Jule Brand, Germany’s golden girl

The first-ever edition of Tuttosport’s Golden Girl award for best U-21 women’s footballer went this October to Germany’s Jule Brand — VfL Wolfsburg’s dynamic young winger, who at just 20 years of age has already made her mark for club and country.

Brand commonly plays on the left wing opposite national team teammate Svenja Huth for the Frauen-Bundesliga leaders, who are still perfect after seven matchdays. She played left and right for Germany in last summer’s EURO in the wake of Klara Bühl’s COVID absence, and recently assisted the 90th-minute winner for her country over the USWNT in the first of their two November friendlies with a blazing run down the wing.

In an interview with Soccer Bible in May, she named some players whom she idolizes both on and off the pitch — including Leroy Sané of the Bayern Munich men’s side, who like her is a pacey, technically gifted left-footed winger and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, “what he does off the pitch with his foundation is class,” she said. “Also he knows how to dress.”

As for her own career ambitions, she named Alex Morgan’s accomplishments as ones she hopes to replicate. The USWNT forward has won both the World Cup with her country and the Champions League with Olympique Lyon — and within the next year, Brand will have her chance to do both. “She is an absolute inspiration,” Brand said.

From a Bayern perspective, it’s not easy knowing that the defending champions in Wolfsburg have so much talent, both veteran and next-generation, at their disposal. But it makes the Frauen-Bundesliga title challenge all the more exciting — and it’s great to see big talent making their way up in the German league.

Auf geht’s!