Midfielder and striker Maren Meinert was a member of the German women’s football squad that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics by beating Brazil 2-0. Therefore, she was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. Meinert won 92 international caps and scored 33 goals. In 2003, she was a member of the squad winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup and was World Cup runner-up in 1995. She also won the UEFA European Women’s Championship In 1995, 1997, and 2001.
At club level, Meinert played with FCR Duisburg (1996-2000), FFC Brauweiler Pulheim (2000-01), and Boston Breakers in the US (2001-03). She helped Duisburg win the German Championship in 2000 and the German Cup in 1998. Meinert turned to coaching after her active career and was in charge of the German U19 and U20 women’s national teams from 2005-19. With those teams she won the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and 2014, and the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in 2006-07 and 2011.
Germany