Easygoing and dangerous in front of goal: the young striker is the new hope for Germany ahead of the Women's World Cup in France. Can her goals lead Germany to the title in France this summer?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Kirchner
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Lea Schüller always steps onto the pitch with her left foot first. It's a ritual, not uncommon in football. Schüller's shin guards, a present last Christmas, are a little more memorable, though.
"On the right there's a lion, symbolising bravery and a willingness to fight. On the left is a picture from a game when we scored the winner in the 90th minute and are celebrating together," Schüller explained at a sponsoring event.
German football fans wouldn't mind seeing a similar scene on July 7th in the World Cup final in Lyon. That this year's tournament will take place in France is a funny coincidence for Lea Schüller. After all, it was in France that Schüller discovered her passion for football.
"I took a holiday in France in 2004 and watched the European Championship. After that, I desperately wanted to play football so I joined a club," the 21-year-old said.
Schüller was seven at the time. Today, 14 years later, Lea Schüller is the new great hope of Germany's team at the Women's World Cup.
"Lea is a striker who doesn't need many chances to score a goal," Germany's head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told DW. "She's a fox in the box, who has plenty of qualities."
Image: picture-alliance/ZB/T. Eisenhuth
Schüller, who plays for SGS Essen, who finished fourth in the women's Bundesliga this past season, can do it all. Her long-range goal against Austria last year was voted Goal of the Year. Against France, she showed her excellent technique by delivering a fine turn and finish with her left foot. She can also score with her head, as she did against the Czech Republic.
"She can shoot with both her right and left foot. She's good in the air. Her size gives her a physical advantage and she brings with her a certain coolness, even though she's still very young," Voss-Tecklenburg said.
"She's a target woman," praised Horst Hrubesch, who was interim head coach of Germany's women's team last year and secured qualification for the tournament in France.
"Bold as brass on the pitch"
Schüller has 12 Germany caps and has already scored an impressive eight goals.
"She has an enormous potential," said teammate Lena Goessling. Goalkeeper Almuth Schult added: "We're excited about what lies ahead. On the pitch she's as bold as brass."
Off the pitch, the engineering management student is more reserved. But she has made herself a part of the team in more ways than one.
"I don't have a specific role in the team," Schüller said. "I can be funny, but also focused and I always try to support my team."
The way she does that best is through her goals. At the last big tournament though, the European Championships in the Netherlands two years ago, those goals were noticeable by their absence as Germany surprisingly found themselves out of the tournament at the quarterfinal stage. It didn't help that Lea Schüller didn't make the final Germany squad for the tournament.
'Control the load'
Two years on, though, only an injury or illness could stop Lea Schüller from taking part in her first big, international tournament.
"Lea has to work on her physical strength. She's been injured a lot lately," Voss-Tecklenburg said, with a warning: "If you don't have the physical condition, then it's tough to perform regularly at the top level. We have to make sure that we carefully control the load on such a young player."
Perhaps it's fitting then that Schüller's idol is Borussia Dortmund's captain Marco Reus, a player who famously missed the 2010 and 2014 World Cups as well as the 2016 Euros due to injury.
"I like the way he plays the game. With such pace and drive towards goal, he's my idol," she said.
Schüller wants to deliver exactly those qualities in France, and lead Germany to their third Women's World Cup. Three stars on the shirt and the Germany team with the World Cup trophy in their hands - two perfect pictures for a new pair of shin guards.
The top players at the Women's World Cup
Which players are going to make their mark at the Women's World Cup? Who could emerge as a new superstar at the tournament? There are a host of talented players at the tournament. DW has picked 12 to watch out for.
Image: picture-alliance/Citypress24/S. Chamid
Lieke Martens (Netherlands)
The star of the Netherlands' home win at the Euros two years ago, Martens is already one of the best players in the world. The 26-year-old, who plays for Barcelona, has been nicknamed "Messi's little sister" because of her style of play. The Dutch superstar is an excellent dribbler, finisher and often controls the tempo of the game. In 2017, she was named the Best FIFA Women's player.
Image: picture-alliance/Citypress24/S. Chamid
Christine Sinclair (Canada)
Canada's most capped player and top goal scorer will be playing in her fifth World Cup in France this summer. Despite being 36 years old, Sinclair remains the most important player in the team. Since making her debut aged 19, Sinclair has gone on to make a remarkable 282 appearances and score an unbelievable 181 goals for her country.
Image: picture-alliance/empics
Wendie Renard (France)
Wendie Renard (l.) is at the heart of both Olympique Lyon and France. The central defender has won the French league title with Lyon an incredible 13 consecutive times, and has won the Champions League six times. Renard is one of the best defenders in the world and will be an integral part of France's attempt to win a World Cup title on home turf.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand
Lucy Bronze (England)
Lucy Bronze is one of the best footballers in the world and will definitely be a key player for England at the 2019 Women's World Cup. Bronze, whose full name is Lucia Roberta Tough "Lucy" Bronze, has won a host of honors at club level. For England, she finished third at the 2015 World Cup and was a semifinalist at the 2017 Euros. This year, the Lyon defender is keen to go one or two steps better.
Image: Getty Images/N. Baker
Irene Paredes (Spain)
Fast, strong in the tackle and dominant in the air, Paredes is a force to be reckoned with. The central defender, who has played for Paris Saint-Germain since 2016, is also handy in front of goal. Paredes scored four goals for Spain during World Cup qualifying, putting her top of her team's scoring charts. Paredes is a top defender and will face Germany in the group stage.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/J. Breton
Marta (Brazil)
"Fight against prejudices, a lack of support, against everyone that says you can't do it," Marta Vieira da Silva wrote in The Players' Tribune. The 33-year-old is a six-time Best FIFA Women's Player of the year. For many, the Brazilian striker, who plays her club football for Orlando Pride, is still one of the best in the world. There's no doubt she's a legend in the women's game.
Image: Getty Images
Carli Lloyd (USA)
The striker is perhaps the best player under pressure in the world. She scored the goals that won the United States the gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. In the last World Cup Final in 2015, she scored a hat trick in the USA's 5-2 win over Japan. Her numbers are astounding: 273 caps, 110 goals and 52 assists. And in 2015 and 2016 she was the Best FIFA Women's player of the year.
Image: Getty Images/P. Vilela
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
Oshoala's talent blossomed in 2014 at the Under-20 World Cup. Oshoala lost the final with Nigeria, but won the Golden Ball for the best player and the Golden Shoe for the top goal scorer (7). Her stock has since risen further and now she plays her club football for Barcelona. She has twice won the African Cup of Nations and has been named Africa's Female Football of the year three times.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Kisbenedek
Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany)
Germany's No. 10 is the perfect playmaker: a strong dribbler, dangerous in front of goal and good at set pieces. Marozsan is one of the most decorated footballers in Germany. The 27-year-old has won the Champions League four times. In 2013 she won the Euros, and three years later she secured Olympic gold. Now Marozsan wants to win the World Cup with Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/GES/T. Eisenhuth
Amandine Henry (France)
Almost every attacking move goes through midfielder Amandine Henry (right.), regardless of whether she's playing for her club Olympique Lyon or France. Henry is excellent at winning the ball back and quickly transitioning from defense to attack. The way in which the 29-year-old reads the game is just one of the reasons she's considered one of the best in the world.
Image: Reuters/V. Ogirenko
Samantha Kerr (Australia)
Samantha Kerr holds the record for most goals (50) scored in the National Women's Soccer League (USA). At the age of 15, she made her debut in Australia's women's team. Since then she has led the "Matildas", to the No. 6 spot in the FIFA world rankings and the tournament in France this summer. She celebrates every one of her goals with a somersault - a sight Aussie fans hope to see a lot of.
Image: Getty Images/G. Denholm
Saki Kumagai (Japan)
Kumagai has won six French league titles with Olympique Lyon, as well as four straight Champions League trophies. The captain of Japan led her country to glory at the 2018 Asian Cup. Kumagai has been captain since 2018, but has been taking on responsibility since the 2011 World Cup against the USA, when the defender scored the winning penalty. The 28-year-old already has over 100 caps for Japan.
