A year ago Marco Russ was accused of doping and then diagnosed with testicular cancer. This week he helped Eintracht Frankfurt reach the German Cup final
By Jason Humphreys for Englische Woche, part of the Guardian Sport Network
Every penalty shootout creates heroes and villains. The villain is often left standing on the penalty spot, looking emptily into a floodlit sky, as the hero runs to his team-mates with his shirt halfway over his head and eyes closed in ecstasy. Eintracht Frankfurt triumphed in a penalty shootout in the semi-final of the German Cup on Tuesday night, but the real hero was neither a goalkeeper who had made a decisive save nor a player who had slotted home the winning spot-kick. This time the hero was Frankfurt defender Marco Russ.
Russ made the long walk to the penalty spot to take the 10th kick in the knowledge that the previous nine had all gone in. His objective was simple; the task almost thankless. Miss and the tie was over; score and the penalties would keep on coming, giving someone else the chance to be the hero. He stepped up and side-footed the ball into the net, with Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer already gliding in the other direction. As the ball hit the net, Russ turned, celebrated quietly and walked back towards his team. Job done.
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