popp's pop effect:
Popp had missed the first two European Championships of her long career injured, she went to the tournament in England as a substitute before Lea Schüller had to give up her regular place due to a corona infection.
And now?
Now the goals are falling, now the records are tumbling: In five consecutive games at a European championship, none have scored before her.
Their brace meant the goals 100 and 101 for the German footballers in the history of the European Championship, no other country has hit three digits so far.
The final word:
Popp was the first to enter the field, she was also the first in front of the TV cameras after the game.
"No pig was counting on us," reminded the match winner, who still has a task ahead of her.
'We're in the final against England now, in front of 90,000 at Wembley.
Honestly, there's nothing nicer.«
It starts on Sunday, July 31, at 6 p.m. (TV: ARD, stream: Dazn).