- "Machine in the gate": Ann-Katrin Berger and her Elf Coup
Twelve hours after her penalty heroics, Ann-Katrin Berger boarded the team bus of Germany's women's football team, bound for Lyon to continue her fairytale Olympic journey. A few meters away, Marina Hegering was still in awe of her goalkeeper. "Ice cold, merciless, amazing. It was absolutely remarkable. Hats off, that's unique," said the team captain before departure. Having successfully navigated the quarterfinal thriller in Marseille against Canada, the team of coach Horst Hrubesch now faces the United States in the Olympic semi-final on Tuesday (6:00 PM).
"I feel like we really needed that. Just to test our mentality, especially at a tournament like this. I think it will give us a big boost for the next game," said Berger. The 33-year-old saved two penalty kicks in regular time and extra time, and calmly scored the decisive penalty to secure a 4:2 victory.
Two cancer diagnoses in recent years
That Berger, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2017 and again in 2022 during the Euros, has risen to become Germany's number one goalkeeper at the Olympics is something she has already described as a "happy ending." Now, the Swabian has suddenly become an Olympic hero - and there could be more to come.
"I never thought I would be playing here. Now that we've come this far, it makes sense to go for the final," she said in the Stade Vélodrome catacombs, adding: "For every athlete, the gold medal is the happy ending. That would be the perfect fairytale."
Hrubesch rates USA stronger than Canada
But first, the Hrubesch team faces a "really strong opponent." The USA defeated the German team 4:1 in the second group stage match. Coach Hrubesch also acknowledged after the tough match against Tokyo Olympic champions Canada: "At the end of the day, I would rate the Americans a bit higher. We'll see if they take us by surprise again - or if we can change that. The job my girls are doing is sensationally good." The Americans also had to go to extra time against Japan.
The 73-year-old's dream of reaching the final at the Parisian Parc des Princes continues. "One more win, and we're guaranteed a medal," said DFB sports director Nia Künzer. There's also the game for third place to consider.
Popp praises "machine in goal"
The former world champion called Berger a "pretty cool customer." "We have a machine in goal," said captain Alexandra Popp in amazement after the final whistle. "And that she then calmly scores herself - hats off to that kind of cold-bloodedness." It was Berger's first penalty kick in a game.
Berger herself almost saved a penalty kick, but the ball rolled in under her body. "It was a cool feeling, it was fun," she commented on her memorable performance.
Hrubesch then gave the goalkeeper a friendly ribbing. "He gave me a hard time for not saving the third penalty. He always likes to tease me: 'Why don't you just save the balls?'" Berger reported with a laugh, joking: "I didn't want to save it because I also wanted to score myself."
Berger's partner is incredibly proud.
With her coup, Berger also made her sweetheart overjoyed. Jessica Carter, who's under contract as a national goalkeeper with US club NJ/NY Gotham FC, posted on Instagram the TV footage of the crucial moments, captioning it: "That's my Fianceeee!!!!!!!!" - "That's my fiancée!"
Berger and Carter played together for years at FC Chelsea, winning the English championship there. The goalkeeper moved to the US in the spring, and the 26-year-old defender finalized her transfer a few days ago. They announced their engagement in May.
Despite her recent cancer diagnoses, Ann-Katrin Berger's performance at the Olympic Games has been outstanding, earning her the title of Germany's number one goalkeeper. In the semi-final against the United States, Berger and her team aim to continue their fairytale journey at The Olympic Games.
Having faced strong opponents like Canada and the United States, coach Horst Hrubesch has acknowledged that the US team is rated a bit higher than Canada, making the upcoming semi-final against the Americans a challenging test for Berger and her team.
