Germany win by a head

By Paul Saffer

Two years ago, Germany pipped Sweden to win the UEFA Women's Championship with a 98th-minute golden goal. History repeated itself in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup final as German substitute Nia Künzer headed the winner eight minutes into sudden-death extra time to beat Sweden.

Goalscoring feats
It was a fitting end. In the most competitive of the four World Cups to date, Germany were the outstanding team, scoring a joint-record tally of 25 goals. Only in the final did they win by a margin of less than three as they claimed their first global crown.

Awards for Prinz
That superiority was reflected in FIFA's post-tournament awards. Birgit Prinz, Germany's vastly experienced striker, won the Golden Ball for player of the tournament and the Golden Shoe as leading scorer with seven goals. Meanwhile, the retiring Maren Meinert took the Silver Shoe and Bronze Ball for her four goals and seven assists, Silke Rottenberg was named best goalkeeper, midfield player Bettina Wiegmann and defender Sandra Minnet joined the three in the all-star lineup and for good measure Germany were voted the most entertaining team.

'We were lucky'
But then it was Künzer, who totalled only 75 minutes football in the finals, who proved the German hero as she headed in Renate Lingor's free-kick in a thrilling decider, Maren Meinert having equalised immediately after half-time after a 41st-minute goal from Hanna Ljungberg. German coach Tina Theune-Meyer, the first woman to lead a World Cup-winning team, admitted: "Both of our teams had a lot of chances and I do feel that we were lucky. I cannot remember how we scored, I just saw the ball in the goal."

Attacking flair
Her victorious side combined tactical steel with an attacking flair that produced such memorable wins as the 7-1 quarter-final victory against Russia and the subsequent 3-0 beating of the United States, previously clear favourites to retain the World Cup as hosts. German captain Wiegmann, who now retires after being voted player of the final, said: "A dream has come true for us today."

Potent combination
However, few will forget the contribution of Sweden. The forward line of Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson peppered the German goal with efforts in the final quarter-hour of normal time and throughout the tournament were a potent combination. Svensson and winger Malin Moström made the all-star team, and by the time of next year's Olympics, Sweden's burgeoning talent could see them eclipse the traditional women's powers of Germany, the US and China.

Swedish aim
Certainly, Swedish coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors is determined that they will face Germany in yet another final - with a different outcome. "Now we will put our focus on the Olympics and on qualifying for the [2005 UEFA] European Championship," she said. "We will focus on reaching a final where we will meet them again and win." 

Investment pays off
Theune-Meyer certainly believes Germany and Sweden have it in them to take command of the world game. "Both of our nations put a lot of money into women's football and that shows here today," she said. They will have plenty of rivals, though, with the US determined to bounce back, Brazil and Canada emerging as rising forces and China looking to regroup before staging the 2007 World Cup.

Dramatic tournament
Women's football needed a fillip from this World Cup, coming in the wake of the collapse of North America's professional WUSA league. And with a European nation claiming the World Cup outside their own continent for the first time, a brighter future can be glimpsed after a competition full of drama.