Since joining VfL Wolfsburg two and half years ago, life has been a dream for Luisa Wensing. Wensing and her club have had embarked on an unparalleled success story in women's football. The Good news is that it's not a dream. It's really happening.
In her first year with VfL she won the treble: German Championship, DFB Cup and Champions League. After the season ended she won the European Championship in Sweden with the DFB team. In the following season she helped Wolfsburg retain the championship and Champions League title.
It therefore comes as no surprise that she extended her contract at Wolfsburg until 2017: "I've really managed to settle in here; I feel right at home. The conditions at VfL are great. I'm part of a fantastic team and I can still develop further here. There is no reason for me to leave this club."
"A very special game for all of us"
And the success story doesn't appear to be coming to an end any time soon. The treble is again within their sights this season. They could take a very big step towards winning the Allianz-Women-Bundesliga on Sunday (14:00 CET) when they play away to second-placed FC Bayern München.
"It's a very special game for all of us. We're really looking forward to it," admits Wensing. "We're not allowed to lose the game, that much is clear. A win would increase our lead at the top of the standings, but Sunday will definitely not decide the title race. We still have many more difficult games after that."
It's no ordinary game between table-toppers and their closest pursuers. It is also an encounter between the only two undefeated sides left this season. Both teams boast the best defences in the Allianz-Women-Bundesliga, making this a truly special top clash. Wolfsburg are looking to increase their lead to five points, while a defeat would result in FC Bayern taking top spot for the time being.
Just one goal conceded
But just how can Wolfsburg lose a game? They are always capable of scoring goals, even though the first meeting of the sides this season ended in a 0-0 draw. At the same time, Ralf Kellermann's team have just conceded one goal this season. This is a great achievement after 14 games.
This is partly thanks to Wensing, who is a regular in Wolfsburg's defence: "It’s often said that defending starts with the forwards and that's definitely the case here at Wolfsburg. We put pressure on the opposition very high up the pitch in order to keep them away from our own penalty area and to relieve the pressure on our own defence."
The 20-time Germany international has developed incredibly in recent years and has worked her way to the top. She realised at a young age that football was her passion. She accompanied her twin brother Frederic to a training session at Rheinwacht Erfgen when she was five and immediately developed a love for the sport.
She played together with boys for ten years and this has clearly benefitted her in regards to tackles. At the age of 15 she joined FCR Duisburg and made her Bundesliga debut one year later. In 2009 she won the U17 European Championship and in 2011 she won the same tournament with the U19 side. In 2013 she secured the European title with Germany's senior squad.
Dream of taking part at the World Cup
"At times I have difficulties believing everything that has happened," explains Wensing. "I still remember playing football with a couple of boys when I was seven or eight years old. I was just looking to have fun, nothing else. It got serious when I started to be selected for representative teams."
The next major career highlight is on the horizon already, as Wensing and the DFB team will be considered amongst the favourites for this year's World Cup in Canada. "Playing in the World Cup would be a dream come true for me," says Wensing. Although she only turned 22 two weeks ago, Wensing has nearly won everything there is to win in women’s football – she’s only missing the World Cup.
But there is still quite a way to go before the summer. Wensing's primary concern will be facing FC Bayern in Munich on Sunday. "I'm still quite relaxed about it, but I'll definitely feel tense closer to the game," admits Wensing. "The night before or in the hours leading up to the game is when I started to feel tense normally." She will need this tension in order to play to her full capacities – the way it has always been.
[mmc/fr]
Since joining VfL Wolfsburg two and half years ago, life has been a dream for Luisa Wensing. Wensing and her club have had embarked on an unparalleled success story in women's football. The Good news is that it's not a dream. It's really happening.
In her first year with VfL she won the treble: German Championship, DFB Cup and Champions League. After the season ended she won the European Championship in Sweden with the DFB team. In the following season she helped Wolfsburg retain the championship and Champions League title.
It therefore comes as no surprise that she extended her contract at Wolfsburg until 2017: "I've really managed to settle in here; I feel right at home. The conditions at VfL are great. I'm part of a fantastic team and I can still develop further here. There is no reason for me to leave this club."
"A very special game for all of us"
And the success story doesn't appear to be coming to an end any time soon. The treble is again within their sights this season. They could take a very big step towards winning the Allianz-Women-Bundesliga on Sunday (14:00 CET) when they play away to second-placed FC Bayern München.
"It's a very special game for all of us. We're really looking forward to it," admits Wensing. "We're not allowed to lose the game, that much is clear. A win would increase our lead at the top of the standings, but Sunday will definitely not decide the title race. We still have many more difficult games after that."
It's no ordinary game between table-toppers and their closest pursuers. It is also an encounter between the only two undefeated sides left this season. Both teams boast the best defences in the Allianz-Women-Bundesliga, making this a truly special top clash. Wolfsburg are looking to increase their lead to five points, while a defeat would result in FC Bayern taking top spot for the time being.
Just one goal conceded
But just how can Wolfsburg lose a game? They are always capable of scoring goals, even though the first meeting of the sides this season ended in a 0-0 draw. At the same time, Ralf Kellermann's team have just conceded one goal this season. This is a great achievement after 14 games.
This is partly thanks to Wensing, who is a regular in Wolfsburg's defence: "It’s often said that defending starts with the forwards and that's definitely the case here at Wolfsburg. We put pressure on the opposition very high up the pitch in order to keep them away from our own penalty area and to relieve the pressure on our own defence."
The 20-time Germany international has developed incredibly in recent years and has worked her way to the top. She realised at a young age that football was her passion. She accompanied her twin brother Frederic to a training session at Rheinwacht Erfgen when she was five and immediately developed a love for the sport.
She played together with boys for ten years and this has clearly benefitted her in regards to tackles. At the age of 15 she joined FCR Duisburg and made her Bundesliga debut one year later. In 2009 she won the U17 European Championship and in 2011 she won the same tournament with the U19 side. In 2013 she secured the European title with Germany's senior squad.
Dream of taking part at the World Cup
"At times I have difficulties believing everything that has happened," explains Wensing. "I still remember playing football with a couple of boys when I was seven or eight years old. I was just looking to have fun, nothing else. It got serious when I started to be selected for representative teams."
The next major career highlight is on the horizon already, as Wensing and the DFB team will be considered amongst the favourites for this year's World Cup in Canada. "Playing in the World Cup would be a dream come true for me," says Wensing. Although she only turned 22 two weeks ago, Wensing has nearly won everything there is to win in women’s football – she’s only missing the World Cup.
But there is still quite a way to go before the summer. Wensing's primary concern will be facing FC Bayern in Munich on Sunday. "I'm still quite relaxed about it, but I'll definitely feel tense closer to the game," admits Wensing. "The night before or in the hours leading up to the game is when I started to feel tense normally." She will need this tension in order to play to her full capacities – the way it has always been.
