The Carl Zeiss Jena women’s football team is back in the top league: On the last matchday of the second division season, the FCC perfected its return to the Bundesliga with two late goals against relegated Hoffenheim II.
FC Carl Zeiss Jena is returning to the women’s Bundesliga. After two years in the second division, coach Florian Kästner’s team completed their return to the first division on Sunday (May 26, 2024) with a 2-0 (0-0) win against relegated Hoffenheim II. The goals for the return came late: Felicia Sophie Sträßer (84th) and Josephine Bonsu (90th + 3rd) only scored in the final phase of the game.
2. Bundesliga (F): Results & Tables Arrow right Statistics & Ticker for reading: FC Carl Zeiss Jena – TSG Hoffenheim II Arrow right
Players of FC Carl Zeiss Jena celebrate
Potsdam also celebrates – Meppen stays in 2nd league
Jena finished the second division in second place. Turbine Potsdam also returned to the first division with FCC. Potsdam won 2-1 in Ingolstadt on Sunday after falling behind at one point and was promoted as second division champions. SV Meppen, on the other hand, narrowly missed promotion despite a 5-1 win against Wolfsburg II, finishing third, one point behind Jena.
Hoffenheim has better chances
Jena, which ended the season with only one home defeat and as the strongest away team in the league, had a hard time with the “match point for promotion”. Instead of the FCC women, the bottom-placed Hoffenheim started with commitment and attack. The guests also had the best chances of the first half: right at the start, Milena Röder only hit the post (7th). Shortly before the end of the half, TSG player Leonie Schetter had already outplayed FCC goalkeeper Jasmin Janning, but the later goalscorer Felicia Sophie Sträßer saved on the goal line (39th).
The Jena fans on the sports field behind the Ernst-Abbe sports field had to wait a long time for the FCC women’s first real big chance. Before the break, Melina Laura Reuter was half a step too late for the best opportunity (37′).
Redemption in the final phase
Jena dominated the game for long stretches, but it was only in the second half that the Thuringians’ attacks became more compelling. After 60 minutes, the score should have been 1-0: After nice preparatory work from Bonsu on the right, Merza Julevic had already outwitted TSG goalkeeper Lena Locher, but shot just wide of the empty goal (60th minute). Shortly afterwards, Julevic again narrowly missed a pass from the left (66th minute). So the fans and players had to wait until the 84th minute. Sträßer scored the goal of salvation after a free kick from midfield: Substitute Nicole Woldmann brought the ball to the five-meter box, and Sträßer headed the ball into the far corner to score the redeeming goal (84th minute).
Arnold says goodbye with an assist
The final decision was made in injury time and thanks to the preparatory work of Jena veteran Julia Arnold, who will be leaving FCC after the season. From 20 meters, Arnold hammered the ball onto the underside of the crossbar, and Bonsu headed the rebound in to make it 2-0 (90th + 3rd). Now all the dams broke. The final whistle shortly afterwards was drowned out by cheers.
Dirk Hofmeister
