FSV Waldebene Ost are down 0-1 to TSV Heumaden in their U17 Bezirksstaffel match. Nothing's working. The ball comes to Stella Dandache on her own half, left side of the pitch.
"I waited for the through ball and saw an opportunity to go past the defenders and dribble to the inside," Stella says.
Most wingers would see a defender and look for support. Stella saw space beyond the defender and drove forward. First defender beaten. Second defender closing. She reached the left corner of the penalty box, opponents surrounding her.
This is where decisions get made in fractions of seconds. Go wide, cut back, shoot from distance, or manufacture something better.
Stella flicked the ball behind her supporting leg with her heel, cutting inside. One touch to create space. One more to pick the far corner. Right foot. Through the bodies, the ball found the side netting on the opposite end from where she struck it.
Goal.
Stella turned and walked back toward the halfway line. Her teammates sprinted to her, surrounding her with cheers and congratulations. Cool finish, cooler reaction.
"We were 0-1 down, and the game didn't go our way up to that point," she says. "I just took the shot and knew I hit that ball well. I’m glad it helped the team to turn things around."
The winger plays for FSV Waldebene Ost's U17s but already trains with the women's team in Germany's fourth division. That goal against Heumaden helped turn a 0-1 deficit into a 3-2 win. More importantly, it announced what her coaches already knew. Stella can play.
Goal of the year
Stella's best friend received the video first. The reply came back fast: "Goal of the year!"
It’s funny how these things sometimes work. That text message from her friend, half-joking, turned into something real when the goal was submitted for this year's People's Puskas, which spotlights the best goals scored away from the biggest arenas.
"Absolutely exciting!" Stella says. "I was really happy after the game, the goal was captured on video. Now I'm even happier it is nominated for the People's Puskas! It is so funny because my best friend texted me this, and now it might become reality."
Reality has a way of catching up with talent. Stella already practices with Waldebene Ost's senior women's team in the Oberliga. The U17 matches? That's where she puts it into practice.
Film room applause
Stella rewatches every match recorded with Veo, not just her goals. The team analyzes games in the film room every two weeks, breaking down what worked and what didn't. It's how young players get better. Seeing what they did right and, more often, what they did wrong.
"I rewatch every game we capture, not just the goals," Stella says. "Of course, this goal is special, but it is not just about capturing those special moments. The documentation of the games helps us grow as a team and helps me to get better."
That goal against Heumaden got a round of applause in the film room. It deserved it. But Stella's point stands. The spectacular moments matter, but so do the hundred small decisions that separate a decent player from one who might go somewhere.
The heel touch behind the supporting leg that created the angle. The composure to pick her spot with opponents all around her. The awareness to know, the instant she struck it, that she'd hit it clean. Then, the cool walk back while teammates sprinted to celebrate.
Already training with the senior team, already scoring goals that make people text "goal of the year." Stella Dandache is going somewhere. This goal is just proof she's on her way.
