- Feb 20, 2010
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Germany-France was pure kino and one of the most dramatic games I have seen in a long time. Ann-Katrin Berger had an absolute shocker against Sweden, but she more than redeemed herself today with the absolutely inarguable save of the tournament so far, saving penalties and scoring one herself. This was like something out of a sports movie. The Germans down to their third choice right back with Gwinn injured and Wamser suspended, only for Linder to go down injured inside 4 minutes and them to play for eight minutes with 10 women while she was strapped up, only to then go down to 10 women because Kathrin Hendrich decided to channel her inner 2006 Peter Crouch and pull somebody's dreadlocks at a set piece and give France a penalty to go ahead. Then Linder could only temporarily return, leaving the Germans playing against one of the best attacking forces in the tournament with a centre back at right back, a winger at left back and Janina Minge and Sjoeke Nüsken, both midfielders, filling in at the other centre back role at times, or even Jule Brand, very much a luxury skill winger, serving as a makeshift right back at times.
And yet, they got back to 1-1 from a set piece. Then you had France having two goals (rightfully but unfortunately at least in the first one's case) disallowed, and Germany missing a penalty. If that wasn't enough, when the game was almost dead and buried Janina Minge decided to try to score an own goal only for Berger to scramble it away, and deep into extra time the French had thrown all their subs on and switched their wingers' sides while the Germans still had everybody from the kickoff on the field bar the one enforced change and the red card, both of which were in the first 20 minutes. And France hit the bar with a desperation long shot in the 123rd minute before it went to penalties.
While the England-Sweden penalty shootout went to 7 penalties apiece and was a trainwreck, with lots of drama but a serious lack of quality, the Germany-France penalty shootout also went to 7 penalties apiece and had a lot of drama, but was compelling in a different way. You had the Germans, with their 10 women, make two 120th minute subs - taking off Senß and Jule Brand, both of whom had run their socks off but at least one of whom would probably have been asked to take penalties - and both of those take penalties, with one scoring but the other missing. You had France falling one behind right from the word go when Amel Majri attempted the stupidest penalty run-up I've seen since THAT Simone Zaza penalty, only to scramble each and every one of their remaining five home, and you had Ann-Katrin Berger step up to succeed where Jennifer Falk failed on Thursday, as the goalkeeper took Germany's fifth penalty, and scored. Somehow, Germany went all the way to the 7th penalty before it was Sjoeke Nüsken's turn, despite her having been the first choice to take the one that they received in normal time (and, interestingly, much like Rebecka Blomqvist coming on for Sweden and not taking one, neither of the players who usually play as centre forwards that the Germans had on the field, Schüller and Cerci, took one of the seven penalties), giving her the redemption arc, but crucially Berger got her redemption arc completed after the horror show against Sweden by saving the final penalty to put them through.
They'll suffer a lot against Spain, with a defence that is held together with sticky tape and prayers, and arguably even more crucially Nüsken may have had a hero-to-villain-to-hero arc all withing today's game, but she also picked up a yellow card today that means she will be suspended for the semi-final, having been everywhere all day today. The women's game may lag behind the men's considerably in terms of technical skills and depth etc. at a comparable standard of play, but this was absolutely a solid 10/10 for storyline and drama.
And yet, they got back to 1-1 from a set piece. Then you had France having two goals (rightfully but unfortunately at least in the first one's case) disallowed, and Germany missing a penalty. If that wasn't enough, when the game was almost dead and buried Janina Minge decided to try to score an own goal only for Berger to scramble it away, and deep into extra time the French had thrown all their subs on and switched their wingers' sides while the Germans still had everybody from the kickoff on the field bar the one enforced change and the red card, both of which were in the first 20 minutes. And France hit the bar with a desperation long shot in the 123rd minute before it went to penalties.
While the England-Sweden penalty shootout went to 7 penalties apiece and was a trainwreck, with lots of drama but a serious lack of quality, the Germany-France penalty shootout also went to 7 penalties apiece and had a lot of drama, but was compelling in a different way. You had the Germans, with their 10 women, make two 120th minute subs - taking off Senß and Jule Brand, both of whom had run their socks off but at least one of whom would probably have been asked to take penalties - and both of those take penalties, with one scoring but the other missing. You had France falling one behind right from the word go when Amel Majri attempted the stupidest penalty run-up I've seen since THAT Simone Zaza penalty, only to scramble each and every one of their remaining five home, and you had Ann-Katrin Berger step up to succeed where Jennifer Falk failed on Thursday, as the goalkeeper took Germany's fifth penalty, and scored. Somehow, Germany went all the way to the 7th penalty before it was Sjoeke Nüsken's turn, despite her having been the first choice to take the one that they received in normal time (and, interestingly, much like Rebecka Blomqvist coming on for Sweden and not taking one, neither of the players who usually play as centre forwards that the Germans had on the field, Schüller and Cerci, took one of the seven penalties), giving her the redemption arc, but crucially Berger got her redemption arc completed after the horror show against Sweden by saving the final penalty to put them through.
They'll suffer a lot against Spain, with a defence that is held together with sticky tape and prayers, and arguably even more crucially Nüsken may have had a hero-to-villain-to-hero arc all withing today's game, but she also picked up a yellow card today that means she will be suspended for the semi-final, having been everywhere all day today. The women's game may lag behind the men's considerably in terms of technical skills and depth etc. at a comparable standard of play, but this was absolutely a solid 10/10 for storyline and drama.
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