Alexandra Popp is the only female footballer at the Summer Games in France who was on the pitch in the 2016 final. Either way, the tournament will be a tour de force for her.
When Alexandra Popp is asked about the gold triumph and the Olympic Games in Rio, her eyes shine and she asks with a broad smile: “Where should I start?” Eight years later, the captain of the German women’s football team is facing a challenging tournament in France – for herself and Horst Hrubesch’s team. The 33-year-old from VfL Wolfsburg is torn about the prospects.
“Basically, I trust the team to do anything,” Popp told the German Press Agency before the opening match against Australia on Thursday (7 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport) in Marseille. At the 2022 European Championship in England, when Popp became the pop star of women’s football, no one expected the DFB selection – “and suddenly we were there. But we experienced it the other way around at the World Cup, where everyone expected us and we weren’t really there.”
“So far the foot is doing well”
One year after the World Cup debacle in Australia, with their elimination in the preliminary round under coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, the German women are aiming for a medal. The European Championship runners-up recently beat Austria 4-0, but lost 3-0 in Iceland. Popp was absent from both tough tests because she was rested after a foot irritation.
“So far, my foot has been holding up well,” said Germany’s footballer of the year about her physical condition. But training and playing are two different things: “When I’m on the pitch during a game, I give it 100 percent. It’s possible that my foot might react a little more strongly.”
Popp may be seen in a different role in France. She could be used in midfield for Lena Oberdorf, who has had knee surgery, as she has often done at VfL Wolfsburg. Hrubesch has already spoken to her about this.
Popp’s foot must hold
“In the end, it’s important that we play successful football. If Horst feels that he should put me at number six and then let the other speedsters play up front, then that’s how it is,” explained Popp, referring to the attacking trio of Lea Schüller, Klara Bühl and Jule Brand. “There’s nothing wrong with the fact that when you play at number six, you sometimes have to make a run towards the box to maybe be a goal threat.”
At the start of the Summer Games, the 139-time national player can concentrate fully on football after losing out to judoka Anna-Maria Wagner in the election to be the German flag bearer for the opening ceremony on Friday. Popp took it in good spirits and responded on Instagram with a thumbs up: “I am incredibly proud and grateful just to have been among the nominees.”
Memories of Usain Bolt
This means she is spared the stress of traveling to Paris between the game against the Matildas and against record world champions USA on Sunday, also in Marseille.
Popp already saw the chance of a second Olympic participation “slipping away” after the German team missed the 2021 Games in Tokyo. Now she definitely wants to go to the athletes’ village again, “where you can get a bit more of a feel for that Olympic spirit.” To do so, the German women would have to reach the quarter-finals in Paris as group winners or the final in the Parc des Princes.
Back in Rio, Popp experienced the hype surrounding a sprint superstar: “Usain Bolt looking out of his room and being celebrated. A crowd of athletes in front of the house cheering him on.” The 2:1 victory against Sweden in the Maracanã, the presentation of the gold medal – “those are simply special moments. It felt like we celebrated for two days straight.”
“… otherwise any team can hurt us”
In France, the German women’s football team is expecting to face particularly physically strong opponents in the preliminary round, which will end with a match against Zambia. The team will have to hold its own in the group phase, said Popp: “We can do that. I’m convinced of that. But it has to happen right from the start and throughout the 90 minutes, otherwise any team can hurt us.”
Since the World Cup debacle, Hrubesch’s team has been struggling. “You could see it in the last few games: we’ve always lacked consistency over 90 minutes,” admitted Popp. “That will be crucial: if we get them on the pitch – with everything we’ve got – then we’ve got a good chance of having a say at the top. If we don’t manage that, then it will be brutally difficult at this level.”
It is clear that Popp must and will lead the way as captain. “Alex shows again and again what she can do for the team on the pitch. In terms of sport, of course, but also in terms of body language and mentality,” said DFB sports director Nia Künzer. “She is definitely someone who can make clear statements and always helps decide games.”
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
