1 year ago
19
Germany skipper Alexandra Popp burst into this summer's Women's World Cup with 2 goals successful their opening triumph implicit Morocco - but it was 1 of her extremity celebrations which caught the eye.
"ET telephone home" is the celebrated punctuation from the fashionable subject fabrication movie released successful the 1980s, and Popp brought retired her interior alien successful Melbourne erstwhile her brace helped Germany to a 6-0 thrashing.
After acrobatically heading successful her 2nd extremity from a country earlier half-time, Popp pointed to the sky, smiled and pretended to beryllium connected the telephone - conscionable similar the alien successful the movie ET.
"The motion I utilized to observe my extremity comes from ET erstwhile helium wants to telephone home," said Popp. "I telephone location due to the fact that we're a agelong mode from home.
"It's not conscionable for those who beryllium successful beforehand of the TV, but besides for the radical who can't beryllium with america immoderate much and are precise important to me. It shows that I deliberation of them."
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Popp whitethorn beryllium a agelong mode from friends and household successful Germany, but she looked astatine location successful their opening lucifer of Group H, putting down an aboriginal marker successful the quest to triumph the Golden Boot.
The captain, who was a standout performer astatine Euro 2022 earlier wounded successful the warm-up ruled her retired of the last decision by England, has had a beardown play with Wolfsburg, impressing en way to the Champions League final.
And she hopes her wounded worries are down her arsenic she attempts to pb Germany to a 3rd satellite rubric successful Australia and New Zealand.
"I'm blessed that I've been steadfast each year. It is incredibly important and has fixed maine a batch of strength," said Popp.
"This lucifer was truly important of america to commencement this way.
"Of people not everything went perfectly - that would person been excessively overmuch to inquire successful the archetypal lucifer - but however we played and created opportunities gives america a batch of assurance for the remainder of the tournament."
Popp scored six goals successful past year's Euros and was lone beaten to the Golden Boot by England's Beth Mead, who had 4 further assists. So what tally is Popp targeting this clip around?
"I haven't acceptable myself a extremity connected however galore I volition score. I privation to scope the last and win. Apart from that I'm conscionable happy," said Popp.
"These 2 goals are evidently a large boost and enactment my confidence. I anticipation I tin proceed this mode and volition beryllium capable to enactment my team. But I don't truly attraction who scores arsenic agelong arsenic we do.
"I ever anticipation we volition person astatine slightest 1 much extremity than our opponents."
Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was pleased with what she saw successful their opening match, but said determination were inactive "details" to amended connected and praised Popp's contribution.
"That our goalscorer is besides our skipper is great. She knows she tin people from the crosses and we cognize however our squad plays," said Voss-Tecklenburg.
"Wherever she plays, she is simply a large leader, a large skipper and 1 of the precise best. She is besides a squad player.
"We don't conscionable person Alex but a batch of different players who instrumentality connected responsibility. It's a truly important facet of our team. But I'm truthful blessed that Alex is with america due to the fact that she is great."
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