News: DFB Women, Jahn Regensburg, Schalke 04

If German football has such a thing as a fateful minute, then perhaps it is the 113th. It was in that minute that Mario Götze scored in the World Cup final, and it was precisely this 113th minute yesterday at Zurich's Letzigrund stadium that all of the DFB women's title hopes suddenly collapsed. There was only one instance when the German defense was truly disorganized; Aitana Bonmati had too much space and slotted a clean shot into the corner of the goal to make it 1-0. "It was a small mistake where we weren't paying attention," said Ann-Katrin Berger afterward. "I take the blame for that; the near post had to be closed. I'm disappointed in myself." The fact that it was Berger, of all people, who became such a tragic figure was doubly bitter. After all, the 34-year-old had, during the previous 113 minutes of attrition by the German team, gathered further arguments for perhaps being named Player of the Tournament. In the end, the conclusion remains that the German women's national team isn't the best in Europe. But the team isn't going home empty-handed. They have achieved great things: They have thrilled an entire country.