A few days after falling to the United States, Germany earned a huge win over Spain to take the bronze medal. Germany sealed its 1-0 victory against the reigning World Cup champions with a massive penalty kick save in the final seconds of stoppage time.
After going scoreless for 65 minutes, Germany’s Giulia Gwinn was fouled in the box by Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll, earning Coll a yellow card and Gwinn a chance to give Germany the lead. Gwinn delivered, sinking a penalty and making it 1-0.
But it was German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger who saved the day and secured Germany its medal. After Germany’s Janina Minge committed a foul in the box, Spain’s Alexia Putellas — a recent winner of the Ballon d’Or Féminin — stepped up to take the penalty shot in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Berger stretched out to make the miraculous save, punching the ball out of the box. Moments later, the referee blew the whistle to end the game, and Berger was immediately mobbed by her teammates.
Berger has been Germany’s hero for these Olympics despite not being the primary goalkeeper. The 33-year-old keeper saved two penalties in a shootout against Canada, and then hit Germany’s final penalty herself to win the game and advance to the semifinals.
Berger was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2017 and again in 2022 after initially going into remission, but persisted as a top-level goalkeeper at Chelsea for two more seasons. Berger signed with Gotham FC in April and has only allowed 13 goals this season — the lowest in the NWSL — as the team’s starting goalkeeper.
Germany’s bronze medal marks its fifth Olympic soccer medal and its fourth bronze. The team won gold in 2016 and took bronze in three straight Olympics: 2000, 2004 and 2008.
