#alexandra popp

[totaly-obsessed]

Goal Celebrations Appreciation pt.2

Request a player | with @alotofpockets

[meazalykov]

one shot with one heart

lena oberdorf x uswnt!reader

summary: what if germany and the united states made it to the semi-finals of the 2023 world cup? how would the two lovers handle it?

disclaimer/warnings: guilt, longer fic, i took real life events from the uswnt vs sweden match, and mallory never got injured before the world cup in this fic.

to you, the stadium could’ve stretched for miles filled with red, white, and blue colors– also white, red, orange, and black colors. 

one of the semi-finals of the 2023 women's world cup came down to germany and the united states. the other game involves australia and spain. 

you didn’t care so much about the oceania country and spanish country going head-to-head. at least for now. the world cup has taken over your mind for the last few months.

back in your home in munich, you pushed yourself during your games in the bundesliga. you’ve been with bayern munich since 2021, after a transfer from manchester city. at first, it took some months for you to settle in a new place. you’ve been away from your hometown of washington dc for many years, so readjusting wasn’t new to you. 

then, you’ve made friends with your entire team. your closest friends being lea, sydney, and giulia– until georgia and sam tagged along in the later seasons. 

lea schuller, your bestest friend, threw a small gathering at her apartment on a winter night in 2022. at first, you didn’t want to go. you had many chores that needed to be finished in your apartment– laundry, dishes, vacuuming– you name it. however, you suffered from a tiny case of FOMO. you decided to go at the last minute. 

as you were walking into lea’s apartment, you saw two girls that you knew from wolfsburg. being the only non-german in the room you were surprised. lea introduced you to jule and lena– since you’ve never talked to them before. except for clashes during the rivalry games. 

lena and you hit it off right away. everyone noticed how neither of you could leave the other alone. a month after talking- which happened to be a week after your birthday– lena came to visit you from wolfsburg and asked you to be her girlfriend. you said yes– and you guys have been happy since. 

the long-distance between wolfsburg and munich hasn’t been as hard as you guys have suspected. you both hoped that you will be closer together someday. 

now the game between germany and the united states ended in a 3-3. lea scoring a brace and alex popp with a goal for germany— sophia smith, lynn williams, and you scoring one goal for the united states. 

the semi-finals needed a winner. so after no goals for both sides in extra time, the game came down to penalty kicks.

andi sullivan, number 17, takes the first shot in the penalty match. you look ahead, not wanting to blink in case you missed something big. 

she scores! you let your arms wrapped behind mallory and sophia go as you clapped in support. you didn’t want to celebrate too much, since this penalty match can go either way. 

you turn your head to see your bayern teammate, giulia, stand at the penalty spot. you swallow in nervousness as you hated to wish that she missed. 

giulia scores! you hear all of the german girls, just 20 feet to your left– support your club teammate as she runs back to her line with a light smile. 

you look down at the grass before seeing your national team captain, lindsey, go up to kick. 

in your heart, you knew that lindsey wouldn’t miss. after her swift kick, you clapped in support knowing that you were right. 

alexandra popp took a shot and didn’t miss, which caused your breathing to slow a tiny bit. you were nervous. even though you won the world cup at the age of 18 in 2019– you are ambitious and want your second by 22.

as kristie stepped up, you had a faint smile. the mewis sisters were the older sisters you wished you had as the older sibling of your own family. a small amount of hope shined through your fears as you saw the back of kristies head look forward at berger. 

kristie scores! you pump your fists into the air as she runs back to the run with you. this time, she high-fives your hands before falling back into line. now, she is beside you on your right– with mallory to your left side. 

you were distracted at the thought of kristies penalty kick– so your eyes widened when you saw your bestfriend at bayern– sydney– go and take the penalty shot next. again, you felt guilty about wanting her to miss the goal.

and then she did. sydney’s foot launched the ball far into the crowd which made you relieved. the germans in the crowd sigh as the americans cheered. in your heart, you wanted to comfort her– in your mind, you were relieved that she missed. 

mallory’s right arm slowly leaves your waist as she heads towards the penalty spot. she was next. 

“you got this swanson!” you yelled, hoping that she heard you over the loud crowd. she is one of your best friends on the national team and you knew a goal would lift her nervous spirit. 

she didn’t get it, she missed. your heart dropped to your stomach as mallory walked back into line beside you. the ball she kicked was successfully blocked by berger on the right corner.

klara, one of your bayern teammates you love, goes to take a penalty kick. she missed which caused the german crowd to sigh in disappointment. 

all of your fans, friends, and family knew that you weren't enjoying this. in fact, you would’ve preferred a 90 minute game with a clear winner over this climactic scene. 

lena’s parents saw you briefly before the semi-final game and wished you luck. they’ve looked and loved you like one of their own. obi’s mother saw the nervous look in your eyes and reminded you that they would still love you even if you beat germany. 

you have the same nervous eyes looking ahead at sophia smith going to take the penalty. your stomach turns and your eyes widen at the realization of her kick. 

if sophia scores, the uswnt goes to the world cup finals. the entire country is looking at sophia on their tv screens. you can’t imagine how that would feel on the girl who's months older than you. 

when the ball goes above the goalpost, you frown as sophia covers her face with her hands. at first, you thought she started crying. you weren’t too far off. sophia tried to cover her sad looks with a poker face that wasn’t working. 

after she got back in line– on the opposite side of mallory from you– you reached your arm from behind and patted on sophia’s back. you wished you could’ve done more in that moment. 

your heart beats hard as you look ahead at your lover jog to take the kick for germany. you find yourself glued to your spot, a knot of nervousness tightening in your stomach. 

you want to cheer for your girlfriend, to hope she scores, but the conflict within you is undeniable. a small part of your mind, the part driven by the fierce desire and competitiveness to see your team advance, wishes for her to miss. 

the guilt that accompanies that thought is overwhelming, making it hard to breathe. some of your teammates tilt their heads through the line to try and look at you– seeing a nervous and guilty look plastered on your face. 

kristie and mallory, standing beside you on both sides, notice your inner turmoil through your clenched jaw. 

kristie glances at you, her eyes filled with understanding. she knew the feeling after facing australia in the olympics against sam. however, she couldn’t imagine a scenario where penalty kicks were involved.  

she already had her arm wrapped around your back, so she takes her hand and squeezes your shoulder gently, a silent gesture of support that steadies you momentarily. you’re reminded that your teammates do acknowledge you and the significance of lena being on the opposite team from you. 

lena is your rival on the club level, but that is nothing compared to a world cup semi-final.

on the other side of your body, mallory does the same thing kristie did, her hand resting reassuringly on your lower back.

you stare at lena’s body the entire time, refusing to blink. lena takes a deep breath, and you do the same, feeling the tension grow tighter within you. 

obi steps forward, striking the ball cleanly. for a fleeting moment, you hope, and you fear— you feel everything all at once.

when the ball passes alyssa’s fingers, going into the back of the net– lena jumps and yells in celebration as she jogs back to her teammates. you look at her the entire time with a straight face, but your eyes showed your small happiness for her. 

you love her so much. seeing her happy makes you happy, even with these circumstances. 

alyssa removes herself from the goal-post line and goes to the penalty spot. the older woman told you about her love for taking penalties before. the woman in green gave you a sense of confidence. 

“come on alyssa!” you yell as your teammates yell in encouragement for her. 

as her shot sprints past ann’s fingers, going into the net, you pump your fists into the air knowing that you trusted your goalkeeper to score.

now the penalties are 4-3. this terrified you. 

on the lineup, you were the penalty kicker that went after alyssa. as an attacking midfielder, you were good at penalty kicks. if the next kicker, which looks to be svenja huth walking to the penalty spot, misses— the fate of the uswnt going to the world cup final depends on you. 

you silently curse at the scriptwriters who could make this shit up. y/n, the american girl who plays in a german club and has a bunch of friends on the german national team along with the love of her life, might have to crush their dreams of being in a world cup final.

svenja’s shot was blocked by alyssa. the ball slammed right into alyssa’s gloved fingers. your heart sunk to your stomach and suddenly, your legs felt like lead that could snap in one wrong move. 

the weight of the semi-final settles on your shoulders. it's your turn, and the realization hits you— if you score, the uswnt will advance to the world cup finals, possibly leading to their fifth win ever. 

your entire team on the pitch yells words of encouragement at you. 

“you got this, y/l/n!!!” you hear julie ertz’s voice. 

“we love you!” naomi gave you reassurance. 

all of your german teammates felt fear in their bodies as they saw you walk up to position the ball on the penalty spot. out of anyone that could take the deciding shot, they were shocked that it was you. you can handle pressure, but not as much as others can. 

lena swallowed on nothing as she stared at you, the same way you stared at her taking the shot. instead, she knows that you will win the game if you make the goal. 

she knows what's at stake, both for her team and for yours. the wolfsburg midfielder is questioning how you’re handling the pressure. the tension in the stadium is suffocating, and she can feel every heartbeat echoing in her chest. 

her teammates notice her tension, offering silent pats on the back the same way the uswnt did for you with her kick, but lena barely registers them.

she bites her lip, her hands clenched tightly together, her gaze fixed solely on you as if you were the only one in the stadium. 

the stadium is a cauldron of noise. the german supporters are trying to distract y/n while the american supports hold their breaths due to the intensity of the situation. 

you managed to block it all out, focusing on ann-katrin berger, germany's goalkeeper. her eyes lock onto yours as she gives you an intimidating look, a silent challenge passing between you.

"this could be it, folks. it all comes down to y/n l/n. one goal to send the united states to the world cup finals for the fifth time." a male commentator speaks to the tv audience, where millions of people have their eyes watching your every move.

"y/n has been phenomenal this tournament. her goal from outside the box earlier could be nominated for goal of the tournament, but can she handle this pressure? this is the moment where the legends are made." the female commentator speaks up alongside the man. 

“she was just 18 years old when she assisted rose lavelle’s goal in the last world cup final against the netherlands, she has the quality that can send the united states to another win.” the male commentator defends you. 

"that's true– but we know that ann-katrin berger has been solid for germany. will she rise to the occasion or will y/n find a way through?" the woman responds. 

the world seems to slow down as you take your steps back, your mind focused solely on the goal ahead. the stadium seems to stop as you begin your run-up, each step is measured, and your heart pounds in your chest.

“y/l/nnn!” the commentator drags your last name as your foot strikes the ball cleanly, watching as it sails toward the goal. 

ann dives, her fingers brushing the ball as it was stopped over the goal-line. from your eyes, it looks like the ball went over the line. however, you know you’re biased. 

your heart stops for a quick second—did she save it? the ball did hit the ground just behind the line, and the stadium erupts in a series of shock.

your shaky hands cover your dropped jaw as you stare at the ball that lays behind the net. 

ann and you run to the assistant ref who stands closeby, ready to protest your sides. 

"was it in? did it cross the line?" you begged through for shaky hands. your lungs force itself to take deep breaths as you felt tortured, 

"the referee is checking var now, wait!"

you stand frozen as your eyes couldn’t even blink, your heart in your throat. 

the referee waits for confirmation as her fingers hold onto her ear-piece, the seconds stretching into what feels like an eternity. 

the first thing you do is turn to look at your coach, who nods his head in support. he knew you made it, but the refs made the final call. 

suddenly, you look back to see the ref staring at you. at the same second she blows the whistle and points to the center circle—- FINAL GOAL! 

all of the nervousness in your body was replaced with an overwhelming rush of relief. your teammates on the pitch and benches sprint towards you in excitement after hearing the whistle. 

some of them tackle you to the ground and they all start a pile in excitement. their cheers echoing in your ears as they embrace you. all you could do was giggle and tear up in excitement, the nerves overwhelming your tired body.

on the other side of the pitch, the germans stand in shock–. their faces are a mix of shock and sorrow, the dream of reaching the world cup final snatched away in that single moment by their bestfriend and girlfriend for lena. 

your closest national teammates, trinity, tierna, and mallory, are the first to reach you after, their faces alight with joy. this is ten minutes after the VAR call, so you calmed down from the excitement that took over your body. 

they embrace you tightly in a group hug, shouting praises, songs and congratulations. 

as they pull back from your warm body, they notice the fake smile on your face. through your eyes they can see the guilt and sadness etched on your face. also, they reflected the inner turmoil you’re struggling to hide throughout this happy moment.

"y/n, we're going to the fuckinggggg final thanks to you!" trinity exclaims, hoping that she misunderstood the look on your face. her smile fades slightly as she sees your smile come and go in the same moment.

tierna places a comforting arm around your shoulder. "are you okay? you don't look happy for someone who just sent us to the world cup finals."

mallory, always perceptive, follows your gaze to the german benches, where lena sits in denial– beside laura freigang who has tears in her eyes. 

“you're sad about lena?"

you nod, your heart felt heavy. your national teammates knew how in love you were with lena. they’ve heard about her throughout your international breaks. there is never a day where you aren’t on facetime with lena when you’re back in the states for camp. they’ve met lena once and love how much you both care for each other. 

"i– i just know how much this meant to her— i feel like i just snatched something important from her." you say as your eyes wander around the german benches. you see many of your bayern teammates sad, you hope they didn’t hate you. 

 

“i’m scared too– you guys might be my teammates here but most of the girls over there are my club teammates in germany. I don't know what to do.” you confess.

the washington spirit forward pulls you into a side hug. "awhh sweetie it's okay to feel that way. your feelings are valid but thi is just the nature of the game. they all know that– lena understands that, even if it's hard for them right now."

you bite your nails out of bad habit as you stare at tierna’s cleats unintentionally, “i might give obi space for a few days– i don’t want to poke into the wound.” you mumble. 

"no no no! you need to go to her. lena needs you right now more than ever even if you think that she doesn’t. she loves you."

mallory nods her head in agreement after taking a sip from her water bottle. 

"obviously it's going to be tough for her to move on from this loss, but she knows you're not her enemy. she knows that you might feel guilty as much as she feels hurt. she needs her love right now, not her american opponent."

after a few more minutes of girl talk, your heart pounds as your feet carries you to the german benches, fear taking over your insides. 

what if she resents you for this? what if the loss drives a wedge between you?

you gripped onto your black windbreaker jacket as you step closer to the benches. before you could reach lena, you feel a tap on your shoulder. 

“good goal, y/n.” alexandra says. you pull her into a hug as you breathe deeply. she wasn’t your teammate at bayern, but she knows you due to lena. she is the captain so she knows how much importance you have in lena’s life– just as much as lena has in yours.

“thank you– i’m so sorry.” you mumble as you pull away from your body. 

“don’t apologize. you deserve the win.” alex gives you a faint smile and pats your back.  

“yeah but–” you cut yourself off as you turn your head to look at lena, who had her head in her hands. 

“obi needs you– go talk to her.” alex says before stepping away from you. 

you play with the zipper on your windbreaker as you approach your girlfriend. she sits on the bench and can’t see you with her hands on her eyes, so you kneel down to be eye-level with her. 

“obi baby..." you place your hands on her shoulders, rubbing them back and forth as you pull her attention.

in a quick motion, she reaches out and pulls you into a tight embrace, her body shaking with disappointment. she wasn’t crying with tears, but you know she would’ve if she wasn’t in public. lena didn’t want another euros 2022 aftermath to happen to her.

"lena, you don’t understand how much i hated doing that to you, i’m sorry" you whisper, your own tears starting to fall. 

"i know. I know. it just... it hurts so much right now." lena clings to you, her grip firm yet trembling. she hasn’t felt this way since the EURO 2022 finals. you give mini kisses on the side of her head, hoping to comfort her in some way after taking away her chance to go into the world cup finals.

“i'm here for you baby, always. i’ll stay with your for a few weeks once we are back in germany before the pre-season– i am so sorry." you mumbled the last part a few times.

as the minutes pass, neither of you broke away from the hug. the noise of the stadium fades into the background. 

all of the german and american players give you both space, understanding the delicate situation between you both.

trinity, tierna, mallory, savannah, sophia  watch from a distance, their support unwavering. they didn’t know lena much, but everyone knows that lena would never hate you over this.

“you played so good y/n. i am so happy for you, please don’t believe otherwise. it's just... hard to accept the loss right now."

you nod, understanding her pain. you place your hands on the side of her face as you gave her a hopeful smile.

“i love you obi baby, i’m sorry.” 

“stop apologizing— and i love you more liebe.” 

<3

[alotofpockets]

National Team Captains Appreciation

Request a player | @totaly-obsessed

[imverits]

[skipper1331]

A fling? // Felicitas Rauch

a/n: based off this request.

"Hello gorgeous" you said smiling. Your hand placed the loose strand of hair which had fallen in front of her face behind her ear as you memorized every feature of her face. She looked beautiful.

Feli blushed under your gaze, shyly looking away while she tried to control her breathing. "So, aside from taking my breath away, what do you do for a living?" you asked with a cheesy grin covering your face. The defender rolled her eyes, playfully pushing you away yet her heart racing.

The moment you joined Wolfsburg, there was the massive attraction towards the brunette and you tried to ask her out with your famous pick up lines but she just brushed them off. You kept trying though.

"Stay." you told her sternly, grabbing her wrist as she was about to walk to her team mates, "I didn’t know what I wanted in a woman until I saw you."

Again with a roll of her eyes, she brushed you off like you were a nothing. Even If you didn‘t want to admit it, your heart stung. Every time, every ignorance of your presence, every brush off, you heart broke a bit more.

-

You let out a scream of pain as Laura Freigang tackled you, your body flying over the pitch before you landed in the grass. Your shoulder made a weird noice, knees scraping along the dirty pitch.

Feli was the first by your side, shoving Laura away who tried to apologize. Your face was hidden in the grass as you held your shoulder, tears streaming down your face.

"Can you sit up for me?" Felicitas asked, herself getting anxious because the medic took so long. With a grunt, you did as she wished, holding your shoulder with a death grip. For sure, it wasn‘t the thing you should do but it was out of reflex, you had to put pressure on the pain.

"My shoulder" you said through gritted teeth, "it cracked"

The brunettes face went pale, did you really just said cracked?!

When the medics arrived, the defender felt a kind of relief knowing you were in safe hands yet seeing your face scrunch in pain hurt her too. "She‘s going off, right?!" she asked, panic radiating in her voice. "What? No!" you interrupted her, "just tape it or something!" you told the medic, about to get up. "Stay the fuck down!" You had never heard the German curse or so scared. As she squatted down, you locked eyes, "you‘re crying, your shoulder hurts, you‘re getting subbed off. You will accept it, thank the medics and do as they told. Understood?" Your mouth fell agape, so bossy. Nodding in respond, you let the medic take you of the pitch as he talked about your injury and pain.

As you sat in the physio room, there was an ice pack on your shoulder to prevent further swelling and you were high on painkillers, babbling about something without someone in the room.

When the final whistle blew, Feli immediately left the field, searching for you. "How are you?" she asked as she saw your laying figure. Looking up to see the prettiest girl, you gave her a lopsided smile. "I’m coooool" you answered, the defender smiling lightly.

"Come here" you mumbled, "do you happen to have a Band-Aid? ‘Cause I scraped my knees falling for you." giggling at your pick up line, you didn‘t see the way her cheek caught fire and burnt red.

-

You were ruled out for a few weeks due your shoulder injury yet that didn‘t stop you from flirting with your favorite german player.

"I would never play hide and seek with you because someone like you is impossible to find."

"Hm" like usually, she rolled her eyes, walking past you.

Yet the soft smile that she sent you across the field later on, made your heart skip multiple beats. Maybe there was still a chance even if her answers grew short by every day that went by.

"Why don‘t you tell her that you like her?" Svenja asked the young woman who she had known for years.

"I don’t like her" she replied instantly.

"So how did you know who I was talking about?"

Caught in her own excuse, she smiles shyly before settling into a thoughtful expression, "she‘s- i don‘t know" Feli shrugged, eyes looking away from you as you walked in the facility.

"I don‘t think she wants the same thing I want"

"Why‘s that?" the blonde asked as they started to pass the ball, absently.

"You know the reputation she has, always flirting with everybody and sleeping around. I don‘t want to be a one night stand"

In the meantime while Svenja talked to Feli about you, Alexandra talked to you about Feli.

The Og-german players watched you dance around your feelings, Felicitas with her obvious ignorance and you with your flirty nature. They both knew there was something between the two of you, but not how both of you would realize it, so they made a plan - at least to get you on the right track and provide some clarity.

"So Feli, huh?" Alex asked, smirking. You blushed under her intense gaze, looking to the ground as you played with your fingers, "she‘s pretty amazing, yeah" you admitted, for the first time ever.

"So are you gonna ask her out?"

Looking up, you answered, "I did once but she just brushed me off, like always" you mumbled the last past yet still audible for Alex who had a pitty look on her face, "will you ask again?"

"Probably not. I flirt with her all the time only to be ignored in the end" you sighed, your fingers holding the bridge of your nose, "i don‘t get it. Sometimes she makes me think that she likes me too and then nothing"

"Can you blame her? You had quite the reputation before you came here"

You looked at Poppi with shook in your eyes and disgust on your face, "does she really think that? That she’s a fling?" you hated yourself for your behaviour in your past, you knew someday it will haunt you down - like it would now.

For the first time in years, you fell in love, actually in love, and the girl you liked thought bad of you, that you would use her.

"Did she reject me because of that?"

The older woman saw the hurt flash in your eyes - something she shouldn’t see.

"I don‘t know. I didn‘t even know that you asked her out. But i know you‘re not the person you used to be. You‘re a good person."

-

Felicitas noticed the change instantly, how you wouldn‘t flirt with her anymore, how you didn‘t greet her with a pick up line, how you barely talked to her. She didn‘t ask you about it, she just accepted it.

Svenja and Alex quickly realized that they worsened the relationship between the two of you rather than helping you to realize the feelings behind each others facades.

-

As you were able to play again, the champions league match against Arsenal was the perfect opportunity to show that you’re back better than ever. The first leg ended in a 2-2 draw yet it felt awesome to be back on the pitch again and when you scored Feli couldn‘t help the pride that washed over her body. She knew you waited long for the come back.

"Looking stunning as always" the blonde defender of Arsenal greeted you as she hugged you. Leah Williamson and you go way back, knowing each other since you were little and playing together in the national team. She was the sister you never had, the shoulder to cry on when ever you felt like it. "Not bad yourself" you joked, walking around together, arms around each others waist.

Feli hated the sight in front of her, the way you would smile at the skipper or laugh at something she said. She should be at your side instead of Leah.

"You good?" Svenja asked as she saw the growl on the brunettes face.

"Everything is perfectly fine" she answered, sarcasm laced in her voice as her eyes were still drained on your walking figure. "Back at her old habits, just great" she scowled, leaving the pitch without looking back. She didn‘t take pictures with fans nor signed anything, anger rushing through her veins.

"What‘s wrong with her?" Leah asked as she saw your favorite girl walking with quick steps away.

"Don‘t know. We‘re not talking at the moment" you muttered.

"What?! Why? I thought you liked her"

"I do. She just thinks I’m-"

"She thinks she‘s gonna be a fling, right?"

"Jup"

"You’re so stupid sometimes" she smacked the back of your head, "show her that she isn‘t"

"I tried!"

"Not hard enough apparently. 10£ she thinks you‘re flirting with me"

You looked at the skipper, confusion written over your face, what did she mean?

"Go" she pushed you away, towards the tunnel, giving you a reassuring nod, "seriously go!"

And you did. You ran after the brunette, calling her name. In the changing room, she sat in her cubby, head resting in her hands. "Felicitas" you said, voice low, you didn‘t want to startle her.

Feli loved the way her name rolled over your tongue. You had never called her Feli once, always Felicitas. You were the only one besides her parents who were allowed to do that. "So you‘re talking to me, wow" the defender grumbled, aggressively wiping away the few tears that left her eyes.

"Don‘t be mean"

"Mean?! You‘re the one who ignored me for weeks" she yelled as she stood up.

Matching her tone, "I know!" you sighed, "I know, okay?"

"You’re an idiot!" Felis anger was bubbling out of her, "you’re an idiot for making me fall for you!" she continued to ramble about your behavior how stupid you were for ignoring her, for making her feel worthless.

"I didn‘t talk to you because you thought you’re a fling to me! I didn‘t want you to think that"

"So you‘re flirting with Williamson? That’s low, even for you"

"Why the fuck are putting words in my mouth?" you were pacing around the changing room, Feli following every movement of yours, "you- bloody hell, Felicitas! Why are you making this so hard?"

"I‘m making this hard?! You‘re the one-"

"Stop it right now. I didn‘t flirt with Leah, gosh ew. We‘ve known each other since god knows when. And I didn‘t flirt with anyone besides you since I’m at Wolfsburg. Hell, you’re the only one I want to flirt with. You’re the only who I want to think that I’m a good person - not the person from my past. Felicitas, you‘re that one person to me!" You sat down, not meeting her eyes as you tried to control your emotions and your outburst.

The moment you arrived in Germany, you wanted to change. You transferred clubs to get a new chance, to prove everyone wrong. You didn‘t mean to fall in love with someone, you didn’t mean to flirt with her like in your old patterns but you couldn’t help it. With Feli everything felt different. Everything felt easy, you felt at peace. Wolfsburg felt like a new home. She felt like home.

"You‘re in love with me, too? It‘s not some weird-"

"Of course I am!" you interrupted her, making your statement clear. "How can I show you that I mean it? That I mean everything when I’m with you?" you asked with pleading eyes, eyes full of hope and regret.

"Take me out on a date" even after yelling, crying and running for more than 90 minutes, she looked absolutely breathtaking. It was a good thing that you were sitting otherwise you‘re knees would‘ve betrayed you.

"Deal"

In that moment, you promised yourself to treat her better than anyone could.

-

It didn‘t take Feli long to realize that you meant what you said that day in the locker room. The few little dates you had were more than perfect, you treated Felicitas like you promised and the way she deserved. Both of you seemed happier with each other and at Champions league final -1, you asked her to be your girlfriend.

Your heart fluttered every time you thought about the answer, "yes"

Maybe your past wasn‘t the greatest but the universe did give you another chance which you gladly accepted.

You showed the world that you deserved it.

You showed football fans all of your talent, getting nominated for the Ballon d‘or.

You showed your family and friends the vulnerable, caring and loving side of yourself.

And you showed Felicitas that she did the right thing with saying yes to be your girlfriend.

Felicitas was the one person that changed you for the better and you will thank and love her forever because of everything and more.

She was always more than just a fling.

————————

[isalabells]

Players of Team Germany and Horst Hrubesch, Head Coach of Team Germany celebrate victory after the Women's Bronze Medal match between Spain and Germany during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de Lyon on August 09, 2024 in Lyon, France.

The veteran coach will depart his role as head coach after Paris 2024 – and his players are eager to clinch the bronze medal in his final game in charge. [...] When asked if he expects his team to want to send him off with a bronze medal, he responded in typical Horst Hrubesch fashion: “I’m not too bothered about medals. Besides, I already have one [silver in Rio 2016 with the men’s team]. All I care about now is that the girls who don’t yet have a medal get one.”

[the-arsenal6]

The 2023 Women's Ballon d'Or ranking✨

[tvmusiclife]

Do these waves of intl retirements hit so hard because these are players you grew up watching/admiring OR because all of these players had a tremendous impact on women's soccer both on a domestic and international level and have built this sport up to an unprecidented level and are leaving the game better than when they started OR both?

[soyouwinagain]

alex popp scores germany's first goal at the women's world cup | 24 july 2023

[wosowrites]

Mama and Mommy (Jill Roord x Reader)

warnings: none

a/n: i am so sorry that this took forever. also let’s pretend Jill has been with Wolfsburg for 6 years pls. I also had to add a twist for this to work and i couldn’t find the request again so some things may not be exact. I’m sorry abt that. based off this request:

prompt: in which Jill and reader have a secret child.

Having a child at 20 with your girlfriend of six month had never been the plan. You didn’t even like children. That is, until Rory came around. She was everything to you both. Technically, Rory was Jill’s goddaughter, but her biological mother had died giving birth to Rory. Rory’s father wasn’t in the picture, and neither was any other of Rory’s blood family. It all happened so fast, Jill lost her childhood best friend and then suddenly you had agreed to help take care of the baby girl with Jill. You had a child together.

You didn’t want to tell anyone about her due to the tough circumstances of her birth, as well as the fact as to keep Rory safe from her abusive biological father, no one could know about her.

So instead of hiding her completely, you told your teammates she was a friends daughter. Everyday you were in shock at how you had managed to raise such a beautiful, sweet girl together in secret. The timing was perfect, somehow. Jill was out for a year on injury, so she took care of Rory at home, and when you got back to your apartment from training, you would take Rory out to the park and let Jill rest.

Three years later, you had madrid Jill, and then on this day, you had a five year old.

Today was a game against Bayern. You were set to have a sitter come and take care of Rory, but an hour before you were supposed to leave, the sitter called and cancelled.

"What do we do? I mean we can’t leave her here! But we have no one to take care of her at the game." You panicked, pacing around the living room as Rory played with her toys on the carpet. "Y/n. Breathe. Please. I know what we need to do it’s just… it means we have to tell someone." Jill said, placing her hands on your waist and trying to calm you down. "But- but we can’t. Her father." You whispered to Jill. "She doesn’t have a father. He won’t find her. I promise you. Vivianne is at the game today. She’s travelling with Beth because of their ACL ruptures. We can tell them." Jill said.

Your eyes welled up and tears slipped down your cheeks. "We’ve always found a way, baby. On international break and during the world cup she stayed with my mom. It’s okay." Jill said.

It was true, other than you and Jill, Jill’s mum knew about your daughter, and she had always been amazing.

"Okay. I’ll call them and ask them to come over."

Thirty minutes later, you and Jill were in your wolfsburg kits and tracksuits, ready to leave for the game. Rory was sitting on your lap, playing with your hair as you held her. You had always been protective of Rory, scared she would get taken away.

A knock at the door pulled you out of your own head, and Jill opened it slowly. "Hey guys!" Viv said, hugging Jill and then looking over to you.

Her face fell in confusion as she saw Rory. "You guys babysitting again?" Beth asked, giving Jill a small hug.

The apartment was silent and felt cold. "She’s our daughter." You said out of nowhere.

There was silence in the apartment, broken by Beth. "Uhm. What do you mean… daughter?" Beth asked.

And then it was time for a story. You explained everything, Jill chipping in here and there, until you stopped talking.

"Okay then. That’s-" Viv seemed quite stunned, and a bit pale. "We called you here to ask you to take care of her during the game. The babysitter canceled and-" Jill started saying. "Yea! That’s a great idea. Right Viv?" Beth said, obviously trying to get her girlfriend out of her trance. "Yeah." She said, nodding slowly. "Come here, sweetie." Viv said.

Rory ran over to Viv and jumped into her arms, so Viv picked her up. "We really need to go, but we’ll see you guys after the game?" Jill said.

You kissed your daughter on the cheek, hugged Beth and Viv and then walked out of the apartment. "Oh and one more thing guys, do not tell anyone who she is."

It was the 88th minute when a penalty got awarded to Wolfsburg. Bayern was winning 2-1, and this was exactly what Wolfsburg needed. An equalizer.

Your captained Wolfsburg, and you tried to offer the ball to Lena, but she declined, telling you this was your time.

You struck it very well. It wasn’t a poor penalty, but sometimes keepers save it. The bayern keeper did well, and saved your shot.

That’s how the game ended, 2-1. A loss. You groaned in annoyance, pulling your jersey over your face and letting a few tears fall. You didn’t want Rory to see you cry but you were angry with yourself.

"You did great, my love. It happens." Jill said, putting her arm around you as you lowered your jersey and revealed wet cheeks and red eyes.

You walked on the pitch, clapping at the fans and soon saw that Viv and Beth had been let onto the field. They were running around with Rory and found a ball to pass with her. But Rory lost interest quickly as she came running to Jill. "Isn’t that your friends daughter or something? She’s like your kid." Lena laughed. "She’s not! She- I’m! I don’t have a kid." Jill stuttered as Rory ran around her.

"Mama! Mama! Why is mommy crying?" Rory asked.

Rory had broken the rule.

When she was a baby, it wasn’t a problem, but now that she was older, you and Jill had invented a game where around your teammates she got a special pass to call you by your first names. But from a little kid, what would you expect.

The Wolfsburg girls froze, all having heard the little girls words. "Why is she crying, mama?" Rory said again, tugging at Jill’s jersey.

Your face fell and you crouched down to Rory’s height, the little girl running towards you and jumping into your arms. "What does she mean by mama and mommy?" Alexandra asked, looking between the both of you.

You didn’t say anything, just cried silently into your daughters hair. Emotions were sky high, and you were tired and angry and disappointed and scared for your child. "You cannot tell anyone!" You whispered yelled. "Any of you. We didn’t say anything for a reason. We needed to keep her safe. Okay? So just… yeah we have a kid. Oh we’re also married." You said, handing your daughter over to your wife and storming into the tunnel. "Mama’s mad." Rory said, making some of the girls smile at her.

"Okay, Jill." Lena said, walking over to the dutch and her daughter. "Give me Rory and go talk to your… wife… apparently." Lena said. "You sure?"

"Yes. Go." Lena picked up the little girl, placing her on her hip. "You’re stinky." Rory said. "Thanks sweetheart."

Jill jogged into the tunnel where you were pacing up and down. "Baby…" she said gently. "He'll find her. He can’t find her! He can’t!" You sobbed, shaking as you walked. "Y/n." Jill said sternly, grabbing your arm gently and pulling you towards her. She wrapped her arms around you, putting a hand on the back of your head and holding it to the crook of her neck. "It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay." She said a couple of times. "The team knows now, they know. You know what that means? That girl is the most protected child in the world. She has the german captain protecting her and another 10 german girls. European finalists. She has Sveindís who’s probably the most loving person ever, she has Rebecka and if she has Rebecka then she has the whole swedish team. She’s also gonna have the entire netherlands squad with her. And she has Viv, so she has Arsenal. And if she has Arsenal she has Leah. And if-" Jill started saying. "She has England. I know." You laughed. "Yeah. And even if she didn’t have them, she has her mums. She has her mama and her mommy. And that’s all she needs." Jill said to you, rubbing her hand down your back. "You’re right. You’re right." You whispered. "I love you. And I love our daughter." You said, pulling away and kissing her.

"Let’s go back out." Jill said. She grabbed your hand and you guys walked out together, for once, you didn’t let go. You held on to her as you walked out of the tunnel and onto the pitch, and what you saw could have mad you start crying again. Rory was standing at the penalty mark, the ball in front of her and Merle in net. Rory ran up and hit the ball poorly, Merle faked a dramatic fall to the left as the ball rolled very slowly into the net. When the ball went over the line, Merle pretend to be mad as the whole team screamed and ran over to Rory, acting as though she had just scored the best goal ever. Rory laughed loudly, her young kid belly laugh filling the stadium. Lena picked her up and put her on her shoulders, celebrating with her.

Even after a loss, your team still had your back, and now, they would have your daughters.

[alexbkrieger13]

one of my fav clips to date

https://www.facebook.com/vflwolfsburgfrauenfussball/videos/1719067004783231/

[totaly-obsessed]

Woso Club Captains Appreciation

Request a player | with @alotofpockets

[aus-wnt]

matildas | Saying farewell to a legend 👏 Popp, it’s been a pleasure to play you over the years and to be involved in your final game for your country. Wishing you all the best in your retirement! 🇦🇺❤️🇩🇪

[jamesv-t]

Three retiring legends of the German national team. (x)

[glimmerofawesome]

[reminiscingtonight]

Anyways I'm still a little bit obsessed, may I present to y'all my favorite moment from yesterday's game?