Jule Brand's stunner gets Germany off to perfect start against stubborn Poland

The Guardian

9 hours ago

As Jule Brand collected the ball on the turn on the corner of the box with her back to goal, she knew the assignment. Germany needed something special to break through Poland's stubborn resistance. Within a blink of an eye, the net was bulging and Germany were making a winning start to their campaign.
A well-coached Poland side can be proud of their performance but, once Brand opened the scoring in the 52nd minute, the result looked inevitable and Lea Schüller headed in Germany's second to give them a perfect springboard to the tournament.
The record eight-time European champions have failed to reach the final only twice since the first time they qualified in 1989, but it was not until the second half when they were able to demonstrate why so many pundits are tipping them to go deep into the competition yet again.
With St Gallen lying less than 15 miles from the German border, this was almost a home fixture for the 2022 runners-up and their supporters brought energy and passion to the streets of the seventh-century city, surrounded by rolling green hills on another picture-perfect, warm evening in Switzerland. After the hosts, German citizens have purchased more tickets for this tournament than any other nation, and it showed, as they paraded in vast numbers through the streets towards the stadium before kick-off, eager to see if their team could continue their formidable run of five straight victories in which they had scored 24 times.
The debutants Poland, however, had nothing to lose and executed their gameplan impressively in the first half. Without the ball, they often appeared to be playing with a back six, such was their defensive mindset, but they proved tricky for the Germans to break down and then, in the transitional moments, they had the pace of the Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor in attack to worry the Germany back four, so much so that it was Poland who created the more dangerous early chances.
Emilia Szymczak volleyed wide of the far post when unmarked at a deep free-kick, before Ann-Katrin Berger tipped a Pajor shot over the crossbar, although the offside flag was raised regardless, while at the other end, the West Ham keeper Kinga Szemik did well to keep out Brand's powerful, low strike.
Christian Wück's side were dealt a major blow when their right-back Giulia Gwinn was forced off with a worrying injury – she looked devastated – before Schüller spurned the best chance of the opening 45 minutes, failing to connect with the ball as it rolled to her in front of goal.
Such was Wück's frustration, he sent his team out for the second half more than three minutes early. Brand responded with the moment of individual quality that was needed, cutting in on to her left foot and driving her strike past Szemik. The sea of white shirts behind the goal erupted.
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Sjoeke Nüsken inexplicably headed wide when a goal seemed certain, before Schüller headed narrowly over the bar, either side of Pajor firing straight at Berger. Schüller breathed a sigh of relief when she did eventually convert her next headed chance, moments later.
Poland did not give up and Pajor was thwarted by a fine reaction save from Berger. Nina Patalon's side will take heart from this game and believe they can cause Denmark and Sweden concern later in the group. As for Germany, they did not quite send out the same statement that Spain stamped across the competition on Thursday, but make no mistake, they are strong.