Union Women Beat SGS Essen 3-2

The women’s team of 1. FC Union Berlin won 3-2 at SGS Essen in their last game of pre-season. Sarah Abu Sabbah and Antonia Halverkamps scored for the guests, with the winner coming off the boot of Essen’s Lany Mia Bäcker in the 87th miinute

SGS Essen: Lucassen (46. Winkler) – Joester (46. Sterner), Meißner (68. Bäcker), Pucks (46. Kröll), Ostermeier (56. Flach) – Platner (12. Pfluger), Rieke (46. Debitzki) – Elmazi (68. Tenhagen), Kowalski (68. Köpp), Enderle (46. Purtscheller) – Meier

1. FC Union Berlin: Bösl – Niesler, Becker, Steinert (46. Markou) – Sakar (46. Weiß), Janez (66. Blaschka), Heiseler (66. Moraitou), Metzker – Halverkamps (78. Trojahn), Abu Sabbah, D. Orschmann (78. Reissner)

Personnel: Head coach Ailien Poese was without Maria Cristina Lange, Celine Frank and Katja Orschmann, while new signing Antonia Halverkamps was in the Union starting eleven for the first time on Saturday afternoon.

Attendance: 99

Goals: 0-1 Abu Sabbah (18′), 1-1 Maier (22′), 2-1 Maier (31′), 2-2 Halverkamps (62′), 2:3 Bäcker (87′ o.g.)

Abu Sabbah strikes, Meier counters

Resplendent in their new red and white home shirts, Union started this final friendly of the pre-season typically aggressively, looking to disrupt their top-flight hosts early on. And it almost reaped early rewards. After less than two minutes, striker Sarah Abu Sabbah blocked an attempted pass out from goalkeeper Pia Lucassen, who could consider herself lucky that the ball bounced harmlessly wide of goal. But at the other end it was Laureta Elmazi who created the first real goal threat when, after twelve minutes, the winger tried her luck from distance. Her shot drifted wide.

It was through Union’s energetic pressing that led to the opening goal. Abu Sabbah robbed Anja Pfluger in midfield, before hitting a gorgeous 25 yard lob, the ball looping over Lucassen and into the net to make it 1-0 for the 2. Liga upstarts. SGS Essen looked unimpressed and posed their own threats, particularly from set-pieces. Four minutes after the equaliser, Natasha Kowalski delivered a free-kick from the right, from which Ramona Meier headed in the equaliser. Shortly afterwards, a corner created danger in the Union penalty area. Kowalski put the ball into the box again, and Union could breathe again as Annalena Rieke’s header only crashed off the crossbar.

It was with half an hour played that Essen started to show that they could create chances with the moving ball. Lena Ostermeier played a superb deep pass theat striker Meier finished with unerring precision to make it 2-1. The scoreline remained as the sides went in at half time.

Union’s devastating break turns the game

Ailien Poese brought on Anna Weiß and Eleni Markou after the break, and saw an immediate improvement in her side. After five minutes, Dina Orschmann saw her shot fly just to the left of goal. Then, in the 62nd minute, her team switched gears quickly and equalised. Dina Orschmann won the ball in midfield and found Lisa Heiseler, who quickly passed to Abu Sabbah. The striker made a strong run up through midfield and found Antonia Halverkamps with a perfectly weighted through. Halverkamps converted it without second thought and wheeled away. Having modelled one at the kit launch on Tuesday evening, now she had scored in a Union shirt.

The threat from the hosts was largely annulled as the second half wore on, and their most dangerous chance fell to Lilli Purtscheller, who forced Cara Bösl into a strong save with 20 minutes to play. After a few further changes on both sides – Poese first bringing on Anouk Blaschka and Athanasia Moraitou for Korina Janez and Heiseler, followed by Sophie Trojahn and Naika Reissner for Halverkamps and Orschmann – it looked for a while as if both teams had settled for a draw.

But Union stepped up the pace in the final quarter of an hour. In one of her last touches before she was substituted, Dina Orschmann had a go twelve minutes before the end, following an assist from Pia Metzker, but aimed too high.

Three minutes before the end, however, Union finally bagged their winner. Charleen Niesler played a long ball into the box where she found Reissner. SGS centre-back Lany Mia Bäcker, who had also come on as a substitute, tried to clear under pressure from Union’s left winger, but couldn’t do more than diverting the ball into her own net.

Following last weekend’s 6-1 loss at home, it capped an excellent performance against a side who finished two places above Bremen in the Bundesliga, and Poese was delighted with her charges. “I’m totally satisfied,” she said after the final whistle. “We implemented a lot of the things we talked about during the week. We won the ball well and then switched quickly and took our goals efficiently.”

She then talked of the work still to be done, but they can now at least look towards Gütersloh and the first round of the Cup with the greatest of expectations.

As skipper, Heiseler said. “We are delighted with the win.” As well they might be.