Germany won the UEFA Women's Championship on each of the five occasions Angerer was involved and won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003 and 2007.[4] Their best finish at the Olympics was third in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Angerer is a penalty-saving specialist, having stopped Marta's kick in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and both Trine Rønning and Solveig Gulbrandsen's during the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 Final. She was appointed captain of Germany in 2011 following the retirement of Birgit Prinz. On 13 January 2014, Angerer was named FIFA World Player of the Year, becoming the first goalkeeper – male or female – to win the award.[5] She announced her retirement from the international team on 13 May 2015.[6]
Club career
Angerer was born in Lohr am Main, near Frankfurt.[7] Her career began with ASV Hofstetten, where she played as a forward.[8] When she substituted for the injured goalkeeper during a youth scouting game, she was discovered as a goalkeeping talent. In 1995, she moved to 1. FC Nürnberg and one year later to FC Wacker München. While at Wacker, she rejected the opportunity to play for an American college soccer team.[9]
After seven years at Potsdam, Angerer left Germany in 2008 to play at Djurgårdens IF Dam in Sweden, replacing Bente Nordby. She returned to Germany after only one season to join 1. FFC Frankfurt. She won the German Cup for a fourth time with Frankfurt in 2011.[11] Following Birgit Prinz's retirement she was appointed Frankfurt's new captain.
On 13 January 2014, Portland Thorns FC announced Angerer's acquisition to play for Portland for the National Women's Soccer League 2014 Season,[14] replacing Karina LeBlanc who was traded to the Chicago Red Stars.[15] She made her debut for Portland with a shutout against the Houston Dash on 12 April and went on to start 22 games for the Thorns, adding another three saves while compiling 74 saves (both ranking fourth in the league). After the season, Angerer was loaned to the Brisbane Roar with plans to return to Portland for the start of the 2015 season.[16][17]
Angerer retired from being a professional footballer in 2015.[18][19]
Angerer made her international debut for Germany against the Netherlands in August 1996.[8] However, after five matches in quick succession she was only used sporadically thereafter. Angerer was Germany's second choice goalkeeper behind Silke Rottenberg for almost a decade, winning six major titles as a reserve player without having played in a single game, including the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, two Olympic bronze medals in 2000, 2004, and three UEFA European Championships in 1997, 2001 and 2005.[10]
When Rottenberg suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Angerer was picked as the starting goalkeeper for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. During the entire tournament she did not concede a single goal, setting the record for most consecutive minutes played without conceding a goal in World Cup play to 540 minutes.[8] This included blocking a penalty kick by Marta in the 2–0 final win over Brazil. Along with Norway's Bente Nordby, she was named in FIFA's tournament All-Star Team.
Angerer remained Germany's national team goalkeeper for the 2008 Summer Olympics, claiming the bronze medal.[21] She won the European Championship for a fourth time in 2009, the first time she had been a starter for Germany. Angerer was called up for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup squad[10] and received her 100th cap in her team's second match of the tournament, against Nigeria.
In May 2015, Angerer was named to Germany's roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.[24] During a quarter-final match against France, she denied Claire Lavogez who took the crucial fifth penalty during the penalty shootout to clinch the win and advance to the semi-finals against the United States.[25] Germany lost the semi-final 2–0 to the United States after Carli Lloyd scored a penalty and Kelley O'Hara added a second goal.[26] In Angerer's final game with the national team she was beaten by another penalty, despite her angry protests. Fara Williams gave England a 1–0 extra time win in the bronze medal match.[27]
Coaching career
Portland Thorns FC
After two years as a Thorns keeper, Angerer was named full-time goalkeeper coach for the Portland Thorns in 2016. She left the Thorns after the 2023 season.[28]
Switzerland
In 2024 Angerer was announced as the new goalkeeper coach for Switzerland.[29]