The women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin have won their second match of the pre-season. Against the Bavarian Regionalliga side FFC Wacker München, Union came out with a resounding 5-0 victory at the Sportpark Aschheim. In addition to captain Lisa Heiseler (15.), three newcomers - Anna Weiß (25.), Anouk Blaschka (63.) and Sarah Abu Sabbah (64.) - also scored. Sophie wrapped things up in the 79th minute.

1. FC Union Berlin: Hornschuch (46. Wagner) - Weiß (74. K. Orschmann), K. Orschmann (46. Schindler), Schulz (46. Niesler), Metzker (74. Rurack) - Frank (46. Görsdorf), Lange (46. Kratz), Heiseler (46. Blaschka) - Youssef (46. Trojahn), Rurack (46. Abu Sabbah), Moraitou (75. Youssef)

FFC Wacker München: Anton (46. Stadler) - Schramm (46. Kolb), Schuster (46. Hesselbach), Ulreich (46. Schomber), Flötzner (77. Neubauer), Frech (46. Chuang), Schwennicke, Richter, Gkasimpagiazova, Lulaj, Schmidpeter (46. Gibson).

Goals: 1:0 Heiseler (15.), 2:0 Weiß (25.), 3:0 Blaschka (63.), 4:0 Abu Sabbah (64.), 5:0 Trojahn (79.)

Union dominate the first half

Union established themselves in the opponent's half right from the start, taking immediate control of the game. After eight minutes, Maria Christina Lange had the first shot on goal after a powerful run, but her attempt from the right-hand side of the box was deflected away for a corner by the opposing goalkeeper, Sofia Anton. She was brought into action again only two minutes later, this time reacting to stop Anna Weiß’s long range drive.

However, it did not take long for Union to take the lead. After a first-class ball from Lange out to the right, Weiß crossed into the penalty area, where Lisa Heiseler headed home from the penalty spot . The lead was well deserved at this point and Union were eager to add to their tally. In the 22nd minute, Lange, who was involved constantly in the midfield, sent Zita Rurack through. Rurack bore down on the Wacker goal, but put the ball just over the crossbar. After 25 minutes, the Union women were able to celebrate again following Heiseler’s havoc-causing corner kick into the six-yard box. The ball confounded the attentions of both attackers and defenders alike until it reached Weiß, who only had to stroke it home at the back post.  

Union were not only catching the eye through their link-up play and close, speedy combinations, but they also defended confidently and resolutely. The Bavarians weren’t granted a single shot on goal in the first half. Indeed, Union could have increased the score even further by the time the whistle blew. Athanasia Moraitou, for example, had a great chance in the 37th minute when she crossed for Nour Youssef and found herself free in the penalty area, but failed to beat the goalkeeper from inside the box. Four minutes later, they had another good opportunity, Moraitou setting the tone this time, crossing for Heiseler, but her close-range effort flew inches past the post. Rurack had the last shot of a confident first half, but her free-kick from just outside the box flew just wide.

Union up the score

Union’s head coach Ailien Poese made eight changes in the second half, though this was hardly noticeable to the casual observer, as her side continued from where they had set off. Moraitou set Sarah Abu Sabbah free five minutes after the break, hindered only by a brilliant save from Anton. Then, after an hour, it was again the two newcomers from SV Meppen who were causing havoc amongst the Wacker ranks. After a cross from Moraitou, Abu Sabbah found space in the six-yard box, but her attempt was blocked at the last moment. Two minutes later, however, the ball was finally in the net as a result of a neat counter-attack. Just after the hour Moraitou won the ball in the opponent's half and set Anouk Blaschka away with a spotless through ball; alone in front of the keeper, she finished with confident ease.

There was barely time to take breath; Union’s fourth goal followed just 16 seconds after that. A long clearance by Anna Weiß deflected off an opponent awkwardly, the skewed path of the ball finding its way somehow to Abu Sabbah,  alone in front of the goalkeeper, who she then rounded, slotting home from an acute angle.

The final goal was a reminder of the strengths that this Union side already had in their ranks before the wealth of new signings, a triumph of the old guard. In the 79th minute Lisa Görsdorf passed the ball to the 20-year-old Sophie Trojahn, who scored from the edge of the penalty area to make it 5-0. In the 83rd minute, Union almost made it half a dozen. A brilliant diagonal pass from Charleen Niesler reached Nour Youssef in the penalty area, who crossed for Blaschka, whose second goal was prevented only by a final strong reaction save from Anton.

The view on the game

"I'm really pleased,” said Union’s head coach, Ailien Poese after the final whistle. “We did a great job of implementing the things we talked about. We found creative solutions, we completely dominated the opponent and, above all, we brought a lot of intensity to the pitch over 90 minutes. The 5-0 result speaks for itself. In the first half, we could have even scored one or two more goals."

The outlook

Union’s next friendly will take place in just three days when, on Saturday, 29.07.2023 they meet 1. FC Nuremberg, who have just been promoted to the Bundesliga. Kick-off at the Sportpark Valznerweiher is at 13:00. The match will also mark the end of the week-long training camp in Aschheim and one day later, the team will return to Berlin-Köpenick.