📰 Union's Unforgettable Night: Eta Pioneers the Bench 📰
How about a thrilling twist in the Bundesliga? 🚀
Marie-Louise Eta (32), stepping into the limelight with interim coach Marco Grote (51), saw her Union debut in a 1-1 draw against Augsburg. And guess what? She's the Bundesliga's first female assistant coach!
Eta, with her passion for football, shifted gears from being a player in Bremen from 2014 to 2018, to coaching Union's U19s alongside Grote. You could hear her booming commands during the game, showing her determination from the get-go. An eruption of joy echoed at the final whistle, as Union managed to secure a point after a streak of nine consecutive league defeats.
The tension was palpable before kick-off.
United Union fans paid tribute to former coach Urs Fischer (57), who had led the team from the second division to the Champions League. His departure was marked with heartfelt chants, posters, and a choreographed display ("Thank you Urs & Hoffi" and "You made dreams come true that we never really had").
The penalty controversy! Augsburg successfully converted a penalty (Gosens to Engels), putting them ahead at 0-1 (39'). Demirovic coolly netted, marking his seventh goal of the season for Augsburg's top scorer.
BamS referee expert Kinhöfer on the penalty: "Gosens burst into the box with high intensity and fouled him with his foot. There couldn't be two opinions about the whistle, as the foul took place inside the penalty area. It was a clear-cut penalty. I don't understand why referee Badstübner checked the monitor after all."
Union missed numerous opportunities to equalize: Behrens (10th/27th), Fofana (45th + 4), and even Knoche failed to score from a penalty given after video evidence against Augsburg's goalkeeper Dahmen (58', Iago to Trimmel).
Volland's late-game heroics saved the day for Union, netting his first-ever goal for the club to make it 1-1 (88'). His strike marked the end of Union's 506-minute scoreless streak in the Bundesliga.
Volland's thoughts: "A mix of emotions. Our performance was top-notch today. We definitely deserved all three points."
Union coach Grote: "We'll take the point, the goal, and the energy. It was a step in the right direction."
Co-coach Eta agreed, praising the hard-earned point as a significant milestone in her historic debut. With Grote by her side, she might continue this journey in Union's upcoming games against Braga (Wednesday) and Bayern (Saturday).
Grote spoke on their future plans: "I'm assuming that we'll also accompany the Braga game."
- The Union Berlin vs. FC Augsburg 1907 match was extensively covered in the 'Bundesliga at Bild' section, with a focus on the team's remarkable improvements and Marie-Louise Eta's debut.
- Eta's impactful presence in Union Berlin's 1-1 draw against an unnamed opponent has cemented her place in the Bundesliga as the league's first female assistant coach, showcasing the transformative influence of women in sports coaching.
