Berger typifies Germany's fight as tough semifinal looms

Amid Germany's chaotic postmatch celebrations astatine Basel's St. Jakob-Park connected Saturday night, determination was 1 subordinate who recovered herself astatine the halfway of the media attention. "It's not conscionable me," goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger told the TV cameras arsenic they followed her astir the pitch. "The squad is besides important."

It was a typically humble outlook from a subordinate who has ne'er shown overmuch involvement successful seeking retired the spotlight. However, arsenic overmuch arsenic it required a monumental corporate effort from Germany to spot disconnected France and scope the semifinals of Euro 2025, Berger was undeniably leader of the night.

It had been a nighttime afloat of adversity for Christian Wuck's side. They had been reduced to 10 players successful the 13th infinitesimal aft experienced defender Kathrin Hendrich was dismissed for a blatant hairsbreadth propulsion connected Griedge Mbock wrong the punishment area. Their misery was past compounded erstwhile Grace Geyoro converted the resulting spot-kick, seemingly consigning the eight-time European champions to a disappointing quarterfinal exit.

But, galvanized by the challenging circumstances, Germany grew into the contest, equalizing done Chelsea's Sjoeke Nüsken aft 25 minutes to instrumentality France to other clip and, ultimately, penalties.

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Wuck's broadside survived immoderate large scares, with the interventions of VAR doubly denying France the accidental to reconstruct their pb owed to an offside infringement. But it was Berger who proved herself the quality maker, making a full of 9 saves crossed the 120 minutes -- the astir by a goalkeeper successful a Euros knockout signifier lucifer since 2013.

Among them was a stunning halt to forestall an ain extremity from teammate Janina Minge successful the archetypal information of other time; Berger diving backwards to inexplicably claw the shot disconnected the line.

"She is simply a subordinate who has had utmost experiences," Wuck said of his 34-year-old goalkeeper aft the game. "That is simply a precise important quality trait. I deliberation her religion and pathway successful beingness has made definite she is patient, and the patience and calmness she brings to the squad she proved today."

Indeed, Berger is simply a subordinate who knows amended than astir that determination are much important things successful beingness than football. In 2017, the erstwhile Chelsea goalkeeper -- who won 4 Women's Super League titles with the Blues earlier joining NWSL broadside Gotham FC successful 2024 -- was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

At the time, Berger was playing for Birmingham City, and she returned to the transportation conscionable 76 days aft her diagnosis, earning herself a spot successful the PFA Team of the Year with a drawstring of superb displays. Her fantabulous signifier earned her a determination to Chelsea the pursuing play however, successful 2022, she was erstwhile again dealt a immense idiosyncratic stroke erstwhile she discovered the crab had returned.

And perhaps, arsenic Wuck suggested, it was Berger's quality to enactment the precocious stakes of a shot lucifer into position that helped her to support a chill caput during Saturday's shootout. Showing small motion of anxiety, Berger brilliantly saved Amel Majri's opening punishment earlier emphatically slotting her ain spot-kick past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and making the decisive halt against Alice Sombath to gain Germany's spot successful the past four.

"Germany deserved the qualification," France manager Laurent Bonadei admitted aft the game. "The Germany squad was heroic.

"They truly wounded america successful the duels ... They defended precise good successful their half; they didn't permission immoderate space. It was truly hard to find solutions betwixt the lines. We tried to usage the wings, but our passing was not bully enough."

For France, who besides mislaid retired to Germany successful the semifinals astatine Euro 2022, it was a bruising night. But for Germany, beaten by England successful the last astatine Wembley 3 years ago, it was different reminder of their enduring pedigree connected this stage.

They are -- by immoderate region -- the astir palmy squad successful Women's European Championship history, winning 8 retired of the 13 erstwhile editions of the tournament, including six consecutive triumphs betwixt 1995 and 2013. They are besides two-time Women's World Cup winners and claimed Olympic Gold successful 2016.

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Berger praises Germany teammates aft shootout heroics

After her important penalties show against France, Ann-Katrin Berger credits her teammates arsenic Germany beforehand to the Euro 2025 semi-final vs. Spain.

But, aft their near-miss astatine Euro 2022, Germany faltered, memorably failing to marque it retired of the World Cup radical signifier for the archetypal clip successful their past successful 2023. By the extremity of that year, manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg had near her relation by communal consent, with Wuck taking complaint successful the summertime of 2024 pursuing Horst Hrubesch's little interim spell arsenic boss.

Wuck had spent much than a decennary with the German Football Association (DFB), guiding the men's Under-17 broadside to glory astatine the FIFA U-17 World Cup successful Indonesia successful 2023. He had ne'er coached a women's squad before, but DfB president Bernd Neuendorf inactive felt helium was the close antheral for the job.

"Christian has proven helium tin make personalities and mold teams into a cohesive unit," Neuendorf said. "I americium convinced that helium is the close idiosyncratic to pb our squad into the future."

Certainly, that cohesion was wide against France, erstwhile the squad bounced backmost from their chastening 4-1 radical signifier decision to Sweden to clinch a triumph that defied the odds.

"I tin accidental for definite that contiguous was the champion and hardest-fought show I've seen from the squad since I've known them -- against an hostile who demanded everything from us," Wuck said successful his postmatch quality conference. "That was incredible."

If Germany are to marque it past satellite champions and tourney favorites Spain successful the semifinals, though, they volition request to beryllium prepared for an adjacent tougher battle. The continued lack of skipper Giulia Gwinn -- who suffered a superior genu wounded successful her country's tourney opener against Poland -- is simply a monolithic blow, portion Nusken and Hendrich volition besides beryllium suspended for the clash with Spain successful Zurich.

Still, with Germany already having pulled disconnected the near-impossible against France, lone a fool would stake against them making much past connected Wednesday night.