In the end, HSV captain Pauline Machtens also stated that “Bremen deserved to win the match.” After all, Werder had the larger share of play and also the clearer chances. The anger over the controversial penalty decision by referee Riem Hussein in the 6th minute against the promoted side from Hamburg was not completely quelled. “I had my arm extended, and the ball didn’t even hit the arm; it hit the hip,” said Svea Stoldt, the player who caused the penalty.
Such an early goal changes the dynamics of a game; in this case it took a bit of the Bremen players’ nerves away, as both teams initially struggled with the unfamiliar surroundings.
Surely converting the penalty – as well as the less controversial second after the break – was the native Hamburg-born and former HSV player Larissa Mühlhaus. She had adhered to her previously declared vow to refrain from celebrating after scoring, but of course could not prevent her teammates from celebrating. In the overall dramaturgy, however, it seemed inappropriate that this match was decided by two routine handball penalties.
For the fourth time, Werder used a break in the men’s international calendar to give the women the stage at the Weser Stadium. With the new record attendance for Werder women of 37,000 spectators, it was nearly sold out due to slightly limited capacity – only in the guest block, filled with about 1,500 HSV fans, was there room left.
Remembrance of Cup Fight in Hamburg
In the lead-up, many memories of the DFB Cup semifinal in March at the Volksparkstadion had resurfaced, which at the time set the attendance record for women’s football at club level in Germany. “Out of the 57,000 spectators, more than 11,000 were at the Volksparkstadion for the first time,” HSV board member Eric Huwer had said at the time.
The attractiveness of women’s football for new target groups was also demonstrated by the first Bundesliga derby of the two teams. Significantly more children, teenagers and women filled the stands than at Werder men’s games. “Same Passion, same Power” – the choreography of the Werder ultras set the motto that was carried through the entire match. In the passion with which both teams were celebrated by their supporters regardless of the score, this time too the commitment to a different, more relaxed football shone through.
That toward the end both fan camps still had to shout at each other how much they disliked the other club, probably a ritual borrowed from men’s sport that a Nord derby cannot do without across genders. For extra whistles from HSV fans, Werder striker Medina Dešić caused a stir when she had a placard handed to her from the crowd that apparently depicted an HSV diamond on a poop emoji, and she carried it on the victory lap.
Athletically, a lot has happened since March on both sides. With Friederike “Fritzy” Kromp at Werder and Liése Brancão at HSV, two new coaches sit on the touchlines. Brancão faced the larger upheaval and had to integrate nine new players. From the starting XI in the cup semifinal, now only three players—Pauline Machtens, Svea Stoldt and Emilia Hirche—started again. To stay in the division, the squad was strengthened with players who bring Bundesliga and even Champions League experience. All HSV players are now full-time professionals, and the surrounding conditions have been further professionalized.
The season opener, with ninth place after the first five games, had heightened the hope of avenging the 1:3 defeat in the cup against Werder. In the match, the attack lacked the necessary punch to threaten Werder beyond a long-range shot that hit the post. On the other hand, the newly assembled team already appears compact and solid enough to keep the teams behind them—Cologne, Nuremberg, Jena and Essen—in check.
Werder has moved closer to the season goal of finishing as high as possible behind the big four of Munich, Wolfsburg, Frankfurt and Leverkusen. It will be interesting to see how long the club sticks to only twice per season moving to the Weserstadion and otherwise playing in front of 1,000 to 2,000 spectators on the side pitch 11.
“If we played here every weekend, we wouldn’t have 30,000 spectators every time,” said Werder’s women’s department head Birte Brüggemann. “That is shown by the HSV, Nuremberg, and Union Berlin.” HSV already hosts every home game in the large arena. The first two home games there together drew about 16,500 spectators.
