Pohlers leads Potsdam goal rush
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Article summary
Road to the final: 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam have struck 29 goals in seven games in a spectacular tournament debut.
Article body
By Paul Saffer
As the team which beat inaugural UEFA Women's Cup winners and 2003/04 finalists 1. FFC Frankfurt to this season's competition via the Bundesliga, German champions 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam were under pressure to match their rivals' fine European record: scoring 29 goals in their seven games en route to a showdown with Djurgården/Alvsjö (who managed only 15) was a spectacular way of matching those expectations.
Pohlers hat-tricks
As seeds, Potsdam made their European bow in second qualifying round Group B3. The mini-tournament hosts, Potsdam began by defeating French champions Montpellier HSC 6-0, Conny Pohlers striking a hat-trick. A 4-1 victory against Poland's KS AZS Wroclaw, Pohlers scoring twice, secured Potsdam's quarter-final place and left them only needing a point against fellow qualifiers Torres Terra Sarda of Italy to secure top spot.
Amazing match
The match proved a thriller, as Torres led 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 in a first half which ended with two Pohlers goals in added time to put Potsdam 5-4 up. Although Torres swiftly equalised after the break, Pohlers completed her treble and Petra Wimbersky's late goal secured a 7-5 victory.
Energy sapped
Thanks to that result, Potsdam avoided facing group winners in October's quarter-finals and were drawn against FC Energy Voronezh. In the first leg in Russia, Potsdam fell behind early in the second half but secured an 86th-minute equaliser through Peggy Kuznik. Her fellow teenager, Anja Mittag, scored 15 minutes into the second leg and although Energy levelled six minutes after half-time, Wimbersky scored twice before Viola Odebrecht sealed a 5-2 aggregate triumph.
Trondheim taken out
Norwegian champions SK Trondheims-Ørn came to Potsdam last month for the first leg of the semi-finals, and although they held out for 53 minutes, Pohlers registered twice in quick succession and completed her third hat-trick of the tournament late on to make it 4-0 after Wimbersky had claimed Potsdam's third. Heidi Pedersen's 42nd-minute goal gave Trondheim the lead in the return but a 7-1 overall win was secured after the break by two Ariane Hingst efforts and another from Mittag.
