Alexandra Popp made an impressive return to the international stage with a pair of goals in in its opening game at the .
T after experiencing muscular problems prior to the match. She鈥檇 scored in each of Germany鈥檚 previous matches in the competition, becoming the first player to score in five consecutive games in the women鈥檚 tournament.
鈥淔or me, personally, I鈥檝e been happy I鈥檝e been healthy all year,鈥� Popp said. 鈥淚 can support my team. That is important to me, and that gives me strength, and I hope that stays the same throughout the tournament.鈥�
Against Morocco, Popp showed why she is such a crucial piece of a German team that was considered one of the pre-tournament favorites.
She scored the first two goals of the night, heading in goals in the 11th and 39th minutes and celebrating the second by 鈥渃alling鈥� home and pointing to the sky. She borrowed the idea from the 1980s move E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
鈥淚 鈥榩hone home鈥� because I鈥檓 a long way from home,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just for the people who sit in front of the TV at home, but also the people who can鈥檛 be with us anymore.鈥�
With the brace, Popp tied Inka Grings as Germany鈥檚 third all-time leading scorer with 64 goals. She now has five goals across the four World Cups she has played in.
Popp finished her recent season with Wolfsburg as the top scorer in the Frauen-Bundesliga with 16 goals. The club was unable to capture the league championship last season, although Popp has helped them capture seven titles since her debut in 2012.
In 2016, Popp won her first Olympic gold medal, helping Germany beat Sweden.
And Germany fans will hope that Popp can continue to show the form she showed in Melbourne as it pursues its third World Cup title.
鈥淪he鈥檚 an amazing player, and I think you could also see today on the pitch that she鈥檚 always there,鈥� teammate Sara D盲britz said. 鈥淪he scored two goals, two important ones. So we鈥檙e very happy to have her on our team. She鈥檚 one of the leaders.鈥�
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Emily Dozier is a student at the University of Georgia鈥檚 Carmical Sports Media Institute.
鈥斺�� AP Women鈥檚 World Cup coverage:
Emily Dozier, The Associated Press
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