Germany beats France in shootout
MONTREAL — Celia Sasic tied the score in the 84th minute, Nadine Angerer stopped Claire Lavogez in the final attempt of a shootout and Germany beat France 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie Friday to reach the Women’s World Cup semifinals.
The 2003 and ‘ 07 World Cup champions will play Tuesday against the United States or China.
The Germans — men and women — have won all five of their World Cup shootouts. And the top-ranked German women have a chance to add another trophy after their win over No. 3 France in a match that was seen as an “early final.”
Louisa Necib scored in the 64th minute for France, but Sasic scored the equalizer on a penalty kick after a hand ball in the penalty area.
Germany entered the tournament as the No. 1 team in the FIFA rankings. But the Germans were dominated by Les Bleues early in the quarterfinal matchup.
Still, the match remained scoreless until France defender Jessica Hourara lofted the ball in from midfield to the penalty area, where Germany’s Babett Peter was waiting. She headed it away from the German goal — but right to Necib, whose shot from just outside the area was deflected to the right of Angerer’s outstretched hand and into the net.
Germany
tried
to
re- spond with physical play, picking up back-to-back yellow cards for Lena Goessling and Dzsenifer Morozsan in the 68th minute. But it could not muster an attack until the 84th, after Leonie Maier kicked the ball off defender Amel Majri’s raised arm just inside the penalty area.
Sasic booted the penalty kick to goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi’s right when the keeper guessed left for her sixth goal of the tournament; Germany has been awarded 12 penalty kicks in World Cup play and converted them all.
Their proficiency showed again in overtime.
With Germany shooting first, Melanie Behringer, Simone Laudehr, Peter and Marozsan all converted kicks for the Germans, and Gaetane Thiney, Camille Abily, Necib and Wendie Renard tied the score for France.
Sasic put the Germans back ahead and Lavogez, at 21 France’s third-youngest player, ran up to the spot and kicked the ball to the Angerer’s left. The 2013 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year — the first goalkeeper male or female to win the honor — dove and blocked the ball with her left knee, setting off a German celebration in this French-speaking city.