A Long Week's Final Act
Union's Women Start in the Cup
1. FC Union Berlin’s women's team will be playing away at second division side 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Sunday, in the DFB Pokal. Union are looking to build on recent successes, having won twice on the bounce in the league. Kick-off at the Bruchweg Stadion is at 14:00.
The lie of the land
As a side promoted from the Regionalliga last season, 1. FSV Mainz 05, have already played in the Cup, facing fellow promoted team VfB Stuttgart in the newly introduced play-off round in August. In a replay of last year’s first round tie, which Mainz won 2-1, this time they ran out 2-0 winners.
As a Bundesliga club, Union only enter the competition in the first round proper. But they are currently on a bit of a roll, coming off the back of victories over SGS Essen (2-0) and FC Carl Zeiss Jena (2-1).
1. FSV Mainz 05 took over the women's teams of TSV Schott Mainz in 2023 and, at the second attempt, secured promotion from the Regionalliga Südwest to the 2. Bundesliga last season. Mainz had already won the championship a year earlier but failed to secure promotion in the play-off against VfL Bochum. The 05ers have made a relatively successful start to their first season in the second division, however. With seven points from five games, they are currently in sixth place. Last weekend, they suffered a 3-0 defeat at SG 99 Andernach, but a week earlier had won 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt II, Union’s nemesis last season. Two weeks ago, they drew 1-1 with FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin, Union’s city, and former Regionalliga rivals.
Mainz 05 reached the round of 16 in the Cup in the last two seasons. Last season, they even led 1-0 against VfL Wolfsburg until the 82nd minute, before the defending champions turned the game around in the final minutes to win 4-1.
The Mainz squad includes four players from Japan, with coach Takashi Yamashita, who has been in charge of the team since 2023, also hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun. By comparison, there are currently only three Japanese players under contract in the entire Bundesliga.
Union’s coaching team will have to do without the services of Jenny Hipp, Judith Steinert, Nele Bauereisen, Leonie Köster, Hannah Eurlings and Fatma Şakar in Mainz.
"In Mainz, we will face a very structured defensive team that, as a promoted team, are performing in the second division,” said Union head coach, Ailien Poese, ahead of Sunday’s tie. “In the first round, Mainz made their mark defensively, and with quick transitions. We want to build on our performance in the first half against Jena, be solid defensively and dangerous when we have the ball. We are travelling to Mainz with great anticipation and respect."
Tickets for the match are only available at the box office. Away fans will be seated in Block A.
