This weekend saw just little action in the highest German women’s soccer division. The focus was on the two national cup semifinals. As expected, 1.FFC Frankfurt defeated SC Bad Neuenahr, 3-1. With goals from Conny Pohlers and Sandra Smisek, the game was on track for Frankfurt even after a quarter hour. Kerstin Garefrekes added a third goal after 58 minutes before FFC had to face a minor shock – not Bad Neuenahr’s goal by Lena Goeßling (62nd) hit them, but the ejection against center back Saskia Bartusiak (foul as last player) who will now miss the cup final.
The second semifinal between Bayern Munich and Turbine Potsdam was expected to be a closer fight. After Turbine got goals from Viola Odebrecht, Yuki Nagasato, and Anja Mittag within the opening 20 minutes, everything was set for a little Sunday afternoon workout. Yet a double striker of Carina Wenninger and Petra Wimbersky short before halftime made it a close game again. Young Macedonian talent Natasa Andonova decided the match after 74 minutes to clinch a 4-2 win with her first goal in Germany.
Only one makeup game was on the schedule in Bundesliga. The two bottom teams Herford and Jena met in a game that could be crucial for the relegation fight. Herforder SV is already relegated, but Jena needed a win to rally past Saarbrücken and leave the second relegation spot. The East Germans took their chance and hijacked the points from their opponents with a 4-3 road win. Genoveva Anomna once again was the lifesaver for Jena by scoring three goals.
The relegation battle with two games left to go. Rank 11 goes down:
9 SG Essen Schönebeck, -22, 17 pts
10 FF USV Jena, -34, 15 pts
11 1.FC Saarbrücken, -46, 14 pts
The remaining games:
Essen: Herford (h), Potsdam (a)
Jena: Duisburg (h), Wolfsburg (a)
Saarbrücken: Bad Neuenahr (h), Duisburg (a)
The remaining games in the Championship race (Potsdam leading one point over Frankfurt):
Potsdam: Leverkusen (a), Essen (h)
Frankfurt: Hamburg (a), Munich (h)