A remarkable save averts an own goal against France, setting the stage for a match-winning penalty performance by a two-time cancer survivor.
Ann-Katrin Berger is in motion. The ball soars. Nearby, Clara Mateo of France celebrates prematurely. A German defensive blunder seems destined to result in a looping own goal and a disheartening loss. However, the 34-year-old cancer survivor, underestimated by her nation’s media ahead of this quarter-final, has different plans.
The save’s execution is straightforward to describe. Berger is five yards from the goal, backpedaling quickly while tracking the ball. As it appears to outpace her, Berger launches herself backward and upward, mustering every ounce of strength and exerting every muscle, the kind of moment shaped by a lifetime of training. She deflects it with her fingers, lands heavily on her shoulders, and is swarmed by teammates who seem to have witnessed a miracle.
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