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Lena Petermann sparked delight among Germany’s U-20 women when her fierce shot from inside the penalty area crashed off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. That 65th minute strike in Die Nationalelf’s opening match against USA at the World Cup in Canada handed her side a 1-0 lead and a crucial breakthrough.
The match was an extremely entertaining, exciting and high-quality game between two top teams who fought hard and created numerous goalscoring chances along the way. Theresa Panfil ultimately wrapped up the three points for Germany in the 90th minute to seal a 2-0 win.
"I can’t put it into words"
After the match, a beaming Lena Petermann said: "I can’t put my emotions into words; this goal is indescribable. We put in a fantastic performance."!
The 20-year-old’s feelings are understandable when you consider she only returned to the DFB’s squad for an international competition in La Manga in March after a three-year break from the team. Before that, Petermann’s last appearance in a Germany shirt was at the UEFA Women’s U-17 Championship in July 2011.
Sidelined by a knee injury
The life of Lena Petermann has taken several twists and turns since then. Not long after the European Championship, a knee injury put the Cuxhaven-born forward out of action for almost a year. She gradually battled her way back into the Hamburger SV team before being spotted by scouts from the UCF Knights – the women’s football team at the University of Central Florida – during a regional competition in Duisburg. This encounter led to an offer to study at the Orlando college while playing football for the Knights alongside former German U-20 internationals Sophie Howard and Karoline Heinze. Petermann accepted.
The decision gave her life new impetus. "It’s an incredible experience for me," she explained. "At first, it definitely wasn’t easy to be alone in a foreign country, speaking a language that was still unfamiliar." But Petermann knuckled down, overcame these initial difficulties, refused to give up and now feels better than ever. "The experiences I’ve had there have helped me to develop even further. I’ve matured not just personally but also in my football. I think my athleticism and speed have really improved," the 20-year-old said.
Petermann: "We haven’t won anything yet"
Petermann knows what she wants, pursues her goals and already has the next few years mapped out. In January 2013 she began a sports science degree that will finish in 2016, and after that she wants to return to Germany.
They are proud of "heir" Lena on UCF’s campus in Orlando and even had their fingers crossed for her when she faced the USA. "It was definitely a special game for me because I study in the States. My team watched the match together – but they were still happy for me!" she added.
"I’m happy to be able to come here"
Petermann feels right at home in Orlando, attending college in the mornings before training in the afternoon and playing two matches each weekend. She loves her life in the Sunshine State and enjoys going to the beach with friends in the evenings for a barbecue. She is also grateful to have been given the chance to play at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
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"I’m very happy to be able to come here," said the striker, who knows her team has a long road ahead of them. "Of course, winning our opening game has given us confidence," she confirmed, "but we know we haven’t won anything yet; we’ve got to stay focused and get ready to play China. We want to continue what we started against the USA.”
The second group match for Germany’s U-20 women gets underway in Edmonton on Saturday (live on Eurosport from 01:00 CET). Petermann will be cheered on not only by her parents and brother in her hometown of Otterndorf, near Cuxhaven, but by her new friends thousands of miles away in Orlando, who will once again have their fingers firmly crossed.
created by dfb
[bild1]
Lena Petermann sparked delight among Germany’s U-20 women when her fierce shot from inside the penalty area crashed off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. That 65th minute strike in Die Nationalelf’s opening match against USA at the World Cup in Canada handed her side a 1-0 lead and a crucial breakthrough.
The match was an extremely entertaining, exciting and high-quality game between two top teams who fought hard and created numerous goalscoring chances along the way. Theresa Panfil ultimately wrapped up the three points for Germany in the 90th minute to seal a 2-0 win.
"I can’t put it into words"
After the match, a beaming Lena Petermann said: "I can’t put my emotions into words; this goal is indescribable. We put in a fantastic performance."!
The 20-year-old’s feelings are understandable when you consider she only returned to the DFB’s squad for an international competition in La Manga in March after a three-year break from the team. Before that, Petermann’s last appearance in a Germany shirt was at the UEFA Women’s U-17 Championship in July 2011.
Sidelined by a knee injury
The life of Lena Petermann has taken several twists and turns since then. Not long after the European Championship, a knee injury put the Cuxhaven-born forward out of action for almost a year. She gradually battled her way back into the Hamburger SV team before being spotted by scouts from the UCF Knights – the women’s football team at the University of Central Florida – during a regional competition in Duisburg. This encounter led to an offer to study at the Orlando college while playing football for the Knights alongside former German U-20 internationals Sophie Howard and Karoline Heinze. Petermann accepted.
The decision gave her life new impetus. "It’s an incredible experience for me," she explained. "At first, it definitely wasn’t easy to be alone in a foreign country, speaking a language that was still unfamiliar." But Petermann knuckled down, overcame these initial difficulties, refused to give up and now feels better than ever. "The experiences I’ve had there have helped me to develop even further. I’ve matured not just personally but also in my football. I think my athleticism and speed have really improved," the 20-year-old said.
Petermann: "We haven’t won anything yet"
Petermann knows what she wants, pursues her goals and already has the next few years mapped out. In January 2013 she began a sports science degree that will finish in 2016, and after that she wants to return to Germany.
They are proud of "heir" Lena on UCF’s campus in Orlando and even had their fingers crossed for her when she faced the USA. "It was definitely a special game for me because I study in the States. My team watched the match together – but they were still happy for me!" she added.
"I’m happy to be able to come here"
Petermann feels right at home in Orlando, attending college in the mornings before training in the afternoon and playing two matches each weekend. She loves her life in the Sunshine State and enjoys going to the beach with friends in the evenings for a barbecue. She is also grateful to have been given the chance to play at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
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"I’m very happy to be able to come here," said the striker, who knows her team has a long road ahead of them. "Of course, winning our opening game has given us confidence," she confirmed, "but we know we haven’t won anything yet; we’ve got to stay focused and get ready to play China. We want to continue what we started against the USA.”
The second group match for Germany’s U-20 women gets underway in Edmonton on Saturday (live on Eurosport from 01:00 CET). Petermann will be cheered on not only by her parents and brother in her hometown of Otterndorf, near Cuxhaven, but by her new friends thousands of miles away in Orlando, who will once again have their fingers firmly crossed.
