Turbine ready to impress Europe

By Mark Bennett

As they prepare to play host to SK Trondheims-Ørn in the first leg of their UEFA Women's Cup semi-final, 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam are in impressive form having lost only two games in the last five months.

Voronezh victory
Potsdam booked their place in the last four by defeating FC Energy Voronezh 5-2 on aggregate in October. Since then Turbine may have failed to knock 1. FFC Frankfurt off the top of the Bundesliga but their form has been impressive. After overcoming Energy, Turbine enjoyed a month of rest in November with Carolin Schiewe, Peggy Kuznik, Karolin Thomas and Anja Mittag all representing Germany at the FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship.

Impressive form
Mittag scored six goals as Germany won the competition, and as Turbine got back to action in the Bundesliga, their form was similarly impressive. December brought a 4-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg, a 5-1 success against TSV Crailshaim, a 2-1 defeat of Hamburger SV and a 6-2 win at SG Essen-Schönbeck.

Squad strengthened
Potsdam signed 19-year-old Brazilian international Christiane and German international Sonja Fuss over the winter break, with coach Bernd Schröder saying: "The signings have increased my options and I need those options to fulfil the ambitious goals we have set ourselves."

Costly defeats
However, despite wins in their first three games after the winter break, March brought two major blows for Turbine as defeats against Frankfurt and FCR Duisburg saw them fall nine points behind a Frankfurt side yet to drop a point this season.

Cup final
None the less, the side can still win two titles - the UEFA Women's Cup and the German Cup, where they will tackle Frankfurt in the final after overcoming FC Bayern München 2-0.