Everything is going perfectly at the moment for FC Bayern München and for Katie Stengel. The attacker from the United States has only been in Germany since summer but she has already, in the first months of the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga, made an impression. The 22-year-old has scored 8 goals in 13 appearances.
"It’s going really well so far,“ said Stengel in an interview with DFB.de. "But we can’t rest on our laurels. Every lapse in concentration will be punished.” There is now another season highlight. The second placed team await the visit of league leaders VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday (14.00 CET, live on DFB-TV). The match will see the only two unbeaten teams go head-to-head.
DFB.de: Ms. Stengel, before the season started, did you expect the match between FC Bayern München and VfL Wolfsburg to be the top game?
Katie Stengel: Both teams have real quality in their squads. Therefore, I’m not completely surprised. We shouldn’t forget about Potsdam and Frankfurt though. At any rate, I’m looking forward to the showdown against one of the best teams in Europe.
DFB.de: It finished 0-0 in Wolfsburg in the first half of the season. What are you expecting for Sunday’s clash?
Stengel: The past few months have shown that we’re on a par with each other. I assume that it’s going to be the same on Sunday. It’s going to be a real challenge for us. This is definitely going to be the highlight of the season.
DFB.de: How important is the match for you and your team with regard to the rest of the season?
Stengel: For us, it is always the case that the next game is the most important. That might sound silly but it really is true. If you are careless, you are going to immediately get punished. We are absolutely focused. We want to maintain our chances.
DFB.de: What chances are you talking about? Are you aiming for the title this year?
Stengel: As I already mentioned, we just go from game to game. If we prepare well for every game, then there’s obviously the chance to achieve something great. We work hard every day to continue to have a successful season. You need to be consistent, to achieve results. That’s our main aim.
DFB.de: What makes the team so strong?
Stengel: We are simply a great group of players, coaching staff and support team. It currently all fits together. We are a family; everyone is there for each other. This is certainly an important factor in addition to all the sporting quality.
DFB.de: It’s pretty obvious that Sunday’s encounter is between the two teams with the best defensive set-ups. How important is a strong defensive performance for success?
Stengel: It was one of the first ideas drilled into me when I came to Germany. Defence is very, very important. This is also true for attackers. We all work well together on this idea so it’s going pretty much perfect. Women’s football in Germany is very much influenced by tactics.
DFB.de: You’ve been in Munich for half a year. What do you make of the city?
Stengel: I love this city. It’s really nice here. I feel very good here and settled. I haven’t regretted the decision to move to Germany and Munich for a second.
DFB.de: Did you have any problems adjusting?
Stengel: The biggest problem was the time change. Everything else worked by itself. The team have made me feel welcome from the first day. Like I already said, I feel very comfortable here.
DFB.de: Is that also one of the reasons why everything has gone almost perfectly for you on the pitch? I mean you’ve scored 8 goals in 13 games.
Stengel: I’m a striker. It’s my job to score goals. I agree that it’s going well so far. Above all, I’m happy that I can help the team and the club. I want to repay their trust.
DFB.de: You’ve come straight to Germany from the USA. How does the level compare?
Stengel: It’s very similar. There are lots of very talented footballers in both countries. You can clearly see that the two nations are among the best in the world for women’s football.
DFB.de: The World Cup is taking place in Canada in summer. Do you dream of being part of the US squad?
Stengel: It’s been a big dream of mine, since I was three years old, to play for the USA and to take part in a World Cup. I already played for the junior national team and I hope that I can make the step up.
DFB.de: What is it possible for the USA to achieve at the World Cup?
Stengel: USA expect to win. The team is very strong; they can win the title. I hope that we end the tournament as World Champions. If I was there with them, it really would be a childhood dream come true.
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Everything is going perfectly at the moment for FC Bayern München and for Katie Stengel. The attacker from the United States has only been in Germany since summer but she has already, in the first months of the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga, made an impression. The 22-year-old has scored 8 goals in 13 appearances.
"It’s going really well so far,“ said Stengel in an interview with DFB.de. "But we can’t rest on our laurels. Every lapse in concentration will be punished.” There is now another season highlight. The second placed team await the visit of league leaders VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday (14.00 CET, live on DFB-TV). The match will see the only two unbeaten teams go head-to-head.
DFB.de: Ms. Stengel, before the season started, did you expect the match between FC Bayern München and VfL Wolfsburg to be the top game?
Katie Stengel: Both teams have real quality in their squads. Therefore, I’m not completely surprised. We shouldn’t forget about Potsdam and Frankfurt though. At any rate, I’m looking forward to the showdown against one of the best teams in Europe.
DFB.de: It finished 0-0 in Wolfsburg in the first half of the season. What are you expecting for Sunday’s clash?
Stengel: The past few months have shown that we’re on a par with each other. I assume that it’s going to be the same on Sunday. It’s going to be a real challenge for us. This is definitely going to be the highlight of the season.
DFB.de: How important is the match for you and your team with regard to the rest of the season?
Stengel: For us, it is always the case that the next game is the most important. That might sound silly but it really is true. If you are careless, you are going to immediately get punished. We are absolutely focused. We want to maintain our chances.
DFB.de: What chances are you talking about? Are you aiming for the title this year?
Stengel: As I already mentioned, we just go from game to game. If we prepare well for every game, then there’s obviously the chance to achieve something great. We work hard every day to continue to have a successful season. You need to be consistent, to achieve results. That’s our main aim.
DFB.de: What makes the team so strong?
Stengel: We are simply a great group of players, coaching staff and support team. It currently all fits together. We are a family; everyone is there for each other. This is certainly an important factor in addition to all the sporting quality.
DFB.de: It’s pretty obvious that Sunday’s encounter is between the two teams with the best defensive set-ups. How important is a strong defensive performance for success?
Stengel: It was one of the first ideas drilled into me when I came to Germany. Defence is very, very important. This is also true for attackers. We all work well together on this idea so it’s going pretty much perfect. Women’s football in Germany is very much influenced by tactics.
DFB.de: You’ve been in Munich for half a year. What do you make of the city?
Stengel: I love this city. It’s really nice here. I feel very good here and settled. I haven’t regretted the decision to move to Germany and Munich for a second.
DFB.de: Did you have any problems adjusting?
Stengel: The biggest problem was the time change. Everything else worked by itself. The team have made me feel welcome from the first day. Like I already said, I feel very comfortable here.
DFB.de: Is that also one of the reasons why everything has gone almost perfectly for you on the pitch? I mean you’ve scored 8 goals in 13 games.
Stengel: I’m a striker. It’s my job to score goals. I agree that it’s going well so far. Above all, I’m happy that I can help the team and the club. I want to repay their trust.
DFB.de: You’ve come straight to Germany from the USA. How does the level compare?
Stengel: It’s very similar. There are lots of very talented footballers in both countries. You can clearly see that the two nations are among the best in the world for women’s football.
DFB.de: The World Cup is taking place in Canada in summer. Do you dream of being part of the US squad?
Stengel: It’s been a big dream of mine, since I was three years old, to play for the USA and to take part in a World Cup. I already played for the junior national team and I hope that I can make the step up.
DFB.de: What is it possible for the USA to achieve at the World Cup?
Stengel: USA expect to win. The team is very strong; they can win the title. I hope that we end the tournament as World Champions. If I was there with them, it really would be a childhood dream come true.
