#Denmark women fc

[artfromfootball]

Sofie Lundgaard

We’re all with you Sof- I’ll miss you but speedy recovery!! YWNA❤️❤️

[paulamdm]

Their love 💖💕💘💞💓💗

[pernillecfcw]

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[gurxreiten]

[b14augrana]

Scrubber

Your first time with the national team, hoping you’ll find yourself being of importance to the team with your Vidić-reminiscent play style

Barça Femeni x teen!reader

pt. 6 masterlist

Warnings: the rfef ⚠️⚠️, a teeny bit of badly translated spanish and like one sentence of catalan, angst if u squint 🙂‍↕️

A/N: our scrubber is back 🥳🥳! this part is longer than usual, i hope you enjoy 💝

You couldn’t remember anything between landing in Denmark and waking up in your hotel room. You were still in the clothes you had travelled in, and neither Irene or Alexia were in the room… until the door opened and both of them were.

“(Y/N), get up, we’re going to breakfast,” Irene said, yanking the covers off. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, adjusting to the light beginning to peek into your room as Irene pulled up the blinds before her and Alexia left the room and left you to get ready.

It’s like you were on autopilot the whole time as you got into your Spain training kit and took the elevator down to the cafeteria. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened into the hotel’s foyer, it was easy to tell where the cafeteria was because of the voices you could hear.

Tentatively, you stepped into the room. Your eyes scanned every table for any sign of your Barça teammates, the only people you wanted to see right now amongst the abundance of other women that were now your new teammates.

When you saw Aitana and Irene’s heads amidst the crowd, your muscles relaxed with relief, and you made your way over to them swiftly.

“Buenos días,” you mumbled, sitting down beside Aitana, yawning as you cracked your neck. “Buenos días, (Y/N),” the brunette replied, smiling at you.

The room was packed with women, all wearing the same training gear as you. Some of them you recognised from times you versed then with your club; Laia Codina from Arsenal, Alba Redondo from Levante, Laia Aleixandri from Manchester City… and some Madridistas.

One thing about you was, you were passionate about Barça. In your eyes there was no ‘best club in the world’ debate, let alone best club in Spain — that title immediately went to Barça.

You were a Barça fan before you were a player, hence why you have always been well-versed in the club’s history, and therefore the history of the rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

You had bad experiences with Madridistas. El Clásicos were already competitive matches (for one side, at least), so you didn’t really like the way you were almost seemingly targeted by your rivals, due to your age. Irene and Mapi were never pelted by so many balls and forced into so many one-on-one duels.

Even though you were more than capable of crunching them, it exhausted you. You woke up the next morning with bruises you didn’t know had formed and grazes in odd spots that made you wonder what kind of tackles you were performing to get them in such areas.

The wingers gave you the most problems. They constantly cut into the middle, choosing to take you on. Part of you couldn’t blame them because you wouldn’t want to take on Lucy, Ona or Frido either, but what the hell?

The room was definitely not devoid of Madridistas. You could see Misa, their goalie, sitting with Alexandria. There was another face you recognised from those El Clásico matches, but it was a vague remembrance that made you think long and hard to remember the name. You only remembered her nickname within your Barça teammates; la hija de Frido.

Whatever. You’d figure it out later.

“Are you going to eat anything, nenita?” Irene asked from across the table, and you nodded hesitantly.

Leaning over, you whispered, “Can you come with me? Please?”

She nodded with a smile, standing up. “Aita, come with us. We’re going to get some food.”

You were always grateful for your Barça family. They’ve always been your big sisters, people you can trust and find comfort in, your second family.

(Except, they were basically your first family.)

You were more grateful for them than ever today, because this Spain camp was intimidating and scary, you knew nobody except your club teammates and you were pretty much lost.

All you wanted to do was cling onto Irene or Alexia or Aitana the entire day and never leave their side. Even as you were getting food and piling breakfast onto your plate, you stuck to Irene like glue.

With your plate in hand, you walked cautiously to balance all the food and prevent it dropping. You found yourself feeling way hungrier than normal, and you blamed it on the nerves as you placed your food onto the table.

"Irene, watch my food please," you said once she returned to the table with her own breakfast, "I'm going to get a drink."

"That's a lot of food, but I'll look after it anyways," the woman laughed, sitting down and dragging your plate beside hers. You returned to the buffet table and as you were debating on making yourself a cup of tea or just having a glass of ice water, another woman approached you from the side, bumping your shoulder.

Your lip subconsciously curled up, your nose scrunching. Your head snapped sideways to look at whoever it was that just bumped you, and a dirty blonde-brownish ponytail swished in your face.

It was the girl whose name you didn’t know, the Madridista. She was putting a couple slices of toast onto her plate, and it seemed like she hadn’t even realised she bumped you.

But it didn’t make sense. It was a solid shove which definitely wasn’t accidental..

Grabbing a glass from the collection on the table, you walked past her slowly, waiting for the perfect moment. As she placed her plate down and picked up a spoon to load some strawberries onto it, you took an extra step closer to her and shoved her shoulder with yours.

The strawberries she had picked up on the spoon all dropped back into the container upon the impact. You hurried over to the water jug to pour some into your glass, not looking at her for a moment despite being able to feel her cold glare on you.

Your shove was a bit harder than hers had initially been, but that was because you were bigger and probably stronger.

You returned to your table quickly, and Irene pushed your plate back towards you before you had even sat down.

“Who’s that girl, over there?” you asked Aitana and Irene, discreetly gesturing to the table behind you where she sat.

“You mean Misa?” Aitana questioned, and you shook your head. “No, the other one, the one she’s talking to.”

“Ohhh, that’s Athenea,” Aitana replied, and the name was suddenly very familiar to you. You had vivid memories of her getting sat by Frido during multiple Clásicos, and it was apparent that Aitana was reminiscing about the same events due to the laugh she was trying to suppress while talking about Athenea.

“She just bumped me off,” you explained, and Aitana’s eyes widened. “Did she apologise?”

You shook your head, giving her a shrug in return, “No. I couldn’t help myself and shoved her back, but I seriously didn’t mean to do it as hard as I did,” you responded, sighing.

Aitana rubbed your back and smiled, “Don’t worry about it, just eat. You need energy for training.”

As you put a piece of waffle into your mouth, you tried to recount all the interactions you’ve had with Athenea — there was the time you two-footed her out of nowhere when she managed to get past Irene, the time you had an aerial duel with her and she headed your shoulder instead of the ball, the time she lost the ball to you and it resulted in a goal…

You also remembered her unnecessary physicality when you didn’t have the ball, the snarky remarks she’d make to her teammates about you and your own teammates, and other coarse behaviour she displayed throughout each Clásico.

You went to stab another piece of your waffle until you realised you had eaten it all, along with the hash browns, fruits, toast and scrambled eggs.

Irene and Aitana had also finished their breakfast, and while Irene took a sip of her coffee, Aitana did the same with her orange juice.

“Vale,” Irene spoke, placing her coffee down, “Preparémosnos para entrenar.”

You were nervous for training. You weren’t sure if they’d be like Barça in terms of utilising your skills; would they be accepting of your play style or completely discard it, forcing you to play differently?

Your play style was an important part of you as a player, but also you as a person. It was the manifestation of your passion for Barça and the pride you felt whenever you got to wear the blaugrana.

It was also an ode to your idol who demonstrated what it means to give your all for the badge. Without your play style, you’re nothing.

It was the only thing you could think of as you strolled to the training pitch, boots in hand. You deliberately waited for everyone else to leave so you could loom behind them, and you planned to keep it that way until you found someone you properly knew.

Captain Irene was occupied with talking to some other players and Alexia was nowhere to be seen, but luckily Aitana was stretching by herself on the side. There was also Cata, but she was in the goal, getting warmed up by Salma.

You almost sprinted to Aitana, relieved that you didn’t have to spend another second wandering around aimlessly.

“Aita," you said, dropping your boots on the ground before sitting down, shaking your slides off and loosening the laces of your boots.

She got up from her lunge position and smiled, "Hola. Where's Ale?"

You shrugged and returned to trying to get your boot on. "Stupid sock boots..." you grunted, the elastic sock snapping against your ankle, making you wince.

“Why are you on your own?” you asked her, tying the laces of your boots as you watched her extend her leg outwards and reach over to touch her toes.

“I thought you’d want to be without the others for a bit,” Aitana responded simply. She was right — it was a huge relief to find her amongst all the clusters of people.

You missed Frido. You missed Mapi and Patri and Pina. You missed Barcelona.

You wished you could skip straight to playing football without having to introduce yourself to anyone or learn their ways. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.

“I’m scared, Aita. What if they think I’m too physical, or I don’t play– ‘Spanish’ enough?” you ranted, folding your arms across your body.

Aitana sat back up, letting go of her foot to cross her legs as she gazed at you and began to speak.

“Pequeñita, if you’re worried about fitting in, don’t be,” she started, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“You were there at the back when we needed you the most as our last-ditch defender, our last hope. If you weren’t so physical and dedicated to defending and not ‘Spanish enough’, we wouldn’t have a Champions League.”

You were born and raised in Spain, you knew Barcelona like the back of your hand and you spoke both languages. You were Spanish through and through, despite living in France for a couple odd years. You were Spanish. It was your idolisation of a non-Spanish, non-La Liga player that set you apart from the others.

You were about to respond, but your words were cut short by a tap on your shoulder. You glanced up, expecting to see Alexia, but it was Irene standing behind you.

“(Y/N), officials of the federation want to meet you,” she said in a low voice. You caught on to the way she glanced around, making sure nobody was around to hear.

Your eyes narrowed while Aitana’s widened, and you looked at Irene with an expression of uncertainty. “Do I have to go?”

You didn’t necessarily want to go, but you knew you weren’t left with much of a choice, and Irene’s nod confirmed that for you. You sighed, getting up from the grass and brushing off your shorts.

“Thank you, Aita,” you said, referring to the talk you two had earlier. She smiled and reached her hand out to squeeze yours gently, and you returned the gesture with a small smile of your own. “I’ll tell you everything!”

You left your gear in the care of Aitana as you and Irene made your way to the head office. You were nervous and a bit scared of what was about to happen, because the personal stories you’ve heard about the federation haven’t been good ones. Nonetheless, you walked beside Irene and waited in front of the mahogany wood door as she knocked on it, and it opened to reveal about three officials sitting around a table.

Your skin felt hot and feverish as you stepped over the threshold. The amount of eyes on you was unsettling, and if Irene wasn’t beside you, the feeling of discomfort blooming in your stomach would be way stronger.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N)?” the man at the door asked, and you nodded nervously. Your eyes flickered up to Irene whose jaw was set, her cold glare fixed on the man as he spoke to you, “Please, sit.”

You slowly walked to the nearest seat and sunk into it. Irene did the same, pulling out a seat beside you and crossing her arms across her chest.

A man across the table began to speak once you two had taken your seats, “(Y/N), we’ve been very eager to meet you ever since your debut in Liga F.”

You clenched your jaw, unsure of where this conversation was going. You simply nodded, trying to hold your tongue and refrain from speaking for as long as possible.

“You’re very talented, especially given your age. Barça’s prodigy, the new stargirl…” he continued.

Leaning across the table, he spoke, “I’ve never seen a player that plays like you, especially in Spain. Have you always played for Barça, or wanted to?”

Your answer came without any hesitation. “Barça is my home. I am Barça through and through, forever. I’m just inspired by someone else whose passion aligns with mine.”

“You’re different. I’ve seen your play style, and it goes hand in hand with fearlessness and elegance. That’s why we called you up because after one of our best defenders withdrew from the squad… we haven’t been the same.”

You didn’t need a rocket scientist to figure out who he was referring to. Your hands gripped the armrests of your seat as you responded, “I can’t replace the likes of Mapi.”

You were already sick and tired of this conversation. The mention of Mapi unsettled you all over again, because you knew that something happened between her and these very same officials that led to her withdrawing from representing her nation, and you didn’t want to be in the company of the people that forced her to feel such a way and make that decision.

“We’re working on fostering a healthy environment at our camps–”

Irene stood up, her chair scraping across the floor with an unpleasant noise that grabbed everyone’s attention. “Work harder. I don’t want anyone playing another season under poor leadership,” she snapped. Her arm shot down to yours, tugging you up gently. Her tone was everything but gentle.

“My player needs to get back to training. We’re done here.”

You were eternally grateful for Irene. You got to your feet and quickly exited the room, aware of her storming out and slamming the door behind you two.

“The federation has lacked a ‘healthy environment’ for a while,” Irene frowned, slowing down in pace and breaking into more of a stroll.

“Don’t let their shitty leadership make you feel bad about this opportunity. Just like everyone else, you’re here to play football and win the Olympics. Forget the federation.”

It was easier said than done — both of you knew that — but neither of you said anything about it as you walked back to the pitch.

When you entered into the grassy clearing, Aitana and Alexia were nearby practicing their headers. They stopped when they noticed you and Irene, and they quickly came over to you guys.

“What happened?” Aitana asked, her expression slightly concerned, much like Alexia’s. You told them about everything that happened in the meeting (with some help from Irene), and at the end of your explanation, the two Spaniards didn’t look any less concerned.

“We’re praying the new coach and president do something to change the culture in the federation,” Alexia finally said, and you sighed. “Let’s hope so.”

“La hija de Frido is staring,” you grumbled, earning a laugh from Aitana who glanced in her direction. Indeed, Athenea was looking at your group with a firm glare, her Real Madrid teammate on the side trying to grab her attention.

“What’s wrong with her? Did something happen?” Alexia asked, and you shrugged. “She doesn’t like me that much, I think. Maybe because, y’know, she’s not exactly a challenge for me to defend…” you said with a nervous smile. Aitana’s laughter only increased, and a smile appeared on Alexia’s face.

“Barça es la millor!” she cheered happily, embracing you in a side hug.

[meazalykov]

invisible string theory

lena oberdorf x uswnt!lyon!reader

part one - part two - part three

summary: you're with her now, but you've known of her for longer than that.

warnings: long chapter since I have to split this up into three parts, changing things that happened irl just a tiny bit for the plot of this, google translated language.

the pathway of your career was never simple, or original. 

growing up in the states, you participated in many youth programs. sacrificing a chance at a normal childhood, you took the chance to fulfill your 5-year-old self's dream. 

before you know it, you’d grow up to be the best teenager in the country– in terms of soccer. 

just before going into high-school, you were called up for the usynt for the first time. your parents wanted to see you happy, so you were sent into homeschooling. 

it wasn’t easy leaving public-school. you barely had time for your non-soccer playing friends and eventually– you seemed to forget about them. your friends and teammates on your club and national teams were your new priority. 

breaking records on the national level, it seemed like the youth team was too easy for you. 

and then 2018 came along, when you were 16 years ol–  

well, not yet. just a day before your 16th birthday, in January 2018, you were having your debut on the uswnt. 

against denmark, you were thrown into the game in the 50th minute, not long after halftime. being an attacking midfielder, you were expected to contribute to any attack or opportunity given for you. 

playing with the current world champions intimidated you. your new mentor, christen press, noticed this when your leg and foot tapped against the grass as the both of you waited to get subbed in. 

“hey! you gotta relax.” christen whispers over the crowd, her tone stricter than usual which causes your leg to stop tapping.

a goal came from mallory pugh that same second, so you were distracted for a few seconds celebrating. 

luckily, this gave you enough time to take deep breaths.. something your sports therapist recommended for situations like this. 

“i will, sorry.” you quickly spoke after, moving your tongue to press on the inside of your cheek. you didn’t notice how nervous you could’ve looked from the outside. 

“you don’t need to apologize, you’ll do great i promise!” she patted your upper back a few times before the ref blew the whistle for the subs. 

after the whistle blew in the 93rd minute, you breathed a huge sigh of relief. most of your older teammates ran to your side to congratulate your contributions to the 5-1 win. 

1 goal and one assist on your senior team debut didn’t happen to players everyday, especially to newly 16 year olds.  

a year later, after 16 more caps, happy tears ran out of your eyes when your coach, jill, called you. 

this wasn’t too long after you made your professional club debut for sky blue fc, or what is now referred to as gotham fc. jill let you know that you were going to the world cup!

now being 17 years old, you were the youngest person on the uswnt roster to play in the women's world cup ever. 

being referred to as “baby blue” by the rest of the team, due to your age and the club you play for, they all made an effort to make sure that you had the best experience for your first world cup. 

you attached yourself to christen, megan, alex and tobin when it came down to needing mentors to guide you in france– and your closest friends mallory, tierna, and rose. 

in the football world, you’re treated like an adult. something you struggled with. 

your parents, siblings, and other relatives came to france to support you on your journey– but due to the everyday training (twice a day), media days, strict meal plans, and mental stress before the tournament– you couldn’t see them at all. 

thankfully, they were able to see you along with the rest of the world during the group stages. 

against thailand, you scored a goal with three assists after you were substituted in the 60th minute. the 13-0 win gave you a rush that would last throughout the entire tournament.

you didn’t play against chile, or sweden. sitting on the bench and observing your team was enough for you though– they’ll call you whenever they need you. 

one moment throughout the tournament, there was a four day break between the group stages and the round of 16. 

adidas, the brand you chose to sign for, wanted to do a photoshoot with many internationals who signed their brand. the world cup is the only chance they’ll be able to do this collaboration– and with fifa's approval– over 20 players from different countries are there in a big conference room, ready to get their picture taken. 

standing in the red uswnt kit, you felt intimidated– unaware that you could’ve been the most intimidating. 

unfortunately for you, lindsey and you were the only americans at this photoshoot. you attached yourself to the blonde before she was pulled away by staff. this left you alone sitting on a random chair– at a random table. 

(i know giulia gwinn is signed for nike, but pretend she is signed to adidas for the plot)

“um– hey?” a girl your age– or maybe a bit older– with blonde hair stands in front of you with a confused, yet amused, expression. 

your eyebrows knit together as you respond back with a smile, “hi!” 

before the blonde could say anything, you turn your head to see a table card in the middle of the circle table. its labeled under germany so your eyes widened before you quickly stood up from your chair. 

“oh my goodness i’m sorry– i just found a random seat to sit in because i’m bored.” you talk a bit more than necessary, afraid that you did something disrespectful.

“its totally okay– i’ve been wandering around myself– i’m giulia!” she reaches her hand out, her german accent strong. 

you reach your hand out to meet hers, “i’m y/n. i’m with the us team.” 

giulia smiles, “i know– its hard to not notice the current world champs in the room.” 

you smile, your social anxiety fades as you engage in a conversation with the german footballer. 

“so when are you getting your pictures done?” giulia asks, wanting to continue the conversation with you. 

“oh i had my individuals and duo pictures with horan done earlier– i’m just waiting for the big group photo we have to take in–” you check your apple watch, “20 minutes.” 

“oh same!” giulia says, looking down at your apple watch too, seeing that it's 11:40am. 

“congratulations on getting on top of group B, i watched a little bit of the game during my lunch break yesterday!” you compliment as you cross your arms naturally. 

“thank you! it wasn’t easy.” giulia smiles.

“i feel you.” you relate. 

before you could talk to giulia more, another girl jogs up towards the two of you. 

she is wearing the same german kit as giulia, so you know she is her national teammate. she's taller than you, brunette, and you figure that she has short hair, since her hair was tied up in a small bun. 

the brunette looked very cute, but you brushed that thought aside. you have no idea what her name is and you need to put all of your focus on the world cup. 

“Da bist du ja! Ich habe dich gesucht, aber ich sehe, du hast einen neuen Freund gefunden.“ (There you are! I've been looking for you, but I see you've found a new friend.) the brunette nudges giulia’s shoulder, looking at her before looking at you with curiousity. 

“relax! this is y/n.” giulia waves her hand towards you. 

“hey.” is all you say, smiling at the cute girl. 

“hey.” she responds, smiling with the same cheeky smile you had. 

“wer ist das? sie ist süß” (who is that? she is cute) the brunette says to giulia. you didn’t understand german, but you could tell that she was asking a question through the tone of her voice.

giulia rolls her eyes before giggling, 

“this is y/n, like i told you. she plays for the united states.” giulia responds in english, which you’re grateful for. the girl looked you up and down for a few seconds before talking to giulia in german again.

over giulia’s shoulder, just 20 feet behind her, you see horan waving her hand for you to come to her. you look back at the german girls, hating to cut them off from their conversation. 

“sorry girls but i have to go. it was so nice meeting you giulia!” you quickly hug giulia, and she hugs you back tightly before you walk away. 

ten days later-- when jill called for you to warm up in the final against the netherlands, your legs felt like pencil lead that could’ve snapped in half. 

in the 75th minute, the united states were up by 2. however, the euro champions against you had a point to prove. they weren’t going to let themselves lose the world cup without a fight. 

tobin heath got injured during the semi-finals and doctors made it clear that she couldn’t play the full 90 minutes in the final, so jill made the last decision to call you up. 

every commentator on broadcasts, radio stations, and television networks were wondering why jill was putting you– a seventeen year old with no world cup experience– over people like carli lloyd who's on the bench.

you couldn’t make a single mistake on the pitch. your mind repeated that sentence back to you as you warmed up with sprints and stretches on the sidelines. 

five minutes go by and you’re on the pitch. focusing on the ball, you made beautiful passes to the forwards and midfielders around you.

when your eyes were on the ball, it was distracting from the neverending stadium around you. 

blocking out the noise of the crowd and the pressure of the moment, the 83rd minute comes along. krieger pushes the ball away from a dutch forward and launches the ball in the air towards rose lavelle, the girl who scored the second goal moments before. 

rose, being closed in by dutch defenders, passed the ball behind her to kelley o’hara. kelley saw you were free and there was open space between you and her, so she launched the ball towards you. 

this was your chance. usually, you never tried to seek personal glory. however, something changed when that ball hit your ivory colored cleat.

your feet take the ball towards the goal. veenendaal, the dutch goalkeeper, sets herself up in a ready position as she sees her defenders failing to take the ball from you. 

as you race closer to the goal, the crowd gets louder. the orange defenders close in but you dribble around them effortlessly, a skill uswnt fans love seeing from your younger self. 

an oranje defender hit your body from the left side but it was too late. your foot was angled on the left side of the ball, making the outside of your right foot clear to launch a powerful shot at the goal. 

veenendaal dived a second too late, the ball hit the lower corner of the net, going in for the third goal of the world cup final. 

you didn’t take a moment to process your thoughts before you lifted yourself off of the grass and sprinted towards the corner of the pitch, the same corner megan raphinoe celebrated the first goal at an hour before. 

your hands were spread out wide as tears threatened to pour out of your eyes in joy. the look of happiness that you’ve never felt until now. 

“Y/N L/N THE YOUNGEST GOALSCORER IN A WORLD CUP FINAL!!” commentators screamed on television broadcasts as your teammates, both on and off of the pitch, ran to you and squeezed your adrenaline filled body. 

one month later, you’re back home in new york city. the rush of winning the world cup is still fresh– along with your popularity in the community skyrocketing due to your amazing world cup campaign. 

you missed france already-- a little too much. the bond you’ve had with your uswnt teammates there was indescribable. 

the world cup distracted you from your unfortunate situation at gotham fc too. 

you’re an amazing player and the world cup showed the world that, but your coach at gotham seemed to have an agenda against you. 

at first, you didn’t think so. you arrived at gotham six months ago and started for the first few games in the NWSL season, but it seems like the coach forgot about you after. 

the defensive style of the squad is something you didn’t prefer as well. your play style fit well with an attacking style of play, but your coach didn’t want that. 

after being benched for the big game against san diego wave, you had enough. 

your agent and yourself filled a request in to transfer clubs or go on loan. 

luckily for you, many clubs all over the world wanted the best U17 player. 

when lyon came knocking on your door, you were happy to accept a year long loan deal. 

at first, moving across the atlantic scared you. your older sister, whos much older than you, agreed to live with you until you’re eighteen that january, but you’ll be far away. 

however, lyon is the best club in the world. you would never say no simply because you were “a little uncomfortable” with the move. oh well, football comes with uncomfortable events.  

the uncomfortable events paid off well, since you're a starter for the champions league final against wolfsburg.

twenty minutes in, and you nearly had an opportunity to have the first goal of the final.

the ball was at lucy bronze's feet. you were free to accept her pass and did so. before you could pass the ball up to sommer-- Alex popp knocked you from behind and you were on the grass.

you were okay, and you got up fine afterwards. in fact-- you felt like that knock helped your nerves from playing your first champion's league final at the age of 18.

minutes later, sakina had the ball which prompted you to push forward. ingrid engen from wolfsburg kept her eyes on you, since she knows how fast and precise you were with the ball.

sakina tried to pass the ball up to kumagai, but pernille harder takes the ball. luckily, you were able to side tackle the ball from her. she fell, but you were at the ball so no yellow card was needed.

the noise around you were coaches yelling and players shouting at others in many languages. french, german, swedish, dutch, you name it.

its 2020, and there was no crowd due to covid. the empty chairs made it easy for your voice to echo.

you were close to being fluent in french after living in lyon for the last year, and having sakina and selma as your closest friends, so you opted to yell out to your teammates in that language instead of english--where the whole pitch might understand you.

renard had the ball with no wolfsburg player coming at her, so she took her time deciding on who to pass the ball to.

her pass to buchanan was clean, but svenja huth takes the ball from lucy as she runs to the middle.

svenja tries to pass the ball but it goes back to the defender in navy blue, renard.

the tall defender launches the ball at you running towards the right side. cascarino and you swap places as your feet quickly get inside of the box with the ball.

your left foot shoots the ball but the ball hits off of repohl-- wolfsburg's goalkeeper's, foot. the ball bounces towards le sommer, who shot the ball into the goal at the 25th minute.

le sommer high-fived you and hugged you as you both ran back into your positions. all season at lyon, you've had the highest number of assist-- and the third highest amount of goals.

the french club hopes to buy you from gotham, if there is no issue. your contract does say that there is no buy option involved, but they hope to try.

in the 44th minute, everyone was struggling to get their feet onto the ball. you were standing directly in the middle outside of the box when the ball was bounced back to you.

your left foot, your non-dominant one, launches the ball into the goal at a lightening speed. ingrid and alex popp didn't have the chance to stop you before your teammates screamed in celebration.

"when it fell-- it fell kindly for the american international who scores the second goal for lyon." a commentator speaks to the television audience as you ran to hug majri.

before the end of halftime, as you're ready to head back out onto the pitch, you frowned in realization.

after this fun season, you'll head back to the united states with a coach who wants nothing to do with you. you tried to stay optimistic and think about everything after the final is over, but the end of the season is in 45 minutes plus extra time.

"y/n bébé, garde la tête haute, tu as déjà marqué" (y/n baby, keep your head up, you've already scored) cascarino says as she places her hands on your shoulders. you relax into her hands as your head turns to face her stressed facial expression.

"ce n'est pas ça, je ne veux juste pas te quitter après ça" (that's not it, i just don't want to leave you after this) you whisper. your head leans back onto cascarino's head as she sighs.

"garde espoir, Lyon est content de t'avoir ici. Peut-être trouveront-ils un arrangement avec ton club d'origine" (keep hope, Lyon is happy to have you here. Maybe they will find an arrangement with your original club) cascarino whispers before you both jog out to the pitch.

"maybe.." you whisper to yourself after cascarino jogs away from you.

nothing much happened after halftime started, until alex popp scores a header. you weren't too afraid, since lyon are still up by one, but it's anyones game with thirty minutes left.

subs were made in the sixty-first minute for wolfsburg, so you stand beside cascarino to talk to her. as you look ahead at ewa leaving the pitch, you spot a familiar face entering.

the girl with a determined look jog onto the pitch, and you continue to look at her as she scans around the field. your mind itches, you know you've seen this girl somewhere before.

as she turns around with her back from you, you see 5 oberdorf.

again, you have no idea on who she is. you haven't played against wolfsburg until now, so maybe you played against her national team before? you had no idea.

wolfsburg had more possession this time around. you made a few tackles and won a few duals, but the german club was hungry to score an equalizer.

lucy got the ball away from pernille and passed the ball up to you.

you ran with the ball up the field. you dribbled around ingrid and alex popp effortlessly and your next move was to pass up to le sommer who was free.

all you heard was sakina yell "derrière toi!" (behind you) before you saw someone's leg coming from under you. your first reaction was to jump as the persons leg tripped you onto the grass.

your arms stopped your head from hitting the ground, but you turned to see that it was "oberdorf" who side tackled you.

"that should've been a yellow." you groaned to yourself as you stood up and wiped the grass stains off of your navy blue shorts.

"it was all ball, so no." oberdorf said back. your head quickly turned to her as she smirked at you.

so she's german.. hm. you thought as you recongized the accent.

a few minutes later, as lucy was preparing to throw the ball in-- oberdorf marked you as she stood beside you, not giving you a chance to escape her defense.

"get off of me!" you quietly said when she tried to hold your arm.

"lena, mark her!" ingrid yelled out as you quickly moved back to where lucy might throw.

you were sweaty at this point, but not too tired. a goal before halftime was what you needed to recharge your motivation and energy.

"you aren't getting another goal passed me." oberdorf says quickly. you shake your head as you look at her. the audacity.

"who are you talking to?" you snap.

"you." she smirked.

"well, oberdorf-- if you look at the scoreboard, you guys need another goal to equal us." you say as you both push back with bouhaddi, lyon's goalkeeper, was ready to hit the ball up the pitch.

"my name is lena." she scoffs as you went to saying her last name instead of her first.

"well, lena. its nice to meet you." you look ahead to see bouhaddi's kick.

the ball goes up to cascarino who heads the ball over to kumagai. you ran closer to offer help away from popp, but lena is chasing you.

the japanese decided to kick it back to renard so you move back to your natural spot. oberdorf follows you since she is assigned to mark you.

"what do you mean its nice to meet me? you met me last year." the german comments.

your mind seems to ease at this, you know that you've met her somewhere, and its fortunate that lena knows.

after a few minutes, you couldn't respond to her since the game is heating up. lucy cleared the ball out a few times, which caused a bunch of throw ins to occur.

fridolina rolfo almost scored after kicking from outside of the box, but the ball came straight to you. your body turned quickly, so her shot deflected off of your back and away from a chance of goal.

"where did we meet?" you ask as you end up near her again, waiting to defend the ball away from a free kick for wolfsburg by their goal.

"the adidas photoshoot during the world cup." she quietly says.

your conversations were quiet, since the empty stadium could echo your voice loudly if you were loudly talking.

the free kick was cleared by renard, but being on wolfsburg side of the pitch made you concerned. if lyon kept this up, wolfsburg might equalize.

luckily, in the 87th minute, lyon had a corner kick.

the kick was taken and it landed at your foot. you shot the ball towards the left side of the goal but it deflected off of janssen's foot.

the deflected landed on the back foot of gunnarsdottir and landed in the goal for the third goal of the final.

the group hug was filled with shouts that echoed throughout the stadium. after hugging dottir, cascarino and sakina patted your back as they jumped up and down around you.

"three goal contributions! you are insane." sakina says with her strong French accent, you smile as the end of the game is nearing. wolfsburg will have to pull of a miracle to beat lyon now.

in the last minute of extra time, oberdorf had you marked again. remembering what she said earlier, you smirked as you looked at her tense body position.

"I might've not scored against you, but I did get another assist." you say.

lena looked towards you with a straight face before responding, "ha ha" sarcastically.

when the whistle blows, you run to selma bacha who was on the line ready to be subbed in. she held you tightly as you repeatedly yelled, "we did it! we did it!"

after ellie carpenter hugged you for your one goal and two assists, you saw lena pulling pernille into a quick side hug.

saying that you didn't look at lena differently than all of the other girls would've been a lie. you found her attractive, and you know she knows she's attractive. that smirk wasn't fooling anyone.

"hey, great game lena." you said as you quickly hugged her. playing all 90 minutes made you tired, but you were okay since you're a champion's league winner.

she hugged you back. not to be weird, but you liked the way she smelled.

"thank you. can I have your shirt later?" she asks. you smirk at the idea of her wanting to swap jerseys with you.

"sure, as long as I can have yours." your eyebrows knitted together as you put your hands on her shoulders. lena smiled through her sad eyes and nodded her head at you.

part two here

<3

[alexbkrieger13]

New interview with P I think 🤔

https://x.com/fcmidtjylland/status/1827964562643022255

Pernille Harder: FC Midtjylland Women's football is important, and that makes me happy

Pernille Harder, who plays for FC Bayern München on a daily basis, is from Tulstrup near Ikast, and she previously trained at FC Midtjylland. Now the world star talks about his career.

The article you can read here was part of Saturday's match program at the MCH Arena. In the second magazine of the season, we zoomed in on FC Midtjylland Women's Football on the occasion of the team playing its first ever home match at the weekend.

Pernille Harder has tried almost everything worth trying in women's football. She has won championships, cup titles, participated in Champions League finals, an EC final as captain for Denmark, and in addition she has won an award for best female soccer player in the world.

She is among the greatest in women's football, and she was born in Tulstrup by Ikast. She therefore also has a local connection to the region. For those reasons, she also sees it as an important step that FC Midtjylland has now established a women's team.

- I think it is important. In general, I think it is important that the biggest clubs in Denmark also have a women's team, and FCM is one of them. I also have an attachment to Central Jutland, and therefore it makes me happy that it has finally arrived. I may have missed a bit of involvement in women's football in the region, which is why it makes me so happy, as it gives the young girls in the region some good opportunities, believes the star player.

She says that the establishment of FC Midtjylland Women's Football can pave the way for the great talents in the region, and she sees this positively, as it was not as easy for her as a youngster.

- It was a challenge for me. It was not a given where I would play, and there was generally not much focus on it. I traveled to Aarhus every day to train, but it was not an optimal professional setup. I had to take a lot of responsibility myself, and I had to find out myself how I could get better and find the people who could make me better, remembers Pernille Harder.

However, it was not only in Aarhus that Pernille Harder trained in her young years. She was also part of FC Midtjylland.

- I had to fight to be allowed to train with the boys in the club as the only girl, and that gave me a lot, so I trained next to the setup in Aarhus, says the national team captain.

Despite the less than professional conditions, it was never an option for Pernille Harder to give up.

- I had a dream, and that's why I didn't give up. While I was in high school, it was just about developing as best as possible, and then my thought was that I just had to go to another country and play as soon as possible, so that I could get the right training and development, explains Bayern Munich - the player who moved to Sweden at a young age.

Equal opportunities are important

The undertakings in Pernille Harder's career did not come about by themselves, and she explains that the biggest challenges she had in breaking through was to develop well enough on her own, as she herself had to take matters into her own hands, contrary to the situation today, where there are far more well-equipped setups – also in women's football.

Therefore, her advice to today's female talents is also clear.

- I would advise the young girls to be curious about how to improve. Both in relation to football matters, but also in relation to creating a good environment around you, where you can make use of the people around you, states Pernille Harder.

The narrow eye of the needle that Pernille Harder broke through has meant that it now has a special meaning for her to stand up for women's football.

- For me, it is important that everyone has the same opportunities to be successful in what they do. Women's football, perhaps especially in Denmark, has not always had the prerequisites where everyone had equal opportunities to realize their potential, so it is definitely something I am passionate about. That is why it is also great to see the development that is happening now, points out the world star.

Pernille Harder today turns out for Germany's Bayern Munich, to whom she switched in the summer of 2023. The article continues below the picture.

The new development means a lot to Pernille Harder, and she believes that it will mean a lot to Danish women's football.

- I think that these initiatives within women's football, where the biggest clubs on the men's side get a women's team, can help make the Danish female footballers even better, and in this way we can perhaps get an even better national team that can perform for Denmark in the big tournaments, says the offensive player.

- My hope is that you go all-in. That you invest in it and that you go into it to develop Danish women's football. In this way, you get the best conditions for the girls.

- When I played at Chelsea, I noticed that they put a lot of effort into equalizing the teams, and they invested an incredible amount in the women's team. We felt that we were treated with great respect. I think it's a really good way to do it, to treat the two teams equally on several points, states Pernille Harder.

A full trophy cabinet and individual prizes

Pernille Harder has not only experienced adversity in her career, which has resulted in 18 trophies in addition to many individual awards, including twice as Europe's best female soccer player and seven times as Denmark's best female soccer player.

- It is clearly the titles that have given rise to the greatest experiences in my career. In addition, the final rounds with the national team have been something very special - especially in 2017, when we were in the EC final. That feeling when hard work throughout an entire season results in a gold medal is the coolest feeling, says Pernille Harder.

In 2016, as a mere 23-year-old, Pernille Harder was awarded the captaincy of the Danish national team, and this position in particular is something quite special for her.

- I think I got it then because I was a bit the star of the team, and the coach probably saw leadership potential in me. As I have grown older and gained more experience, however, I have developed a lot in relation to being a good leader. Today it is probably due to both, as I have acquired some good leadership skills.

Despite the fact that 31-year-old Pernille Harder has achieved almost everything, she continues to enjoy living from what she loves.

- I guess the only title I'm missing is the Champions League, and that would be great, but it's not like the career stands and falls with it. Now I just enjoy playing a lot of football, that I have a few years left and that I have achieved so much. However, this does not mean that I have finished striving for success, as it is still what drives me, concludes Pernille Harder, who has played over 150 international matches.

[aus-wnt]

CommBank Matildas’ defenders Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey will be unavailable for this weekend’s upcoming match against Canada in Marbella, Spain.

Australia will host world number eight Canada on Saturday, 13 July 2024 (local) at 9.00pm CEST in their final hit out before the Paris 2024™ Olympic Games.

Catley will continue to rehabilitate following a lower leg injury sustained prior to arriving in Australia’s extended training camp last week.

Torpey sustained a lower leg injury and was placed on the unavailable list for San Diego Wave’s National Women’s Soccer League match against the Portland Thorns on 6 July.

Both players will remain with the squad in the extended training camp during their rehabilitation.

Defender Winonah Heatley has been called up as an additional training player for the July FIFA Women’s International Window. The 23-year-old enters the camp off the back of a strong season in Denmark.

The FC Nordsjælland captain helped her side to their first Elitedivisionen title, scoring a decisive goal in the final match of the season to clinch the league. Days later Heatley completed the double as FC Nordsjælland lifted the Danish Cup to claim a historic feat.

Following this match against Canada, Australia’s Olympic Squad – led by captain Steph Catley – will relocate to Marseille, France ahead of their opening match against Germany on 25 July 2024.

[thearktikcircle]

About Me:

Hi, I’m an Ashkenazi Jew from Orange County, CA. Born and raised ☀️🍊🌊🤙🏄‍♀️🛹🎢. The home of Diane Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steve Martin, and Austin Butler. My Mom is an Ashkenazi Jew and my BioDad is not Jewish of Mixed European Heritage (Italian, French, English, Scottish, German, and Irish). I was raised Jewish, had a Bat Mitzvah, but I “celebrate” Christmas and Easter.

Pronouns: They/She (Demigirl Femme Lesbian).

Sexuality: Lesbian Monogamous Asexual. I love women (cis and trans) and sapphic aligned nonbinary folks. I have tried to like men (cis and trans), but I don't. It feels forced, empty, hollow, and wrong to the very core of my being. I want to marry a woman or sapphic enby and start a family with her/them. I can be friends with guys, as long as they accept that I will never want to be with them. TERFs, SWERFs, biphobes, and transphobes don't belong in Sapphic spaces. As long as dudes (cis and trans) on this website respect my boundaries you can interact with me. If you cross them once, I will block you. Refer to Things I Don't Like. As a trans person myself, I will stand with trans guys as a fellow trans person. However, trans men are men and I don't like Men. Just remember that and we're good.

Age: 28

Things I Like: Art of All Kinds, Travel (I’ve been to 11 States and 14 Countries), Eating Foods from Around the World, Learning About Other Cultures (16 Years of Studying other Cultures), Hockey (Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins), Soccer (Borussia Dortmund, SSC Napoli, Liverpool FC, Orange County SC), Being From California (West Coast Best Coast), Being Jewish (I’m religious and believe in G-d), Predicting Geopolitical Trends, and Family/Friends.

Things I Don’t Like: Bigots and Extremists, also Onions and Dried Fruit. Jackson Pollock, he was a shitty guy and a shitty artist. This is coming from a person who absolutely loves Abstract Expressionism. Men (Cis and Binary Trans) flirting with me. Any unsolicited sexual messages from anyone.

I’m a Socialist Pacifist Zionist who supports a Two State Solution 🇮🇱🤝🏽🇵🇸. If you have a problem with that, block me. I believe we can coexist and get along. I don’t like extremists from both sides. I'm also against the Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. True peace can only exist when we recognize the Humanity of the Other. As a Jew, Palestinians are my cousins. We are family and I see your pain as my own.

Definition of Zionism: The right of Jews to Self Determination in our Ancestral Homeland.

Also Magneto from the X-Men was right.

Send me a message, I’m always open to making new friends 👋

Header by me. It’s a photo I took while visiting Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pfp by me. It’s a picture of my little brother’s dog. His name is Bandit, but I call him Bandito the Burrito.

[chelseafcwmemes]

https://avisendanmark.dk/sport/lysten-til-et-nyt-eventyr-og-tysk-disciplin-lokkede-harder-til-bayern

I assume most of you won’t have access. So while I can still use this magic trick, here’s the translated version

The desire for a new adventure and German discipline lured Harder to Bayern

Pernille Harder is leaving Chelsea this summer to return to German football. This time for Bayern Munich, where she hopes to complete the trophy list. Pernille Harder is one of the world's very best soccer players, and there isn't a major European club that wouldn't want to have her on the team card. Her presence alone seems to guarantee championships. She has won the national championship eight years in a row in three different countries. In mid-May, she announced that it was time for a new adventure after three years at Chelsea.

- I think it's exciting to enter new cultures and new clubs and to be in the phase where you join a new team and have to get to know a lot of new people and become part of a new culture, says Harder about the decision.

Several sports managers in the world's top clubs have undoubtedly stuck out a feeler. But what new adventure did Harder want after spending time in Sweden, Germany and England? Try the southern sun and crowded stands in Spain or Italy? The big teams PSG or Lyon in France? Or maybe the US? None of the parts. Together with his Swedish teammate and girlfriend Magdalena Eriksson, Harder signed a contract with the newly crowned German champions from Bayern Munich.

- I feel comfortable in Germany. Everyone works hard for the team, and you arrive on time. There is that "ordnung muss sein" approach and you are like a family on the team. It's cool, I think, says the Danish star striker.

Bayern Munich does not have a great history in the women's Champions League, but in recent years the team has played its way up to the top of Europe. The quarter-finals were the final stop in the last Champions Leauge season, but for the second time in three years they brought home the German championship in front of Pernille Harder's former club Wolfsburg. Bayern are currently fifth in the European rankings, and ambitions are high in the German club. Otherwise, the urge for German discipline would not have been enough to lure Harder back to the Danish neighbor to the south.

- There is no doubt that I want to play in the Champions League. I want to be in the tournament, and when I am in the tournament, I will do everything to win it, says Harder.

Three times she has been in the final, twice with Wolfsburg and once with Chelsea, but each time she has had to watch the opponents lift the trophy under the rain of confetti. Although Bayern beat eventual winners FC Barcelona last season, there are a small handful of teams who are still considered heavy favorites to triumph in the tournament. But that may very well change in the coming years, believes 30-year-old Harder, who has signed a contract with the southern Germans for the next three seasons.

- The club's goal is to win the league and the cup tournament and also get up to where you can win the Champions League. That is the goal for the future, says Harder.

These days she is gathered with the rest of the national team in Herning ahead of the WC finals in Australia and New Zealand, which begin on 20 July. On July 5, Denmark plays a test match against Spain in Gladsaxe, while the first match for Harder and co. at the WC will be July 22 against China. Then England and Haiti await in the group.

[pernillemagda]

Finally managed to translate the full thing😅

1:30 - In 1971 when Denmark won the unofficial WWC the Danish commentator asked "Is there still anyone who dares to say something downgrading about women's football. Pernille "Yes, unfortunately. But luckily less and less in the past years, and when she hears it, she often just ignores them as she won't use her time on negativity.

4:30 - A typical day in camp is breakfast, training, sometimes media, treatment, some social activities and then early in bed (at least most of them she says)

5:00 - She "fears" most playing against England, and don't know what to expect from China and Haiti

6:00 - He believes Denmark can get out of the group but will meet a hard opponent. He thinks Pernille will be a key player. Pernille herself says the team will be disappointed if they don't get out of the group

8:00 - She thinks she's fit enough to play a full 90 minutes, and if she's tired after 80, she will still play the last ten (said with a smile)

9:00 - Talks about her injury and how she dealt with it mentally, ex. meditation but nothing knew

11:40 - Already when she laid in the dressing room, she knew it was a long injury

14:30 - Fun fact, she both played with Barbies and was a "tomboy"

14:50 - Talks about her short hair

15:00 - She knew very early that she was better than the others and talked about her essay. When she started to get on region teams and U-National teams she started to believe she really could go far.

16:50 - She's asked if it's only talented or also hard work. She thinks it's a mix of both and doesn't think anyone can be the best in the world if it's only talent.

17:15 - Henrik Lindinger talks about Pernille and how she's a "complete player" and how opponents have wanted pictures with her and everyone know who she is no matter where in the world she have played

19:30 - When she was 15-16 years, her big goal was to come to Germany to play which she would achieve through Sweden

20:30 - Talks about how it's nice to see different cultures and how to adapt to different team cultures

21:10 - The Bayern coach days he sees Pernille as a 9/10 which she agreed with

21:20 - Plays a clip from when she wins Danish player of the year 2015 and she says she won't be satisfied before she have won best in the world 5 times in a row. It wasn't a real goal but a meteor for achieving her full potential and be the best she can be.

23:30 - Talks about all the sacrifices she have to make when moving out from Denmark and generally be a football player.

23:50 - Her family is good to support her and visit her often, so she sees them a lot.

24:20 - Talks about a "package-deal". They never officially said they only would go together but i ly had said to their agents they would like to sign for the same club but it wasn't a demand. But she's really happy that a club like Bayern can use both of them

25:40 - We apparently got 2 times unofficial world cup Champions. The first time wasn't with a national team and Denmark didn't have any, instead a club called "FC femina" and the year after, we had a real national team who also won the WWC

26:00 - Plays a clip from the match and interviews with the former captain

27:00 - She think it's interesting to listen to the old sound files with the national team in the seventies and that they, when she was born, 20 years later, still wasn't public known.

NEW PART ADDED

28:50 - One of Pernille's goals was to make women's football more visible, she thinks she has achieved it partly, and Henrik Lindinger.

30:00 - Pernille's debutant match wasn't sent live, it got broadcaster later instead. It wasn't. until the semifinal 2013 it was broadcasted

31:00 - How was it to score a hattrick in your debutant match? Pernille: I was really nervous before the game, so after the game with a hattrick i was okay satisfied.

32:00 - Talks about the new fan club which she's very grateful for

33:50 - She's asked if she's an ambassador for women's football, and as humble as she is, she answers she is in Denmark, the host then adds she's also out of Denmark. Pernille says she's very grateful for her fans and she tries after a match to give back some of her time in the form of pictures and photographs for all the hours the fans use.

35:00 - A small feature from Helle Thorning Schmidt (Former prime Minister in Denmark) on Pernille's bravery to be herself and say her opinions

36:40 - The women got 1 million less than the men for reaching the final in 2017 compared to the men's euro in Russia. The women got 82.000 DKK. And Pernille's answer is clear NO it's not fair.

37:30 - She thinks it's hard to demand the same salary as the men, but at least the training facilities could be the same she thinks.

39:00 - Last season the average salary in the best women's League in England was 417.000 DKK and in the premiere League its 73 million DKK (174xthe women's yearly salary)

40:00 - Talk about the missed world cup in 2019 and the cancelled match against Sweden. She hadn't thought it would go that far so DBU would cancel a match for "as little as they asked for"

43:00 - Henrik Lindinger talks again about how Pernille had used her voice and how she after "the famous kiss" realized she had a platform. Pernille don't add something new about it

44:30 - It was after the kiss they both realized the platform they had as many people wrote to them how much it meant to them. She also adds about the Hangout

47:00 - Talks about how it's "normal" to come out as a women but not as a man

50:00 - she's asked what she wants to do after her football career, she has started to think about it as she's getting "older" and it should definitely still include football but she doesn't exactly know what it should be yet

50:45 - Clip with Junge. She says Pernille is a very down-to-earth person and not someone who has to be centre of attention

52:00 - After her career, she will not only think back on her football career but also her friendships around the world and how people see her as a person. She gets touched by Junge's words but as she's from Jutland (known for not showing emotions) she says she's not while smiling)

54:00 - She choose the ending song - Lykkeli with "I follow rivers"

[gwendolynlerman]

Deutschribing Germany

Sports

Germany ranks fourth in the Olympic Games medal count, having won 922 medals in both Summer and Winter Olympic Games since 1896. The country has hosted international sports events such as the 1936 and 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin and Munich, the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cup. It will host the UEFA Euro 2024.

Soccer

Soccer is the most popular sport in Germany. The Bundesliga (“federal league”) is the top professional soccer league. Clubs such as FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig, SV Werder Bremen, and VfB Stuttgart take part in it. The most successful team is Bayern Munich, having won thirty-two Bundesliga titles.

The German men’s national soccer team won the Olympic Games in 1976, the World Cup in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014 and the UEFA Euro in 1972, 1980, and 1996. The women’s national team is also a world power, having won the Olympic Games in 2016, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003 and 2007 and the UEFA Women’s Euro in 1989, 1995, and 2001, making Germany the only country to have won both the men’s and women’s World Cup and European titles.

Handball

Germany, together with Denmark, is regarded as the birthplace of handball, as the first match took place in Berlin. The men’s national team has won the Olympic Games once, the IHF Wold Men’s Handball Championship three times, and the EHF Euro twice. The most successful team in the Handball-Bundesliga is THW Kiel.

Basketball

The most successful clubs in the Basketball-Bundesliga are Alba Berlin, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Brose Bamberg, and USC Heidelberg. Notable German basketball players include Dirk Nowitzki, Elias Harris, Linda Frölich, Shawn Bradley, and Tim Ohlbrecht.

The German men’s national basketball team has won only one international gold medal at the 1993 Eurobasket, as well as one silver and two bronze medals. The women’s national team has won only one medal in international competitions, a bronze one at the 1997 Eurobasket.

Ice hockey

Germany has hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships seven times and the Ice Hockey European Championships four times. The men’s national team has never won an international competition, but has won seven silver medals, and is ranked seventh in the world.

Motorsports

Germany is one of the leading motorsports countries, having manufactured countless race winning cars. Notable Formula One champions include Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Sebastian Vettel.

The country hosts the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a sports car racing series based in Germany, with rounds in other European countries. Since 1995, only German car brands are allowed to compete.

Winter sports

Germany is also very successful in winter sports, being the only country in the world to have four bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks. It has won more medals in bobsledding than any other country in the world, if those won by East and West Germany are included.

The country also dominates biathlon, luge, and skeleton thanks to athletes such as Sven Fischer and Uschi Disl in biathlon, Felix Loch and Natalie Geiseberger in luge, and Anja Huber and Kerstin Jürgens in skeleton.

Notable skiers include Tobias Angerer in cross-country skiing, Martin Schmitt in ski jumping, Eric Frenzel in Nordic combined, and Katja Seizinger in alpine skiing. Claudia Pechstein is renowned in speed skating and Katarina Witt in figure skating. 

Tennis

The two most successful German tennis players of all time are Boris Becker and Steffi Graf. The former won six Grand Slam titles, and the latter won twenty-two, becoming the only tennis player to win all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Cycling

Jan Ullrich is one of the greatest riders, together with Tony Martin in individual time trial races and André Greipel among road sprinters. Germany has hosted the start of the Tour de France four times.

[pernillecfcw]

Thank you P for what you’ve done for the club 💙 gonna miss seeing you in blue and such an unbelievable player 👏🏼🥹

[andiessoccerblog]

Group D Breakdown

Expected to move on: England, Denmark

Expected to exit in group stage: China, Haiti

England

FIFA Ranking: 4

Reputation:

England is my favorite to win the World Cup. In 2022 they won the European Womens’ championship, cementing their position as a possible winner of the 2023 World Cup. Despite a few major injuries, the Lionesses are in fine form, and have a really solid core group of women with a good mix of veterans and young (but not inexperienced) talent. Their players mostly play at home in the FAWSL, possibly the best women's league in the world. The FAWSL also attracts international talents, so many of these players are already playing with and against their competitors, learning their styles and skills. Their coach Sarina Wiegman has a great record with England, and with the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup where they made the final. 

Player Pool:

There are a couple veterans that deserve a call out, like defender Lucy Bronzeand midfielder Jordan Nobbs, but the energy and heart that makes this England squad different from past rosters comes in a group of younger players. Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, and Chloe Kelly will be playing in their first World Cup, and have been in outstanding form for their English clubs and at the international level. 

2019 WWC performance:

England did well in group play, led in scoring by Ellen White, who really came into her own this World Cup. They notably defeated previous runner up, Japan. They had perhaps the easiest path to the semifinals, taking on Cameroon and Norway. England was unlucky to come up against the USA in the semifinals instead of the finals, but they followed up their loss to the USA with a loss to Sweden, unlike 2015.

China

FIFA Ranking: 14

Reputation:

China used to be really good. Asia Games champions a couple times, deep runs into World Cups and olympics, but no Gold Medals.In the past, they have recruited top basketball, track, and volleyball players to play soccer in order to be faster and taller than their opponents. It’s an interesting strategy that hasn’t...not...worked. But it hasn’t really worked, either. They are showing an international comeback, including beating South Korea  in the 2022 Asian Cup Finals. They have kept up with teams close to them in rankings, but will struggle against any team in the top 10. 

Player Pool:

All of the players on the team except one  play in China, a league that I do not follow, but one player does play in the USA for Racing Louisville FC, Wang Shuang. Their team looks very different than the squad that represented China in 2019, so standout players are generally unpredictable. I would expect veteran forward Wang Shanshan and defender Lou Jiahui to feature in starting lineups.

2019 WWC performance:

China didn’t play horribly, but they weren’t the team seen in previous years either. They sneaked into the group stage after a loss to Germany by salvaging a tie against Spain. They were eliminated by dark horse Italy in the round of sixteen. In total, they only scored 1 goal in all four games, which means their defense maintained two shutouts and limited opponents’ goals quite well. 

Denmark

FIFA Ranking: 18

Reputation: 

If any group has the potential for a ranking upset, it is this one. Denmark, although ranked below China, has been testing their mettle against all of Europe, and have shown themselves to be a worthy inclusion to the World Cup. It is not their first, in fact it is their fourth World Cup, even though they haven’t qualified since 2007. They have been on the edge of qualifying for World Cups in the past couple years, and  now the expanded field of teams has allowed them back in the cloche, and I don’t see them wasting their opportunity. 

Player Pool:

The Denmark roster boasts players across all of the major leagues in Europe–England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden. Captain Pernille Harder plays for Chelsea FC, one of the best of the best clubs in the world, and is the top all-time goalscorer in Danish football history. Forwards Mille Gejl Jensen and Rikke Madsen have found success at their American club, North Carolina Courage, in the 2023 summer season, which likely helped them onto the roster. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did not qualify

Haiti

FIFA Ranking: 55

Reputation: 

Haiti has never played in a world tournament, and their narrow qualification was a very proud moment for the entire country, and for the larger CONCACAF region. They will probably struggle against the other teams in their group, but it will be valuable experience for the players going forward.

Player Pool:

Melchie Dumorney, midfielder, won the CONCACAF qualifying young player of the tournament, and scored the two decisive goals against Chile to qualify for the World Cup. There are a few players that play college soccer in the USA, but the majority of them play for smaller clubs in France, which does give them experience playing european-style soccer.

2019 WWC performance:

Did not qualify

[liv-lawani]

About the Muse + the Blog

Writer: Alex/Lex (she/her); 29; EST

Muse: Liv (Olivia) Lawani (she/her); 35; model/fashion designer

FC: Deepika Padukone

Associated Personal Blog: moonstonewrites.tumblr.com

Rules:

Will not write: smut (I will only do fade to black), rape/dubcon, incest/stepcest, extreme violence/gore, self-harm, daddy/mommy kinks, major age gaps.

Will not interact with krps, celebrity rps/celebrity muses.

Will not write with muns or muses under 25. Do not lie. I will block you.

Multi-shipping is accepted.

Will utilize trigger warnings and content warnings as follows: “trigger tw” and will tag for violence, blood, gore, abuse.

Aesthetic for Liv

The pulse of the runway under a precarious heel, the constant flash of lights, all eyes on you but the smiles are fake, clothes hangers being pushed on racks, fabric swatches strewn across an office desk, a hand on the small of your back, a lioness baring her teeth

General Summary

The young family breadwinner existing within an exploitative industry -- what could possibly go wrong? Just about everything. She refused to be silenced but paid the price over and over again. She's a mother outside of the limelight and plans to keep it that way. She will do anything and everything to make sure her daughter has the safety she lost even if it came at the expense of great loves.

Full Biography

TW: exploitative modeling industry, stalking, blackmailing, coercion

Before Olivia Lawani entered the modeling industry, she was a normal girl living in Denmark. Her family, like many, lived paycheck to paycheck, but they were happy and close and that's all a child ever really needs.

It wasn't until Liv turned fourteen that she went from ordinary to something else. She hesitates to say "extraordinary," to her the "extraordinary" are a myth surrounded by luck and a team. And yet, she was one of the unicorns -- discovered at the mall booth she worked at selling hair styling tools on the weekend.

Most people hear that story and assume it was smooth sailing from there, but it was anything but easy. Just like all the other hopefuls, Liv was subjected to countless adults taking her body measurements and lining her up in an almost conveyor belt fashion with other young girls and women to take headshots.

She eventually wound up signed to her first management company, and then she moved to Copenhagen where she lived with ten other girls in a cramped apartment. They became friends because they were all each other had, but the underlying competition was heavy in the air.

Contrary to popular opinion, Liv was not a millionaire or a runway legend overnight. For the first couple of months, Liv was shuttled around the city with her roommates to countless go-sees. Most of the time, she wound up back in the van, waiting for a handful of the others to emerge shy with their new successes. The rest of them did their best not to turn green with envy as their bank accounts crept closer and closer to single digits at the end of the month.

She was just about to give up, modeling was a lonely business that eroded her self esteem, when she finally landed a print campaign. Ironically, it was for hair products.

The success of that first campaign helped develop her portfolio. She then found herself in front of the camera for other commercials, but it wasn't until a popular singer casted her in a music video that some of the world's high-end designers paid attention.

What Liv lacked in the typical "look," she more than made up for with her walk. Hailed as the new generation's Yasmeen Ghauri, Liv made the transition from print to runway at fast speeds.

It was here where things really took a turn. It's no surprise that young models struggle in an oversaturated industry. There's always another young, pretty, talented girl to take your spot. It's no surprise that many girls fall victim to a life of parties and older suitors who pay for their meals, their drugs, and their lifestyles.

Liv expected to leave that behind once she made it, but if anything, it became even worse. She was now expected to book shows on a regular basis. There was always a fashion week somewhere and it hadn't taken long for Liv to become the main financial support for her family. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, her parents could afford a home and better schools for her younger siblings.

Yet, she was constantly on flights, missing meals during grueling hours, and trying to stay awake back stage. Then, with fame came the cameras and the lights, and the constant hands pawing at her. Managers, paparazzi, bodyguards, and strangers who thought they knew her.

She always noticed the way some managers treated her friends like live-in girlfriends. She also noticed her friends who numbed themselves to the various abuses. Yet, they all begged her to be quiet, and much to her shame she did.

So, when Liv first met her own stalker backstage, her sense of self preservation was dull. She fawned and kept her distance, and when security hauled him off she thought that would be it.

It wasn't, though. She started to notice his face in crowds in front of hotels and brand events. Then, he broke into her home. After him came another one, and another one.

By the time Liv turned 25 she was burnt out, but she never complained. Her family was doing so well. She was doing so well. Yet, the industry was eating her alive, from the outside-in.

Liv always noticed the predators within the industry, but somehow she managed to avoid direct contact with most of them until she didn't. It started when her manager retired. Her new manager was a little too friendly, but he was shark. Liv, like many of the other models, weighed the costs and the benefits. It wasn't until her new manager tried to corner her at an afterparty, hands clawing at her skirt, that something snapped.

She refused to fall in line. She was blacklisted alongside a handful of others and with that came a string of losses. The worst was the lack of security.

She started to notice cars tailing her more and more. With every email that came in asking for her to tell her story, more threatening letters piled up at the door. Then, they started to trail after her family.

So, Liv made the decision to hide for awhile. She was only 29. She could start over.

She went to the French country side to spend time at a guest home of a dear friend, of one Henri Fortier. It was a wonderful summer. One filled with fine wine, jazz music, and a beautiful love that finally had the chance to blossom.

As summer turned to autumn and then to winter, her hiding place was uncovered. Liv made the mistake of thinking she could leave it all behind, but even her escape had its demons.

Her pregnancy was unexpected. What was more unexpected was Xavier Fortier and the demons he unleashed. He explained it had to do with her fame, but really it was because her fame was out of his control and that made her dangerous. Fame he couldn't control meant eyes looking too closely at his rot.

He gave her an ultimatum. Leave or he would expose her location and without her security team she would be completely exposed.

Liv ran once again. This time vowing to rely on no one ever again. She changed her name, and disappeared to a different countryside. Safer waters. She gave birth to her daughter -- Anaya. It's been five years and as the tides change, Xavier Fortier has passed away, she's found herself pulled back to the shore.

[alexbkrieger13]

German media loves writing about P

https://www.sportschau.de/fussball/frauen-nationalmannschaft/gegner-daenemark-im-fokus-100.html

Pernille Harder and her special drive

There was a lot of recognition when Britta Carlson spoke about the first task in the newly created Nations League for the German footballers. The fact that the DFB women first face Denmark (Friday at 6 p.m./live on ARD and in the Sportschau live stream ) is a “nice challenge ,” said the interim head coach.By 

Frank Hellmann

" Denmark is a top opponent: a robust, defensively strong team, but also with qualities on the offensive." And "Pernille Harder certainly stands out as a top player. "

From her many years as an assistant at VfL Wolfsburg, Carlson of course knows best what Harder in particular embodies on a good day: world class. The star striker, who has been under contract with FC Bayern since this summer, claims the ball just as smoothly and elegantly. Hardly anyone in the penalty area has such instinct and such precise finishing.

The special connection to the venue Viborg

The fact that this international match is taking place in Viborg reminds the 30-year-old of her beginnings as a footballer; for her this is now a special home game: the Danish captain comes from the small Danish town of Ikast. At the age of ten, Pernille Harder came to the Midtjylland Youth Academy with her sister Louise - as the only two girls. "My sister was invited, and basically I wanted to do it because my sister did it. I've always looked up to her."

It soon became clear that she had even more talent. She played for Team Viborg for three years before moving to IK Skovbakken in 2010 at the age of 17. Two years later she went to the Swedish club Linköpings FC, where she was already scoring goals on the assembly line. At the end of 2016 she moved to VfL Wolfsburg because the current women's football director, Ralf Kellermann, had been following her career for a long time.

Pernille Harder: To England as Germany's Footballer of the Year

The commitment was worth it, because with Harder the factory club won the double four times in a row, only narrowly failing in the Champions League final twice before Harder moved to Chelsea as Germany's female footballer of the year three years ago. Until then, she had made the difference for the “she-wolves” often enough.

"Even when she's at less than 100 percent, you feel her presence. When you need that one moment to make the difference, she's the player to do it, no matter what condition she's in," said her former coach Stephan Lerch , who now trains TSG Hoffenheim.

The Dane was also held in high esteem in England, as Chelsea's charismatic team boss Emma Hayes revealed, who greatly regretted her departure to Munich: "She is one of the most eccentric characters I have ever coached. I will miss her eccentricity, no question, hers Attention to detail, their thirst for victories. "

At the World Cup, Denmark lost to Australia in the round of 16

This only became visible again at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Denmark had prevailed in the group with England, China and Haiti when they entered the atmospheric round of 16 against hosts Australia in the huge Australia Stadium in Sydney. In the end, after the deserved 2-0 defeat, no one seemed as disappointed as the Danish captain, who embarrassed the “Matildas” several times in the early stages.

But at some point it seemed as if Harder was fighting against elimination on his own. Their disappointment was palpable, but superstar Sam Kerr, with whom Harder had played at Chelsea, provided consolation. Her move to Munich together with her partner Magdalena Eriksson had already been confirmed since last year. An exclamation mark also for the women's Bundesliga, which is struggling for international attention.

Bayern's sports director Bianca Rech tried early on to get the two top players Harder and Eriksson free of charge. The fact that the coup worked reveals a lot about the international ambitions on the Bayern campus. “These are two experienced personalities who help us a lot – on and off the pitch ,” praises Rech.

Whoever takes the Danish striker out of the game has gained a lot

Harder certainly brings with it a higher level of recognition and perhaps also a greater glamor factor. She is a big personality in Denmark, whose greatest success in the national team was certainly reaching the 2017 European Championship final against the Netherlands. Although the atmospheric final in Enschede was lost 4-2 against the “Oranje Leuwinnen”, who were then coached by Sarina Wiegman, the Danes had at least won 2-1 against Germany in the quarter-finals on the way there. Harder scored her 50th international goal in the tournament. It goes without saying that she has long been Denmark's record goalscorer, with 71 goals after 145 international matches.

And yet she often has to fight for support in the national team, where the Swede Andrée Jeglertz took over from Lars Søndergaard after the World Cup. Whoever takes Harder out of the game has already gained a lot. The DFB women turned the tables again in the first group game at the European Championships in England, and Germany carried the momentum from the 4-0 win against the team with no chance around the attacker who was withdrawn throughout the tournament. Carlson now expects a game on equal terms. Or as the 45-year-old said: “A nice challenge.”