Outsiders in the cup usually rely on a tried and tested strategy. They retreat far back, leave the ball to their higher-class opponents and wait for counterattacks. Ailien Poese and her team had a different, very bold idea. The women’s soccer team of 1. FC Union Berlin began their home game against Rasenballsport Leipzig on Sunday afternoon with very high pressing, blocked every goal kick, and even attacked the opposing goalkeeper – and with success.
The Bundesliga team from Leipzig wobbled dangerously in the early stages and barely got into the game. Shortly before half-time, Dina Orschmann put Union in the lead and after 90 minutes, they had a well-deserved 1-0 (1-0) victory. Since regional league team Viktoria 89 lost 0-2 to Turbine Potsdam, Union is the only Berlin team in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup.
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After a perfect season with promotion and national cup victory, Union started the second division with two drawsThe team has retained its very confident style of play, however, and this was evident early on against Leipzig. No trace of fear, no hesitation. If a random spectator had to guess who was the Bundesliga team at the An der Alten Försterei stadium and who was playing in the second division, the answer would almost certainly have been the wrong one.
Leipzig seemed surprised by the high pressure from Köpenick and showed a lot of uncertainty. The first and best chance for a long time, however, fell to the Saxons, who failed to beat Union’s goalkeeper Melanie Wagner through Lydia Andrade.
It was to remain a rare offensive statement from the nominal favorites. Union was the more forceful team in the first half hour, winning a few balls in the opponent’s half, but lacking the necessary precision in the penalty area.
That changed shortly before half-time, when Athanasia Moraitou sent a free kick high into the penalty area, Eleni Markou hit the post with her head and Orschmann was in exactly the right place a meter from the goal.
Leipzig coach Jonas Stephan was not satisfied with his team’s performance and sent the entire bench to warm up early on. But apart from a double chance in injury time in the first half, the Bundesliga team continued to struggle against the well-organized and tough Berlin team.
Union had a good chance to make it 2-0 thanks to a counterattack by Antonia Halverkamps, but substitute Celine Frank narrowly missed the Leipzig goal with a long-range shot. The Berlin team remained active and the visitors’ resistance was very limited. The 1-0 lead remained until the final whistle and the 4,186 fans in the stadium celebrated their team’s next exclamation mark.
