CENTER BACK: GIULIA GWINN (GERMANY)
Club Teammates at the Olympics:
Sydney Lohmann (MF) - Germany
Klara Buhl (FW) - Germany
Ana Guzman (DF) - Colombia
GIULIA GWINN
REPRESENTING COUNTRY: Germany
POSITION: Defender
AGE: 24
CLUB: FC Bayern Munich
CAPS: 43
HONORS: Frauen-Bundesliga champions (2021, 2023), UEFA Women's Championship Team of the Tournament (2022), Women's World Cup Best Young Player (2019),
PERSONAL OLYMPICS HISTORY: Gwinn has not been to the Olympics.
SIGNATURE MOVE: Crossing, technical dribbling skill, attacking mindset
BACKGROUND ON GERMANY'S TEAM: The German Women's National Team is the 5th ranked team internationally just below the USWNT. This year's Olympics will be this German team's first appearance at the tournament since 2016 after failing to qualify for the last tournament. They qualified by winning the third place play-off match against the Netherlands in the UEFA Women's Nations League Finals this year. They reached the final in the 2022 Euros, but lost to the host England. In the 2023 Women's World Cup, Germany had an early group exit after losing to Colombia and tying with South Korea. This was a a massive upset considering Germany had never missed the knockout stage in history. Germany will have a lot to prove in this summer's Olympics following this poor showing.
Why we picked her:
Giulia Gwinn is our pick for our Olympic Dream Team's left back. While she is typically found in the right back position, her versatility grants her an ability to play in the midfield and in the attacking third. Gwinn was first called up to the German National Team at age 17 in 2017 and since, she has shown up big with goals in important matches, quickly making her a pillar of the team. In the 2019 World Cup, she earned Best Young Player for her goal in a 1-0 group stage match against China.
She has suffered two ACL tears on two different legs, causing her to most recently miss the 2022/23 season including the World Cup. However, she returned for the 2023/24 season where she was recently named as the captain on April 5, 2024.
In the video linked, you can see how Gwinn is a very forward-minded defender and has the technical skills to back it up. With her cuts, explosive acceleration, and occasional step overs or backheels, she is an exciting player to watch. Whether it will be in the locker room as captain, or on the field as a game-changing outside back, Gwinn will have a palpable impact on her team this summer.