Image: GEPA pictures/ Johannes Friedl
The Lower Austrians prevailed 6-0 (1-0) at the penultimate FC Wacker Innsbruck on Sunday at noon and after their 16th win in 17 games they can no longer be pushed off the lead. Since the series champion had previously won the cup, the double has always gone to St. Pölten since 2015.
Coach Liese Brancao’s squad missed the first “title match ball” last Sunday with a 0-1 home draw against SPG SCR Altach/FFC Vorderland and suffered their first league defeat since May 27, 2018. Previously, there had only been a difficult 1-0 win at Sturm Graz. A loss of points was within the realm of possibility several times this season. This shows that, at least at the top, the gap between the League Croesus and the first pursuers has narrowed somewhat.
Sturm should be in the lead in the race for second place and, like the champion, make a run for the group stage of the Champions League. The third-placed women from Altach, who lost 1:3 in the cup final on May 1 in Wiener Neustadt, have in the race for the top scorer crown in the person of ÖFB junior team striker Linda Natter (17 before the 17th round) or ÖFB -Team striker Eileen Campbell (15 before round 17) good cards. They played at USV Neulengbach on Sunday.
With the now completed masterpiece – after the previously won ninth cup title in club history (including predecessor club ASV Spratzern) – two great player eras at St. Pölten are coming to an end. Captain and midfielder Jasmin Eder is definitely hanging up her shoes at the end of the season, as is striker Stefanie Enzinger.
The duo recently officially announced their decision after announcing their retirement from the national team. This was the case for the 30-year-old Eder on October 21, 2022, for the injury-plagued and now 32-year-old Enzinger on January 30 of this year. Adina Hamidovic and Isabelle Meyer extended their contract by one year until 2024, goalkeeper Natalia Piatek until 2025.
Source: Nachrichten
