The BVB women have been eliminated from the Westfalenpokal. In the quarter-finals, coach Sulewski’s team lost 3-2 to heavy favourites VfL Bochum 2-3, having led 2-0 at half-time. Goals from Mandy Reinhardt and Ana Louisa Zabell were not enough to prevent the first competitive defeat in the history of the BVB women.

Even the weather gods seemed to be up against BVB in the build-up to the game: freezing temperatures and snowfall made it impossible for the game to be played in the youth team’s stadium, so the match had to be moved to pitch 4 on the training ground. Head coach Thomas Sulewski made one change to the starting line-up from the Ahlen game, with Nora Rechenbach replacing Hanna Hentrich.

Bochum, who are currently third in the Regionalliga, looked the superior team on the ball from the outset, but the Dortmund women’s defence held firm, showing a high level of willingness to run and put their bodies on the line. At the other end, they struck with merciless composure: two attacks, two shots, two goals. The first saw Mandy Reinhardt beat the Bochum keeper, who had come a long way out of her box, with a remarkable lob from 20 metres to give BVB a 1-0 lead on 10 minutes. In the 26th minute, Ana Louisa Zabell put the finishing touch on some brilliant build-up play by Marie Grothe to double the BVB lead after Bochum’s goalkeeper had knocked Grothe’s cross down at the BVB attacker’s feet. 

Borussia had a touch of luck too, as the away side struck the post on the 26-minute mark. “Our plan worked perfectly in the first 45 minutes,” Sulewski said after the game, adding: “We knew that we would not be able to defend everything. Only the way we conceded the goals is annoying.”

Last year’s finalists brought the game back to 2-2 thanks to a quick-fire double. The first, a free kick from Janine Angrick, missed everyone and found its way into the far post on 54th minutes. Just one minute later, Madeline Gier fired a long-range shot into top-left corner. The decider in front of 1000 fans came in the 62nd minute, when Svenja Streller found space in the penalty area and gave Bochum a 3-2 lead that turned out to be the final score.

Although the BVB ladies did not give up in the face of a constant onslaught of sleet, they were not able to create any more serious chances. Nevertheless, coach Sulewski was proud: “I take my hat off to my team for their performance because we stood up to Bochum for over 90 minutes.”

BVB women: Schröer – Klemann, Jung, Rechenbach, Glänzer – Becker (Rogge-Herper, 82) – Lau (Bedarf, 57), Zabell, Grothe, Kuhl (Hentrich, 82) – Reinhardt

Goals: 1-0 Reinhardt (10), 2-0 Zabell (22), 2-1 Angrick (54), 2-2 Gier (55), 2-3 Streller (62)

(df)