Frankfurt secure third success

Germany's 1. FFC Frankfurt became the first team to win a third UEFA Women's Cup after a competition record 27,640 attendance watched them edge out old rivals Umeå IK in a thrilling final second leg.

Records beaten
A 1-1 draw in Sweden between the trophy's only multiple winners had set up this return under the roof at Frankfurt's main stadium perfectly, and Conny Pohlers scored on seven minutes, before finding the target again not long after half-time. Although Lisa Dahlqvist pulled one back with a penalty, Petra Wimbersky's free-kick soon after sealed the win despite Frida Östberg's late effort, delighting a crowd more than double any previous gate in the competition and over 5,000 better than the old German female record.

Wimbersky chance
With a starting lineup unchanged from last week, Frankfurt passed the first test – going 12 seconds without conceding. Indeed, Frankfurt were nearly ahead on two minutes when Kerstin Garefrekes looped over a right-wing cross which was met first time by Wimbersky, only for the legs of goalkeeper Ulla-Karin Rönnlund to divert the ball on to the post.

Pohlers strike
However, Pohlers was able to match the early goal she scored in the first leg, rounding Johanna Frisk and confidently beating Rönnlund after seven minutes. Pohlers, who had scored five goals in two previous finals for former club 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam against Djurgårdens/Älvsjö and Frankfurt as well as last week's equaliser, then shot over.

Vital saves
By the midway point in the half Umeå had settled and almost fashioned a bizarre equaliser; Frankfurt goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg advanced to intercept a pass to Marta only for the ball to be hooked back to the Brazilian, but Tina Wunderlich tackled. Marta's cross was then headed at Rottenberg by Mama Yamaguchi, and Frankfurt broke with Birgit Prinz forcing Rönnlund into a point-blank save.

Second goal
An injury to Rottenberg meant a second-half European club debut for understudy Stephanie Ullrich, who had been on the Potsdam bench when Pohlers and Wimbersky scored in the 2005 final for their former club. Young Swiss striker Ramona Bachmann replaced the defender Emma Berglund to restore Umeå’s first-leg starting lineup. The half began quietly, but ten minutes in Pohlers scored again, advancing round the outside of three markers and beating Rönnlund at her near post.

Brief lifeline
Umeå were then handed a lifeline on 68 minutes when Marta was felled in the box by Gina Lewandowski and Lisa Dahlqvist made no mistake with her penalty. The German league leaders swiftly responded and Alexandra Krieger's cross-shot was only kept out by the fist of Rönnlund and head of Östberg. But there was nothing Rönnlund could do about a Wimbersky free-kick from near the corner of the penalty area hit with unerring ferocity.

Nervous finish
With seven minutes left Östberg reduced arrears with a low shot through a sea of players. And although Marta's free-kick came close and Bachmann hit the top of the crossbar, they could not prevent Umeå suffering their third final defeat in an unmatched five appearances, giving Germany the trophy for the fourth time in seven editions. It was also revenge for Frankfurt’s 2004 8-0 aggregate final defeat by Umeå, which in turn followed 1. FFC’s 2-0 win at the old Waldstadion against the Swedish giants two years earlier – but the competition has come a long way since that inaugural decider.