German chancellor Friedrich Merz never got to see Germany play at the Women\u2019s European Championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it goes well we\u2019ll see each other Sunday evening in Basel for the final,\u201d Merz<\/a> posted on social media before the German team faced World Cup champion Spain in the semifinal match on Wednesday.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t go quite that well. Aitana Bonmat\u00ed scored late in extra time for Spain to win 1-0<\/a> and avoid a penalty shootout that the Germany team had been holding out for.<\/p>\n Merz was filmed watching Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger\u2019s amazing save in the quarterfinal win over France as if he\u2019d never seen it before. He said he was never so excited during a soccer game than he\u2019d been watching Germany win on penalties<\/a> the previous weekend.<\/p>\n A commitment to meet France\u2019s president, Emmanuel Macron, meant Merz couldn\u2019t attend the semifinal in Zurich.<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s 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 W\u00fcck\u2019s team is really capable of.<\/p>\n A highlight reel would feature a string of fine saves from Berger, committed defending from Franziska Kett, Giovanna Hoffmann and Jule Brand \u2013 who are all forwards \u2013 and only occasional flashes of brilliance in attack, such as Brand\u2019s opening strike in the team\u2019s first game against Poland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Germany, the eight-time European champion, only nearly reached the final through sheer dogged determination.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can be proud. That\u2019s exactly what I told the team,\u201d W\u00fcck said after Germany\u2019s exit. \u201cThis is a good start, because we mustn\u2019t 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\u2019s really disappointing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Captain Giulia Gwinn was injured against Poland and ruled out for the remainder of the tournament<\/a>. A 2-1 come-from-behind win over Denmark<\/a> ensured early progress from the group, before a chastening 4-1 loss to Sweden<\/a> in the last group game.<\/p>\n Germany had defender Gwinn\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n It meant Germany reverted to defensive tactics in both games, protecting Berger\u2019s goal while hoping the likes of Brand and star forward Klara B\u00fchl might score on counterattacks.<\/p>\n B\u00fchl\u2019s corner allowed Sjoeke N\u00fcsken to score the equalizer against France and the team held on despite French dominance to win 6-5 on penalties after Berger\u2019s heroics.<\/p>\n The Germany goalkeeper was feted afterward for her amazing save to stop stand-in captain Janina Minge\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe dominated them from start to finish. Now they\u2019re through. I\u2019m sorry, but they don\u2019t deserve it,\u201d France winger Selma Bacha said.<\/p>\n