Union Women team start their series of test matches in preparation for the new season with a 2:1 away win against Pogon Szczecin. Dina Orschmann gives Union the lead in the first half. The hosts equalised in the 63rd minute, but Hannah Kratz scored the winner for Union shortly before the final whistle.

1. FC Union Berlin: Hornschuch (46. Wagner) - Weiss (46. Bach), K. Orschmann (70. Görsdorf), Niesler (70. Frank), Metzker (46. Moraitou) - Blaschka (46. Kratz), Frank (46. Becker), Görsdorf (46. Lange) – Youssef (46. Spolaczyk), Rurack (46. Abu Sabbah), D. Orschmann (70. Metzker)

Pogon Stettin: Sapor – Dyguś (46. Michalczyk), Zimoch (46. Bielecka), Bużan (46. Brzozowska), Radochońska (70. Dyguś) – Seybert (70. Siwek), Łaniewska (30. Litwiniec) – Garbowska (63. Szcześniak), Brodzik, Szcześniak (30. Kuśmierczyk) – Oleszkiewicz (63. Rybińska)

Goals: 1:0 D. Orschmann (33.), 1:1 Oleszkiewicz (63.), 2:1 Kratz (87.)

Union starts better

Women of 1. FC Union Berlin started the game well and put the Polish first division team under pressure early on. In the third minute of the game, Nour Youssef shot from the edge of the box and almost scored the first shot on goal. Shortly afterwards, the Polish women also came close to returnee Sarah Hornschuch's goal with a long-range shot from the second row. After ten minutes, head coach Ailien Poese's team increased the pressure on Pogon Szczecin's back line. Again and again, Union won the ball in the hosts' half. Today's captain Dina Orschmann hit the post after 15 minutes with a shot to the short corner and missed the first major opportunity. Five minutes later, Zita Rurack tried a pass from Pia Metzker from the angle and failed to beat goalkeeper Jagoda Sapor.

In the middle of the first half, a number of good opportunities followed. First Dina Orschmann failed to score after a strong pass from Anouk Blaschka, then Zita Rurack missed the lead with a header after a cross from Nour Youssef. In the 33rd minute, Lisa Görsdorf played a diagonal ball into the penalty area, Dina Orschmann beat her opponents and headed over the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.

After taking the lead, Union players went straight for the next goal. Rurack played into the path of Dina Orschmann, who was robust against her opponent, but then shot too centrally. A minute later, Katja Orschmann gave a strong pass, Nour Youssef laid off and Zita Rurack tested goalkeeper Sapor. Shortly before the break, Natalia Oleszkiewicz almost equalised: she scored from distance to make it 1-1, but the offside flag was raised, ending the celebrations. Thus, the Union women went into the half-time break with a deserved 1:0 lead.

Polish team improves in the second half

As usual in test matches, there was a lot of substitutions in the second half. Pogon got into the game much better and were able to break free from the Union's pressing more often. In the 48th minute, it looked like Union would make it 2-0 when Maria Cristina Lange passed to Sarah Abu Sabbah, who scored into the far corner. But again it was ruled offside. Pogon then had the control of the game without creating any great chances. The stronger second half was rewarded in the 63rd minute with a goal by Natalia Oleszkiewicz. The Polish striker hit an unstoppable shot into the corner over goalkeeper Melanie Wagner.

Twenty minutes before the end of the game, Ailien Poese made another substitution and replaced the last three starting players. Now Union could put more pressure and almost took the lead again in the 81st minute. Elisa Spolaczyk poked the ball into the goal after the Pogon goalkeeper had taken too much time. However, the referee ruled it a foul, much to the astonishment of the Union women. Three minutes before the final whistle, the reward for the committed final phase finally followed. Latoya Bach won the ball on the right wing and Pia Metzker's cross was initially cleared. From the second row, Hannah Kratz scored the 2-1 winner. Shortly before the final whistle, Abu Sabbah tried again with a shot from an acute angle after a dribble, but the goalkeeper was able to defuse it. A few seconds later, the referee brought the game to an end and the Iron Women won their first test match of the pre-season.

Opinions of the game

Head coach Ailien Poese found her team's first performance very convincing: "I'm totally thrilled, we implemented many things and we had a super intensity against a first division team from Poland. In the first half, we dominated the game and only allowed two chances. In the second half, we were able to solve a lot through the fight and my conclusion is simply positive. It was a really good performance."

Winning goal scorer Hannah Kratz was also pleased with her first game of the season: "It was super fun to play again." She described her goal as follows: "I was standing relatively alone behind the sixteen and nobody was attacking me. So I thought, take a shot, it was a bit bumpy, but the ball went in at the end. That was the main thing.

Next steps

Head coach Ailien Poese's team will travel to the training camp in Aschheim on Sunday. There, two test matches against FFC Wacker München and Bundesliga promoted 1. FC Nürnberg are scheduled. On 6 August 2023, Köpenick will host the 1st FFC Turbine Potsdam. The preparation will be concluded with the last friendly against Werder Bremen.