Duisburg end 2008 on a high
Sunday, December 21, 2008
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UEFA Women's Cup semi-finalists FCR 2001 Duisburg have also reached the German Cup last four after a penalty shoot-out win against leaders FC Bayern München while 1. FFC Frankfurt have signed Nadine Angerer.
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UEFA Women's Cup semi-finalists FCR 2001 Duisburg have also reached the last four of the German Cup after a penalty shoot-out win at Frauen-Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern München.
Duisburg through
Mandy Islacker had opened the scoring for Bayern before Turdi Knaak equalised after 80 minutes, and the same player went on to convert the decisive spot-kick. Duisburg are joined in the 13 April semi-finals by SG Wattenscheid 09, VfL Wolfsburg and one of 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam and VfL Sindelfingen. Before that Duisburg face French league leaders Olympique Lyonnais for a place in the UEFA Women's Cup final with their home second leg on 5 April. The other semi-final matches Sweden's Umeå IK and Russian debutants Zvezda-2005, who both retained their respective domestic titles this year in summer seasons.
League race
At the winter break in the German league, the team deposed at UEFA Women's Cup holders at the quarter-final stage by Duisburg – Frankfurt – are within seven points of unbeaten Bayern with a game in hand after 1-0 win against SC 07 Bad Neuenahr. Duisburg, who have played two matches fewer than Bayern, are two points further adrift, one behind Potsdam, though the former European champions have, like the Munich side, completed eleven of their 22 fixtures. The season resumes on 8 February, when Duisburg visit Wolfsburg, and two teams will earn places in next season's new UEFA Women's Champions League.
Angerer joins Frankfurt
Frankfurt's bid to retain the league title and earn another European campaign has been boosted by the signing of Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer on a two-and-a-half year deal starting on 1 January 2009. The 30-year old arrives from Sweden's Djurgården IF to replace her predecessor as Germany's No1, Silke Rottenberg, who has retired due to injury. "At a time in which competition in the Bundesliga has become much more stiff, I view it as an exciting task to return 1. FFC Frankfurt to more successful times," said Angerer, who did not concede a goal in Germany's 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup win. General manager Siegfried Dietrich added: "We are glad to have added the best goalkeeper in the world to our squad."
