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One of the top goalies in the world, Nadine Angerer will look to help Germany win its third World Cup title in the last four tournaments. Germany entered the competition as favorites, and cruised into the knockout stages, where they will meet Sweden. Angerer believes the team is capable of hoisting another trophy, but will need to remain focused on the task at hand.
Will Angerer win eighth international competition before she hangs up the boots at the end of the season?
Here’s what you need to know about the German netminder:
1. Is 36 Years Old & Has 146 Caps For Germany
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Angerer has enjoyed quite the long career with the German National Team, but not all of it came on the field. Her first cap came all the way back in 1996 when she was 17 years old. She was the second choice behind Silke Rottenburg for most of the next 10 years, but finally got a break when Rottenburg suffered an ill-timed injury right before the 2007 World Cup.
How did Angerer do in her first big-game experience with the national team? Perfect.
Angerer led Germany to the title, not allowing a single goal for the entire tournament. Germany outscored the opposition 21-0 to claim back-to-back World Cups.
After the successful tournament, Angerer became the first choice keeper and has been so since.
2. Was First Goalie To Win World Player Of The Year
Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Angerer share the stage after winning World Player of the Year. (Getty)
First given out in 2001, the World Player of the Year award goes to the most outstanding female player of that calender year. It’s usually an award reserved for outfield players —Marta and Birgit Prinz have won it a combined eight times.
But in 2013, Angerer was the shock winner, becoming the first goalie (male or female) to win the award. In 2013, Angerer led Germany to the Euro 2013 Championship, defeating Norway in the final. Angerer conceded one goal in six matches in the tournament.
3. Will Retire From International Soccer After World Cup
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Angerer, who plays her domestic soccer for the Portland Thorns, announced in May that the 2015 World Cup will be her last for Germany. Prior to Portland, Angerer spent much of her career in Germany playing for Turbine Potsdam and Frankfurt. After the World Cup, Angerer will continue to play for Portland until her contract runs out in September.
It was a stunning reversal from a CNN story in January, when she said she had no reason to stop playing. The other two goalies on Germany’s World Cup roster are 22-year-old Laura Benkarth and 24-year-old Almuth Schult.
This is the first World Cup being held on artificial turf, and Angerer has been one of the proponents against the unsafe surface.
4. Came Out In 2010 As Bisexual
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Angerer revealed her (lack of?) preference in an interview with a German Newspaper Die Zeit in late 2010. Most would describe her decision as brave, but Angerer didn’t view it as such, saying “I do not know if you need a special kind of courage. I am someone who is generally opposed to stereotyped thinking.”
Angerer is one of 14 gay or bisexual players competing at the World Cup. Most believe the women’s game makes it easier to be more outgoing about sexual preference.
5. Is a Penalty Shot-Stopping Extraordinaire
Angerer has had some high-profile penalty saves in her international career. At the 2007 World Cup, Germany met Brazil in the final. Leading 1-0 in the second half, Angerer made a penalty save on Marta, who was the top player in the world at the time and the tournament’s top scorer (seven goals) and Player of the Tournament. Germany would go on to win the match 2-0 and Angerer didn’t allow a goal in the entire tournament.
Six years later, Germany faced Norway in the UEFA Euro 2013 final and Angerer rose to the occasion again. This time, she made two penalty saves in a 1-0 win against the Norwegians. This was Angerer’s seventh winners medal on the international stage. Most believe this match is what won Angerer World Player of the Year.