Tribute paid after Waldstadion finale

Frankfurt's Waldstadion proved a fitting venue last night for the first staging of the UEFA Women's Cup final.

Strong teams
It was the last match to be played at the arena in its 72-year history before its reconstruction ahead of Germany's hosting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. Taking part were Europe's two strongest women's football teams, Umeå IK from Sweden and hosts 1. FFC Frankfurt, and each was hoping for the honour of winning the competition in its inaugural year.

Record crowd
The organisers did a superb job of creating a great atmosphere and suitable setting to match the magnitude of the occasion. More than 12,000 enthusiastic football fans turned out, a European record for women's club football, despite the poor weather conditions and they left in upbeat mood after hosts Frankfurt recorded a deserved 2-0 triumph.

'Perfect organisation'
"This final has been a real European event", said UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner. "It displayed a perfect organisation, an excellent crowd, and two highly skilful teams offering good tactics and attacking football.

'Icing on the cake'
"This is certainly encouraging for the years to come," Mr Aigner added. "We will be able to build on this first experience. Even though the national competitions should always remain the first priority, a European competition like this could in the years to come become the icing on the cake."

Cagey affair
The game itself began as a cagey affair, in which both teams took time to size each other up. It was the German side who eventually took a stranglehold on the game. They launched a series of attacks, particularly down the wings, but were repelled by a solid Swedish defence throughout the first half.

Wissink untested
At the other end, Frankfurt goalkeeper Marlene Wissink, who has already earned 100 caps for the Dutch national team, had little to do. The only time she was called into action was to field some long distance shots.

Slow start
The second half began slowly, with the teams perhaps feeling the effects of the first half's exertions. The game lost a bit in class, precision and speed but picked up in the closing stages.

Players missing
Things finally changed in the 68th minute, when Steffie Jones managed to convert a mishit shot from Birgit Prinz following a corner kick, and headed the ball in from five metres. Umeå, missing three national team players due to injuries and match suspensions, were rattled by the goal and had little in the way of a response.

Swift counterattack
The Swedish team gave their all and tried to put the German defence under pressure, but failed to produce an end result. The one bright spot was a volley from Emma Lindqvist. However, it was Frankfurt that had the last flourish, Prinz converting a fine cross from the left following a swift counterattack.

'They were better'
"It was a difficult match for us, especially as some key players were missing", said Umeå coach Richard Holmlund. "We did everything we could, but tonight it was not enough. They were the better team, and I have to congratulate Frankfurt for their win. We now hope to be able to host Frankfurt in Sweden for next year's UEFA Women's Cup final."

'Deserved to win'
"Tonight, I'm very proud of my team", said Frankfurt coach Monika Staab. "They all played a great match. It took us a long time before we managed to open the score, but I told my players at half time to be patient and to keep going. I think that in the end we deserved to win considering what we produced."