As is usually the case with sports, the men's competition is the talk of the world. Women's soccer is not always as fast or as high-scoring … but is fascinating in its own right. There is a major match coming up to decide who will make it to the finals against Potsdam - will it be Umea or Lyon? After the volcanic eruption in Europe and air travel trouble, s this match was delayed and is now hotly anticipated. We check out some of the history and predictions.
The Matches
Here is the schedule for the semi-finals women's matches:
10 April 2010
Lyon 3-2 Umeå Full time » Referee: Beck (GER)
Stadium: Stade de Gerland, Lyon (FRA)
11 April 2010
Duisburg 1-0 Potsdam Full time » Referee: Damkova (CZE)
Stadium: PCC Stadion, Duisburg (GER)
Semi-finals : 28 - 18 April 2010
28 April 2010
Umeå 20:00 Lyon More » Referee: Dorcioman (ROU)
Stadium: Gammliavallen, Umeå (SWE)
18 April 2010
Potsdam 1-0 Duisburg Full time » Referee: Gaál (HUN)
Stadium: Karl Liebknecht, Potsdam (GER)
Potsdam vs Duisberg - The Recap
As you can see above, each side scored a goal apiece. However, Potsdam made it through to the final 3-1 on penalties. Anna Felicitas Sarholz saved 3 spot kicks to send Potsdam on to compete in the finals in 3 weeks' time.
Peering into the Future…
Looking at the statistics, Lyon has a slight upper hand. Both teams have scored 17 goals each in the UEFA competition this season, but Lyon has had 107 shots on target compared to Umea's 57, and only 3 goals scored against them compared to 6 against Umea. Lyon has also been 'nicer girls', committing 48 fouls to Umea's 68.
However, courtesy of Hannah Petersson's 2 goals, Umea only has a single goal to make up in tomorrow's match to draw even with Lyon. Umea are two-time UEFA Champion's Cup winners, and the Swedish side defeated the French in 2007/08.
The Final
The women's UEFA Champion's League final (Potsdam vs Lyon or Umea) will also be held in Madrid, and will be played 2 days before the men's match. The 20th of May is when it all goes down - stay tuned, as we'll take a preview of the women's match a little closer to the day!