For five and a half years, Ali Krieger played in the Women's Bundesliga; the USA international wore the colours of 1. FFC Frankfurt between 2007 and 2012. On Wednesday (01:00 CEST), the defensive stalwart will enjoy a reunion with former colleagues in Montreal, as her team face Germany in the semifinal of the World Cup.
So as soon as she arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Montreal, Ali Krieger was straight into her bag to dig out her German-English dictionary. “I have polished up on my German”, said the 30-year-old, beaming with joy. It wouldn’t really have been necessary, as she regularly reads German newspapers and follows the Women's Bundesliga on the internet. Indeed it was in fluent German that she spoke words of praise for her next opponents. “Germany are tactically and technically very good. They keep the ball moving with one, two touches. That’s something I learnt from them when I played in Germany,” she explained.
"We train our whole lives for games like this"
There was more than just a hint of melancholy as Ali Krieger reminisced on her time on the continent. “I like Germany a lot and I miss the country and Frankfurt greatly. I wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t gone to Germany and learnt a new style of football. Without the experience I gained in Germany, I would never have played for my country.”
She has already used the time at their shared hotel in Winnipeg to catch up with the likes of Saskia Bartusiak, Simone Laudehr, Dzsenifer Marozsán and Melanie Behringer. “They are all friends of mine.” But all friendships will be put on hold on Wednesday morning when the two teams meet in the World Cup semi-finals at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. “I’m looking forward to a top game against a very strong Germany team. These are the sorts of games we come to the World Cup and train our whole lives for. For me personally, it’s an extra special game”, she said. You can tell where her motivation comes from.
441 of a possible 450 minutes played
She already has a clear picture in her mind of the game against Germany. “I always try to visualise ahead of a game, which passes and tackles I will have to make. The first five minutes of the game will be very important. We need to stay calm and the passing has to be good so we can build some confidence,” explained Ali Krieger.
Above all, Alexandra Blaire Krieger, who comes from Alexandria in Virginia, was very pleased with the performance against China in the quarterfinals. “We pressed a lot quicker and made things very tight between the defence and midfield. We need to do the same against Germany, as well as stay compact and patient,” she explained. So far at the World Cup she has played in all five games and has been on the pitch for 441 out of a possible 445 minutes. There will be more minutes to come in the semi-finals, a game for which she will certainly be highly motivated.
[mmc/jm]
For five and a half years, Ali Krieger played in the Women's Bundesliga; the USA international wore the colours of 1. FFC Frankfurt between 2007 and 2012. On Wednesday (01:00 CEST), the defensive stalwart will enjoy a reunion with former colleagues in Montreal, as her team face Germany in the semifinal of the World Cup.
So as soon as she arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Montreal, Ali Krieger was straight into her bag to dig out her German-English dictionary. “I have polished up on my German”, said the 30-year-old, beaming with joy. It wouldn’t really have been necessary, as she regularly reads German newspapers and follows the Women's Bundesliga on the internet. Indeed it was in fluent German that she spoke words of praise for her next opponents. “Germany are tactically and technically very good. They keep the ball moving with one, two touches. That’s something I learnt from them when I played in Germany,” she explained.
"We train our whole lives for games like this"
There was more than just a hint of melancholy as Ali Krieger reminisced on her time on the continent. “I like Germany a lot and I miss the country and Frankfurt greatly. I wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t gone to Germany and learnt a new style of football. Without the experience I gained in Germany, I would never have played for my country.”
She has already used the time at their shared hotel in Winnipeg to catch up with the likes of Saskia Bartusiak, Simone Laudehr, Dzsenifer Marozsán and Melanie Behringer. “They are all friends of mine.” But all friendships will be put on hold on Wednesday morning when the two teams meet in the World Cup semi-finals at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. “I’m looking forward to a top game against a very strong Germany team. These are the sorts of games we come to the World Cup and train our whole lives for. For me personally, it’s an extra special game”, she said. You can tell where her motivation comes from.
441 of a possible 450 minutes played
She already has a clear picture in her mind of the game against Germany. “I always try to visualise ahead of a game, which passes and tackles I will have to make. The first five minutes of the game will be very important. We need to stay calm and the passing has to be good so we can build some confidence,” explained Ali Krieger.
Above all, Alexandra Blaire Krieger, who comes from Alexandria in Virginia, was very pleased with the performance against China in the quarterfinals. “We pressed a lot quicker and made things very tight between the defence and midfield. We need to do the same against Germany, as well as stay compact and patient,” she explained. So far at the World Cup she has played in all five games and has been on the pitch for 441 out of a possible 445 minutes. There will be more minutes to come in the semi-finals, a game for which she will certainly be highly motivated.
