Latest news with #Berger
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
World Cup Rematch! Spain Beats Germany To Next Play England In Euro 2025 Final
Aitana Bonmatí scored in extra time to send Spain to its first-ever UEFA Women's Euro final with a 1-0 win over Germany on Wednesday, setting up a repeat of the 2023 World Cup title match. A stubborn Germany performance had seen it take the world champions to extra time and Spain needed a superb strike from the two-time Ballon d'Or winner to secure a first-ever win over Germany. "I feel so proud. We deserved this," Bonmatí said. "We have played a great tournament throughout. We had a hard fight tonight, of course, because we were playing Germany. First to beat Germany and then to advance to the final of the Euros. Who could ask for more?" In the 113th minute, Athenea del Castillo threaded the ball through to Bonmatí, who got past Rebecca Knaak with a clever dummy and turn before squeezing home an audacious attempt from the tightest of angles. "We had analyzed her with our analysts and our goalkeeping coach and knew that she would leave the near post unprotected, and that is what happened. I just slotted it home," Bonmatí said. Spain moved closer to adding the Euro trophy to its collection after winning the World Cup and Nations League in the past two years. Montse Tomé's team will face defending champion England on Sunday in a repeat of the World Cup final that Spain won 1-0 two years ago. England also needed extra time to snatch a 2-1 win over Italy on Tuesday. Germany was bidding for a record-extending ninth European title but it was up against the world champion and pre-tournament favorite. It almost surprised Spain early on when Klara Bühl ran onto a long ball from goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger but her angled drive went narrowly past the right post. Germany managed to stifle Spain's stellar attack, which didn't have a real sight of goal until the 21st minute. Berger had been the hero of Germany's dramatic quarterfinal against France and she pulled off another fantastic save to tip a shot over the bar from the tournament's top goalscorer Esther González. Giovanna Hoffmann should have given Germany the lead in the 29th minute but she completely missed the ball right in front of goal, with a fresh air shot, after excellent play by Jule Brand. Spain ended the half strongly, however, and went closest to breaking the deadlock shortly before the interval when Irene Paredes headed a corner off the post and González's attempt at the spectacular, with an overhead kick, was blocked. Berger also had to make two smart saves in stoppage time, to deny first Gotham FC teammate González and then Clàudia Pina. Germany had managed to keep Spain star Bonmatí quiet but she almost broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, carving out some space for herself and curling in shot but Sophia Kleinherne slid in and stuck out a leg to put it out. Cata Coll had had little to do all night but the Spain goalkeeper kept her team in the tournament with a superb double save right at the end of normal time, first to parry from Bühl and then to deny Carlotta Wamser. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Germany Exit Women's Euro 2025 After Show Of Pure Grit And Determination
German chancellor Friedrich Merz never got to see Germany play at the Women's European Championship. 'If it goes well we'll see each other Sunday evening in Basel for the final,' Merz posted on social media before the German team faced World Cup champion Spain in the semifinal match on Wednesday. It didn't go quite that well. Aitana Bonmatí scored late in extra time for Spain to win 1-0 and avoid a penalty shootout that the Germany team had been holding out for. Merz was filmed watching Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger's amazing save in the quarterfinal win over France as if he'd never seen it before. He said he was never so excited during a soccer game than he'd been watching Germany win on penalties the previous weekend. A commitment to meet France's president, Emmanuel Macron, meant Merz couldn't attend the semifinal in Zurich. Germany's Euro 2025 campaign was also full of promise, but not matched in substance. Anyone watching the team during the tournament was left wondering what Christian Wück's team is really capable of. A highlight reel would feature a string of fine saves from Berger, committed defending from Franziska Kett, Giovanna Hoffmann and Jule Brand – who are all forwards – and only occasional flashes of brilliance in attack, such as Brand's opening strike in the team's first game against Poland. Germany, the eight-time European champion, only nearly reached the final through sheer dogged determination. 'We can be proud. That's exactly what I told the team,' Wück said after Germany's exit. 'This is a good start, because we mustn't forget that we initiated a development in October, bringing in a lot of young players, and that development brought us forward here, even if it's really disappointing right now.' Captain Giulia Gwinn was injured against Poland and ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. A 2-1 come-from-behind win over Denmark ensured early progress from the group, before a chastening 4-1 loss to Sweden in the last group game. Germany had defender Gwinn's replacement, Carlotta Wamser, sent off early against Sweden for swatting the ball away from goal with her hand, then had Kathrin Hendrich sent off early in the quarterfinal match against France for pulling French captain Griedge Mbock back by her hair. It meant Germany reverted to defensive tactics in both games, protecting Berger's goal while hoping the likes of Brand and star forward Klara Bühl might score on counterattacks. Bühl's corner allowed Sjoeke Nüsken to score the equalizer against France and the team held on despite French dominance to win 6-5 on penalties after Berger's heroics. The Germany goalkeeper was feted afterward for her amazing save to stop stand-in captain Janina Minge's backward header from going into her own net when she leaped backwards and somehow clawed the ball away from the line. Berger also saved two penalties and scored her own spot kick in the shootout. 'We dominated them from start to finish. Now they're through. I'm sorry, but they don't deserve it,' France winger Selma Bacha said. Germany was short on defenders against Spain with Sarai Linder joining Gwinn on the injury list and Hendrichs and Nüsken both suspended. But it didn't stop the team defending, with forwards helping out at the back, producing timely blocks and committed challenges to frustrate Spain's star forwards. Berger again made a host of saves until she left space at her near post and Bonmatí squeezed the ball through. It ended Germany's hopes of a rematch with defending champion England in the final, and left Merz with an opening in his schedule.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Women's Euro exit shows once-mighty Germany battling to keep pace
A COURAGEOUS German performance in their 1-0 Women's Euro semi-final defeat by world champions Spain means they leave Switzerland with heads high, but the once-dominant team need to find a cutting attacking edge to keep up with the best. Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati proved to be the difference, conjuring up a superb winner in extra time. Though Christian Wueck's young side performed well on the night, they lacked a truly world-class attacking talent to turn a game in their favour at such a high level. "We have to evolve, we have to improve, we had phases of ball possession today that we simply did not exploit well, and those are areas where we need to improve, especially in the youth system, so that we can develop well-trained players for the Bundesliga," Wueck told reporters. "Also (we need to) perform better in those phases of ball possession that were not well-executed today, especially at that level. That is part of being a top team, and of course we are still lacking in comparison to Spain and England." Spain face England in Sunday's final. Eight-time champions Germany have not won the tournament since 2013 in Stockholm, and in the meantime they have been reined in and passed by as other countries pour money into the development of the women's game. The 2013 victory was built on the back of the stunning goalkeeping of Nadine Angerer, who saved two penalties in the final against Norway, and the 2025 squad looked to have a similar net-minding talisman in the shape of Ann-Katrin Berger, who pulled off a miraculous save in their quarter-final against France to prevent an own goal. Berger followed that up with a stellar performance in the penalty shootout win over the French that followed, but on Wednesday she was caught out by Bonmati's lightning shot from a tight angle to her uncovered near post that ended up as the only goal of the game. Though Berger took the blame for the defeat, it was not solely hers to bear. Germany had plenty of chances, with Klara Buehl superb down the left, but they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal that Bonmati displayed. All in all, the Germans displayed plenty of promise as they beat Poland, Denmark and the French in Switzerland, with the only blemish a shock 4-1 defeat by Sweden in which they had a player sent off in the first half. Though some of his choices have been questioned, Wueck says his focus on young players is paying off. "I recently read that the (German Football Association) DFB is miles behind the top nations, and three days later I read that we are in the semi-finals. So maybe the Germans need to learn a little bit that we do everything together, that we want the best for the German nation," he said. — REUTERS
The Star
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Women's Euro exit shows once-mighty Germany battling to keep pace
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Semi Final - Germany v Spain - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 23, 2025 Germany's Jule Brand in action with Spain's Patri Guijarro REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/File Photo (Reuters) -A courageous German performance in their 1-0 Women's Euro semi-final defeat by world champions Spain means they leave Switzerland with heads high, but the once-dominant team need to find a cutting attacking edge to keep up with the best. Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati proved to be the difference, conjuring up a superb winner in extra time. Though Christian Wueck's young side performed well on the night, they lackeda truly world-class attacking talent to turn a game in their favour at such a high level. "We have to evolve, we have to improve, we had phases of ball possession today that we simply did not exploit well, and those are areas where we need to improve, especially in the youth system, so that we can develop well-trained players for the Bundesliga," Wueck told reporters. "Also (we need to) perform better in those phases of ball possession that were not well-executed today, especially at that level. That is part of being a top team, and of course we are still lacking in comparison to Spain and England." Spain face England in Sunday's final. Eight-time champions Germany have not won the tournament since 2013 in Stockholm, and in the meantime they have been reined in and passed by as other countries pour money into the development of the women's game. The 2013 victory was built on the back of the stunning goalkeeping of Nadine Angerer, who saved two penalties in the final against Norway, and the 2025 squad looked to have a similar net-minding talisman in the shape of Ann-Katrin Berger, who pulled off a miraculous save in their quarter-final against France to prevent an own goal. Berger followed that up with a stellar performance in the penalty shootout win over the French that followed, but on Wednesday she was caught out by Bonmati's lightning shot from a tight angle to her uncovered near post that ended up as the only goal of the game. Though Berger took the blame for the defeat, it was not solely hers to bear. Germany had plenty of chances, with Klara Buehl superb down the left, but they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal that Bonmati displayed. All in all, the Germans displayed plenty of promise as they beat Poland, Denmark and the French in Switzerland, with the only blemish a shock 4-1 defeat by Sweden in which they had a player sent off in the first half. Though some of his choices have been questioned, Wueck says his focus on young players is paying off. "I recently read that the (German Football Association) DFB is miles behind the top nations, and three days later I read that we are in the semi-finals. So maybe the Germans need to learn a little bit that we do everything together, that we want the best for the German nation," he said. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Women's Euro exit shows once-mighty Germany battling to keep pace
A courageous German performance in their 1-0 Women's Euro semi-final defeat by world champions Spain means they leave Switzerland with heads high, but the once-dominant team need to find a cutting attacking edge to keep up with the best. Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati proved to be the difference, conjuring up a superb winner in extra time. Though Christian Wueck's young side performed well on the night, they lacked a truly world-class attacking talent to turn a game in their favour at such a high level. "We have to evolve, we have to improve, we had phases of ball possession today that we simply did not exploit well, and those are areas where we need to improve, especially in the youth system, so that we can develop well-trained players for the Bundesliga," Wueck told reporters. "Also (we need to) perform better in those phases of ball possession that were not well-executed today, especially at that level. That is part of being a top team, and of course we are still lacking in comparison to Spain and England." Spain face England in Sunday's final. Eight-time champions Germany have not won the tournament since 2013 in Stockholm, and in the meantime they have been reined in and passed by as other countries pour money into the development of the women's game. The 2013 victory was built on the back of the stunning goalkeeping of Nadine Angerer, who saved two penalties in the final against Norway, and the 2025 squad looked to have a similar net-minding talisman in the shape of Ann-Katrin Berger, who pulled off a miraculous save in their quarter-final against France to prevent an own goal. Berger followed that up with a stellar performance in the penalty shootout win over the French that followed, but on Wednesday she was caught out by Bonmati's lightning shot from a tight angle to her uncovered near post that ended up as the only goal of the game. Though Berger took the blame for the defeat, it was not solely hers to bear. Germany had plenty of chances, with Klara Buehl superb down the left, but they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal that Bonmati displayed. All in all, the Germans displayed plenty of promise as they beat Poland, Denmark and the French in Switzerland, with the only blemish a shock 4-1 defeat by Sweden in which they had a player sent off in the first half. Though some of his choices have been questioned, Wueck says his focus on young players is paying off. "I recently read that the (German Football Association) DFB is miles behind the top nations, and three days later I read that we are in the semi-finals. So maybe the Germans need to learn a little bit that we do everything together, that we want the best for the German nation," he said. REUTERS
