Ann-Katrin Berger: She defied two cancer diagnoses and became a 911 heroine

Twelve hours after her penalty heroics, Ann-Katrin Berger boarded the German women’s soccer team bus to Lyon for the continuation of her fairytale Olympic trip. A few meters away, Marina Hegering was still amazed by her goalkeeper. “Ice cold, merciless, amazing. It was absolutely remarkable. Hats off, that’s unique,” said the defense chief before departure. Exhausted, but also strengthened by the quarter-final thriller in Marseille against Canada, the team of national coach Horst Hrubesch now goes into the Olympic semi-final on Tuesday (6 p.m.) against the USA.

“I have the feeling that we really needed that. Just to test our mentality, especially in a tournament like this. I think that will give us a big boost for the next game,” said Berger. The 33-year-old saved two shots from the penalty spot after a goalless regular time and extra time and scored the decisive penalty herself to make it 4-2.

Ann-Katrin Berger was diagnosed with cancer twice in just four years

For Berger, it is a “happy ending,” as she herself says. The happy end of a journey that few would have thought possible just a few years ago. In 2017, the now 33-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer. A blow. But Berger only knew one reaction – like a goalkeeper – she got up again. She fought her way back in record time. Just a few months after the diagnosis, she was back in the squad of her then club, Birmingham City. She remained cancer-free for four years.

Then, at her last examination in the middle of the 2022 European Championship, she was shocked: abnormalities in her blood again. Cancer again. Thyroid again. And again Berger did what she does best: fight. She kept the diagnosis to herself, not wanting to unsettle the team before the big final against England. And she stayed to distract herself. “I would have gone crazy at home,” she said in an interview with the star.

“I tried to see cancer as a game that I absolutely had to win.” There was no room for doubt. It was her against cancer – the most important game of her life – and that was how she dealt with the illness and the therapy. “I worked through the therapy plan like a training plan. Without asking questions, without doubting. The doctors gave me the tactics and I marched on.”

And how she marches. Just two days after the first radiation treatment, Berger is already standing next to her bed, doing stretching exercises to stay flexible. She really wants to get back on the field, back between the posts of her former club, Chelsea FC. She completes the rehab in record time and is back on the pitch after just three months. She is fighting her way back to the top of the world. In April 2024, she moves to New York and is a regular player from the start. Three months later, national coach Horst Hrubesch calls her up for the Olympic Games.

“I never thought I would play here. Now that we have come this far, it obviously makes sense to reach the final,” she said in the catacombs of the Stade Vélodrome after the match against Canada, adding: “For every athlete, the gold medal is the happy ending. That would be the perfect fairytale.”

Hrubesch rates USA stronger than Canada

Before that, however, Hrubesch’s team will face a “really strong opponent.” The USA had defeated the DFB women 4:1 in the second preliminary round match. The national coach also said after the feat against Tokyo Olympic champions Canada: “At the end of the day, I would rate the Americans a little higher. Let’s see if they can beat us again – or if we can change that. The job my girls are doing is sensationally good.” The Americans also had to go into extra time against Japan, however.

The 73-year-old’s dream of the final in the Parc des Princes in Paris still lives on. “One more win and we’ll be guaranteed a medal,” said DFB sports director Nia Künzer. After all, there’s also the match for third place.

Popp is amazed by the “machine in the goal”

The former world champion called Berger a “pretty cool guy”. “We have a machine in goal,” said captain Alexandra Popp in amazement after the final whistle. “And that she then scored it herself so cold-bloodedly – chapeau, I take my hat off to her for being so cold-blooded.” It was Berger’s first penalty ever that she scored in a game.

Berger herself almost saved a shot from the penalty spot, but the ball rolled under her upper body into the net. “It was a cool feeling, it was fun,” she commented on her memorable performance.

Hrubesch then took the goalkeeper in his arms – and on his shoulders. “He gave me a hard time about why I didn’t save the third penalty. He always likes to annoy me: Just hold onto the balls, he says,” Berger reported with a smile and joked: “I didn’t want to hold him because I wanted to shoot myself.”

With her coup, Berger also made the woman of her dreams overjoyed. Jessica Carter, who, like the national goalkeeper, is under contract with the US club NJ/NY Gotham FC, posted the TV pictures of the decisive scenes on Instagram and wrote: “That’s my Fianceeee!!!!!!!!” – “that’s my fiancée”.

Berger and Carter played for Chelsea FC for years and won the English championship there. The goalkeeper moved to the USA in the spring, and the 26-year-old defender completed her transfer a few days ago. They announced their engagement in May.