German treble topples Iceland
July 14, 2013
The German national team moved top of Group B with Sunday evening's 3-0 win over Iceland. FFC Frankfurt's Celia Okoyina da Mbabi (pictured) put the result beyond doubt in the second half, adding a brace to teenager Lena Lotzen's first-half strike.
Silvia Neid's side on Thursday drew 0-0 in their opening game against the Netherlands, who lost 1-0 to Norway on Sunday evening.
Germany and Norway now sit atop the group, both on four points with Germany in front courtesy of a superior goal difference. Germany's third and final group game is against Norway, meaning just a draw would be enough to guarantee qualification to the quarterfinals, most likely as group winners.
Despite taking a back seat to the US and Japan in the women's World Cup in Germany in 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics, the German team is seeking a sixth successive European Championship in Sweden - or indeed a seventh in eight attempts.
Sunday's win was watched by 4,260 spectators in Vaxyo, who saw one of Germany's new stars, 19-year-old Lotzen, break the deadlock mid-way through the first period. Okoyina da Mbabi added to the score-line with 55 minutes played and then put the game to bed with just over five minutes left.
Silvia Neid, 49, has coached the German women's team since 2005, after almost a decade as co-trainer before that.
msh/jm (dpa, SID)