Germany’s Most Confusing Player
Sydney Matilda Lohmann.
Many of you may have never heard of the name before and might think that this is some random Australian superstar or something, but no, this is the name of a talented German woman playing for the best team in Germany and one of the most successful national teams in women’s football.
To be honest, when I first got into the women’s football rabbit hole, it took a while before I got into the German women’s team and the Frauen-Bundesliga. However, when went through the roster for both the 2022 Euros and the 2023 World Cup, I noticed a unique name within their ranks.
Named after the Australian city by her parents who were on trip around the world, the current number twelve for FC Bayern rose through the ranks of local clubs SV Lengenfeld and VfL Kaufenring before making a move to regional league side SC Fürstenfeldbruck sometime before 2016. Later that same year, she would move to FC Bayern München’s youth side before making her official debut in March 2017 as a sixteen-year-old. However, it would only be in the 2018/19 season that she would make a complete breakthrough in the first team, playing in 21 of the 22 games in the league and making a further four appearances in the DFB Pokal. In the 25 games she took part in, she scored four goals, which was quite impressive for an eighteen-year-old. The thing is with this geography enthusiast is that she couldn’t keep the same level of performance across multiple seasons, because after having a low-key season in 2019-20 where she scored zero goals in the league and only taking part in thirteen games, she would become the second-highest scorer in the team with ten goals in the league and fourteen in all competitions even though she was on the starting eleven only nine times (out of 27 games) that season. Again, however, this incredible form would not translate into the new season as a few games in, she would suffer a hip injury that sidelined her for most of the season, only playing twelve games in all competitions, most of them coming on as a substitute. But then, Lohmann performed quite well once again in the 2022-23 season as Bayern won their second title in three years, scoring five in the league and another one in the Champions League as the Bavarians were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Arsenal, which this scene happened.
The thing is, right, this season, she has another one of those shocking seasons because when Bayern came to visit Frankfurt last March (I was there by the way), I saw the statistics and her name showed ten games, zero goals, and zero assists. Granted, it was just in the league but as a more offensive-oriented player she would have, well, goals and/or assists. So, in order to do this, we need to explore another “issue”: the central attacking midfield role.
During the season where Lohmann scored fourteen goals in all competitions, she was deployed more as a right-sided substitute as the CAM role was already filled by one of these two players: Linda Dallmann and Lina Magull. With both having similar profiles to Lohmann, they would be rather prioritized due to seniority and dimensions they bring. This constellation would continue throughout the years and into the national team as well, with Magull being the more reliable of the three and played the most significant role in tournaments such as the Euros. But, in 2023, Bayern signed Pernille Harder (alongside her partner Magdalena Eriksson) from Chelsea on a free transfer. On face value, this is considered a significant move for German football as Harder, a former VFL Wolfsburg superstar, would represent the Reds and signal their intent towards a power shift in German football. But, as the Dane’s best role is as a number 10, all three would essentially be sharing play time either substituting in for Harder in that role or playing on the right, something Lohmann has done before, both in club and international level. But, manager Alexander Straus would eventually rotate between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 formation, with Harder instead playing on the right in both occasions. Due to this shift and a lack of play time, it was longtime captain Lina Magull who had to leave, departing for Inter Milan during the winter transfer window. The success of the 4-4-2 meant that both Dallmann and Lohmann were mostly utilized as substitutes, as Straus implemented the tested partnership of Lea Schüller and Jovana Damnjanovic.
But then, why hasn’t she been deployed in a more central and/or defensive midfield role? Well, there are two problems: Georgia Stanway and Sarah Zadrazil. These two have been the best double pivot in the league over the last two seasons, with Stanway also posing a regular goal threat, scoring in each of the last four league games for the Bavarians, bringing her total to six for the season. While Lohmann’s physique, build, and ability to bully opponents off the ball seems to theoretically suit this role, it is not to the extent that both Stanway and Zadrazil bring to the table. In addition, the incoming transfer of Lena Oberdorf would make this role quite difficult to break through, as she currently plays an irreplaceable role for both club and country.
Where does this leave poor old Sydney?
Well, thankfully for her, Alexander Straus is a fan of rotations and no player (except Mala Grohs) will play every single game, and as such, there will be moments where she will be getting extended runs for the team, be it as a starter on CAM or as an option off the bench. With her contract recently extended until 2026, it is apparent that she trusts and loves the club and has confidence in herself to play an integral role in the development of FC Bayern as the leading force in German football and eventually in Europe as well. One important note for Lohmann in all this is the fact that she came through the youth system at the club and has been a massive fan ever since childhood, which makes her, in a sense, similar to the likes of Thomas Müller. Succeeding and becoming a focal point in the club’s ranks will be a great story to behold.
To be honest, I like Sydney Lohmann both on and off the pitch. She is just one of those players that you just couldn’t help but root for. Sure, it is not to the same extent of the likes of teammate Giulia Gwinn (who overcame two anterior cruciate ligament injuries) or Alexandra Popp (longtime captain of the German national team) in terms of narratives, but with how she conducts herself in interviews, how she is this face of the club and her pursuit of advancement in women’s football, there is something wonderful cooking in the still very young career of Sydney Lohmann.
