Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Women's Bundesliga: Hoffenheim want to challenge for the title
Hoffenheim are aiming for more than just third place this season. But Wolfsburg, despite massive changes, remain lightyears ahead of most of the league. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia is launching a women's national team.
Hoffenheim want more than third place
The role of investor-backed clubs in the Women's Bundesliga is becoming more and more interesting. VfL Wolfsburg were the first to recognize the potential of a strong women's team when it comes to countering criticism of the club's backing by Volkswagen. So it's no coincidence that Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen are following suit. Not only is a women's team good PR for the oft-criticized "plastic" clubs, it doesn't hurt that funding is also readily available.
This season, Hoffenheim are of particular interest, making forward strides both in terms of table position and sporting quality. After a somewhat nervous 2-1 win on the opening day against Freiburg, who put up a stubborn fight in the first half especially, Hoffenheim are finding their rhythm.
After initial difficulties, Hoffenheim's high pressing game started to click as they dominated the second half. A lot will depend on how they balance domestic action with international duties throughout the season, but Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg will certainly have their eyes on them.
"The head coach gave us good talking to at half-time, reminding us what we are good at and telling us we can do better," new signing Gia Corley told DW. The 19-year-old midfielder, signed from Bayern Munich, was present all over the pitch, taking advantage of the stage offered to her by Hoffenheim. Corley is an example of the club's ambitions.
"A repeat of third place is the minimum target," she said. "But we want to go a step further, second place would be good – or even a title race."
Corley admitted that she felt the pressure on her first start and needed time to get into the game. But when she did, she set up fellow new arrival Tine de Caigny for the winning goal.
Wolfsburg in a class of their own
The talk of a Wolfsburg team in transition was cause for hope across the rest of the Women's Bundesliga this summer. Eight new arrivals to replace seven departures, including the painful loss of Ingrid Engen and Fridolina Rolfö to Champions League winners Barcelona. Surely, the gap would close, and the Wolves would be more beatable again?
But matchday one brought the sobering realization that, Bayern, Hoffenheim and perhaps Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Lev erkusen asi d e, Wolfsburg are as far away from the rest of the league as ever.
They made short work of Turbine Potsdam, hammering the traditional side 3-0 thanks to the outstanding Ewa Pajor, who kept the Potsdam defense busy all on her own. Turbine have improved their wing play in comparison to last year, but produced such a helpless performance that the result was a foregone conclusion.
Such games are a weakness for a league which is trying to boost its visibility. In order for a match to be interesting, the opposition must at least have a theoretical chance of winning – but that wasn't the case here.
"It feels like we need the transition in order to get a second wind," said the injured Alex Popp of the situation in Wolfsburg. "The atmosphere in the team is mega."
Great news for Wolfsburg. Not so good for the rest of the league.
Live and in color!
For the first time ever, German broadcaster Magenta Sport is showing all games in the Women's Bundesliga live.
With an infinitely more professional set- up, better commentary, pleasantly authentic interviews and a dash of emotion provided by a few fans in stadiums, it's a step in the right direction.
How great the visibility will be, however, remains to be seen. After all, the Pay TV offer ia aimed at an already-converted audience of women's football fans.
A women's team for Saudi Arabia?
While in Afghanistan, years of work to promote women's football has been destroyed by the Taliban takeover and the women's national team was evacuated thanks to the work of the players' union FIFPro, changes are afoot in Saudi Arabia.
Or at least the simulation of change, as is often the case in regions where male autocrats suddenly decide to allow women to do more things.
There have been several women's football leagues in Saudi Arabia since 2020. Now, starting in September, there will also be a Saudi women's national team for the first time, coached by German globetrotter Monika Staab.
Whether this new development represents a genuine change in the status of women in the kingdom, or just a façade, remains to be seen.