The long-time captain of the German national soccer team <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/02/dfb-soccer-players-an-instructive-journey-nd-aktuell-de/" title="DFB soccer players: An instructive journey (nd-aktuell.de)”>Alexandra Popp ended her DFB playing career in the friendly match against Australia ended. In Duisburg, the Australians won 2-1 (1-1) against the German team. There, fans rose from their seats and applauded as Popp ran onto the field for the last time.
After just 15 minutes, national coach Christian Wück replaced the 33-year-old striker with Nicole Anyomi from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Wolfsburg woman was unable to score one last goal – it would have been her 68th. Popp passed the captain’s armband on to right-back Giulia Gwinn. Her former teammates stood at the substitution and clapped, and around 25,500 fans celebrated Popp one last time.
“Pride and Honor”
In 2010 Popp was also in Duisburg played her first international match. “I always wore the eagle on my chest day after day and game after game with a lot of pride and honor,” said the goalscorer the day before her farewell game. Only Heidi Mohr (83 goals), who died in 2019, and Birgit Prinz (128) were more successful in the DFB jersey.
Before kick-off, the DFB had also said goodbye to Popp’s club colleagues Marina Hegering after 42 international matches and Merle Frohms after 52 games in the DFB jersey.
The German team was disappointing in terms of football. Selina Cerci (5th minute) gave the hosts an early lead. The Australian Kyra Cooney-Cross equalized for the guests with a dream goal from around 40 meters before the break (39th). Not much came together for Germany in the second half, Clare Hunt scored Australia’s winning goal (77th).
The long-time captain of the German national soccer team Alexandra Popp ended her DFB playing career in the friendly match against Australia ended. In Duisburg, the Australians won 2-1 (1-1) against the German team. There, fans rose from their seats and applauded as Popp ran onto the field for the last time.
After just 15 minutes, national coach Christian Wück replaced the 33-year-old striker with Nicole Anyomi from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Wolfsburg woman was unable to score one last goal – it would have been her 68th. Popp passed the captain’s armband on to right-back Giulia Gwinn. Her former teammates stood at the substitution and clapped, and around 25,500 fans celebrated Popp one last time.
