Tag: Germany

Heart of a Lioness! England makes history with fairytale Euro 2022 win on home soil

After decades of heartache, football is home

England had seen this script before.

After Ella Toone’s remarkable second-half opener sent Wembley into raptures, the air was sucked out of the building when Lina Magull equalized with just over 10 minutes to go in the Euro 2022 final.

Suddenly, history began to get rather heavy.

Germany had reached the UEFA Women’s Championship final eight times before and won all eight. England had reached the final twice, and lost both.

England hadn’t won a major trophy, men’s or women’s, since 1966.

But this Lioness team was determined to not let history bring them down. Chloe Kelly scrambled home a winner from a corner kick in extra time, giving England a 2-1 win and a history-making European title that will reverberate for generations.

The game put a cap on a Euro 2022 that should boost the profile of women’s soccer worldwide – and especially in Europe. 87,192 fans packed Wembley for the final, the largest crowd to ever see a women’s match in the UK and the biggest attendance ever for any Euros game, men or women.

As for the match itself, it contained some of the less desirable elements that so often characterize major finals: tired legs, crunching challenges, heavy touches and disjointed passages of play. For two teams who have played some beautiful stuff throughout Euro 2022, the game was hardly chock full of magic moments.

But after 62 minutes, there was indeed a moment of magic from the Lionesses. Keira Walsh picked out a perfectly weighted long ball that found Toone, who displayed almost superhuman composure to dink the ball over Merle Frohms into the back of the net.

It was a goal worthy of winning any final, but especially this one in front of a record home crowd. But Germany was never going to play the role of magnanimous pushover.

The visitors came roaring back, with Magull’s equalizer no less than Germany deserved. The air was truly out of the building as England had to hold on to simply reach extra time.

But that’s where the history changed, and a new era began. Kelly’s goal was no less than England, the team and the country deserved, after a tournament that will be remembered for far more than the on-field play.

Football is home. And the world of football will be all the better for it.

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Germany star Alexandra Popp forced out of Euro 2022 final after injury in warm-up

The striker entered the match as the co-leading scorer in Euro 2022

Germany suffered a major blow in the lead-up to kickoff of the Euro 2022 final against England, as star forward Alexandra Popp was forced out of the match with a muscular injury suffered in the warm-up.

Popp entered the match as the co-leading scorer in Euro 2022, as she was tied with England’s Beth Mead with six goals.

The 31-year-old scored a brace in the semifinal against France, leading Germany to their ninth European Championship final.

Lea Schüller replaced Popp in the lineup ahead of kickoff at Wembley.

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Alexandra Popp had the perfect response to jokes about her joining the Germany men’s team

The Germany star is clearly taking it all in stride

Alexandra Popp has had quite the Euro 2022 so far.

The Germany star is tied for the tournament’s Golden Boot lead with six goals so far, and she produced a signature two-goal performance against France in the semifinal to lead her team to Sunday’s final against England.

Popp’s display has been so good, in fact, that some in Germany have begun to jokingly suggest that Germany men’s coach Hansi Flick should consider calling her up for the World Cup later this year.

“We want to open a new chapter with Alexandra…er Alexander Papp,” read a “quote” from Flick on the satirical website Der Postillon. “She…err… he has excellent positional play, a fantastic nose for goals and is ice cold when finishing.”

Fums Magazine suggested Popp don a mustache and be remade into “Alexander Bopp.”

Popp clearly is taking this all in stride. In a press conference before Sunday’s final at Wembley, the forward removed her mask and revealed a fake mustache before approaching the microphone and, in her deepest voice possible, saying: “Hallo.”

And about that trip to Qatar later this year? Popp has ruled it out.

“I’m still in the Champions League,” the Wolfsburg star said with a laugh.

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Popp, Germany overcome France in taut Euro 2022 semifinal

Germany is in their ninth (!) women’s Euro final

Germany and France produced a tense, back-and-forth Euro 2022 semifinal Wednesday, with Alexandra Popp’s brace eventually being enough to send Germany to their ninth European Championship final on the women’s side by a 2-1 margin.

Germany’s high-pressing system saw them gain the upper hand to start, but France was able to just barely keep them from truly serious chances outside of one Alexandra Popp free kick that Pauline Peyraud-Magnin did very well to save.

However, they got the reward for their dominance in the 40th minute, as Svenja Huth and Jule Brand manufactured some space on the right. Huth clipped the ball to the back post, where Popp’s superb run inside of Ève Périsset allowed her to thump a volley into the roof of the net.

Germany seemed in full control, but France stunningly leveled with virtually the last kick of the half. A simple enough move forward from France saw Kadidiatou Diani receive the ball 25 yards from goal, but with multiple Germany defenders close by. Diani turned into some space before unleashing a rocket that beat goalkeeper Merle Frohms, cracked off the post, and then bounced into the goal off of Frohms’ back.

France, buoyed by the first goal anyone had scored on Germany in this tournament, looked sharper coming out of the locker room. Halftime substitute Selma Bacha saw her goal-bound shot headed away at the last gasp by Kathrin Hendrich, while Frohms denied Wendie Renard on the doorstep on the ensuing corner.

However, Popp couldn’t be denied, jumping into a tie with Beth Mead atop the Euro 2022 goalscorers’ chart in the 76th minute. Germany kept an attack alive through multiple cycles, with Huth tracking down a blocked shot that caromed out to the touchline before whipping a cross into the mixer. Amid the chaos, Popp leapt highest, powering Germany back in front.

Germany’s win sets up a potentially epic final between them and England, who crushed Sweden on Tuesday. The Euro 2022 final is set for Sunday, July 31 at Wembley, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00pm Eastern.

All the goals from Germany beating France

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Chiefs partner with SPORTFIVE to help grow presence in Germany

The #Chiefs have partnered with @sportfiveagency to help grow #ChiefsKingdom and expand business opportunities in Germany.

Just days after rumors resurfaced about the Kansas City Chiefs playing a game in Germany in 2023, the team has announced a new partnership with a global sports agency that will focus on expanding team presence in Germany.

The Chiefs agreed on a comprehensive partnership with SPORTFIVE agency, which will assist in developing international strategy, asset development, and commercial sales in the German market through regional hubs in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Munich.

“We have discussed that a thoughtful, long-term commitment will be required for us to reach our goals in Germany and beyond,” Chiefs Vice President of Partnerships and Premium Sales Kim Hobbs said, via press release. “Aligning with SPORTFIVE and its team of professionals will help us reach and exceed those goals and will offer us the chance to learn more about the opportunities in front of us along the way.”

SPORTFIVE has over 30 years of global marketing experience working with franchises such as Atlético de Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the New York Jets. They’re a key marketing partner for 17 professional soccer clubs located in Germany.

“We’re proud to have been selected by the Kansas City Chiefs to help grow their fan base and business opportunities in Germany,” Neil Glat, Co-President, Americas at SPORTFIVE said via press release. “The Chiefs are an iconic franchise with one of the most exciting rosters in the sport, and this partnership is a great opportunity for us to utilize our expertise to help the Chiefs grow their tremendous brand and business globally.”

According to the press release, the NFL’s popularity is growing in Germany. The NFL’s International Fan Tracker reports the league has over 19 million fans in Germany, with popularity on the rise among youth: “The league is especially popular among young people, as it is already the second most popular sport on television among the German audience between 14 and 49.”

With the NFL set to play its first-ever regular-season game in Germany in 2022, they expect popularity to continue to rise. The Chiefs, in coordination with SPORTFIVE, plan to capitalize on that opportunity.

“The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most exciting teams in sports with a long-term vision of becoming a globally leading sports team,” Christian Koller, Head of Rights-holder Internationalization at SPORTFIVE said via press release. “We are excited to be working closely with them to make this vision a reality within the next years.”

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Will the Chiefs play a game in Germany in 2023?

The #Chiefs were expected to play in Germany as early as this year, but some new information suggests the game could be coming in 2023.

After securing international home marketing rights for Germany and Mexico in December, the Kansas City Chiefs were expected to be one of the teams chosen to play on the international stage in 2022. That didn’t end up happening, but new information suggests that the Chiefs could be getting a game in Germany during the 2023 NFL season.

Speaking with the cousin of german fullback Jakob Johnson in a YouTube video, Chiefs rookie CB Joshua Williams says that there will be a regular-season game played in Germany next year. In the video, Williams also shows his draft selection clip, where he was announced by former German soccer player Oliver Bierhoff.

“There will be next year,” Williams said. “And it’s going to be played in Germany. I’m not sure which city, but I’m excited. I’ve never been to Germany. I have family (who have) and they loved it there. They said it’s beautiful. I’m excited to go there and play a game.”

German NFL enthusiast René Bugner shared the clip on Twitter:

It’s unlikely that Williams has heard anything official from the NFL as scheduling announcements won’t come until next summer. The NFL will play three more games in Germany between 2022-2025, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Kansas City get one of those games. After all, team ownership has strong ties in the area, including a partnership with FC Bayern Munich, whose stadium will host the NFL match in Munich this year.

The Chiefs also recently established an international expansion advisory board comprised of leaders from a number of different German companies. That group includes FC Bayern board member Andreas Jung, who said the following in the press release:

“The Kansas City Chiefs have shown great commitment to the growth of American football in Germany. FC Bayern understands the value of having an international presence to learn and advise on how to better connect with local fans, which can be seen with our offices in New York, Shanghai and Bangkok. I look forward to working with the Chiefs Advisory Board, offering strategic guidance and support.”

Speaking to reporters during the 2022 NFL draft, Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt had this to add about playing in Germany:

“The league will be playing a number of international games. I’m hopeful that we’ll be one of them. If we’re notselected this year, I think we’ll be selected in the next two or three years. Obviously, we would be excited to play in Germany if the opportunity presents itself.”

Whether it’s 2023, 2024 or 2025, a game in Germany is likely coming for Kansas City.

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