The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
SPAvSWE
Spain Prevail Over Sweden In Late Late Show
by Jeremy Ruane
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Spain qualified for their maiden FIFA Women's World Cup Final on August 15, downing Sweden 2-1 in front of a record-equalling 43217-strong crowd at Eden Park to book their tickets to Stadium Australia, and leave the Swedes to contemplate yet another third place playoff.
All the scoring came in the last ten minutes of an absorbing encounter which began in cagey fashion, with Sweden playing a high defensive line to restrict the space in which Spain could employ their trademark passing game.
Come the eleventh minute, however, Mariona Caldentey sent the overlapping Olga Carmona storming down the left, from where she delivered a cross to the far post. Alba Redondo headed the ball inside, but could only look on as Amanda Ilestedt headed it up then completed her clearance.
Three minutes later, Alexia Putellas sent a twenty-five yarder thundering past the post after Ona Batlle and Redondo had combined on the right, to which "Blagult" responded via Fridolina Rolfo's driving run past three opponents, a solo raid which only came to an end at the hands of a posse of Spanish defenders on the edge of their penalty area.
Halfway through the first half, Aitana Bonmati - a certain contender for one of the prestigious individual honours announced after the Final - sold a lovely dummy to evade a defender, then executed a delicious chip which cleared the head of Redondo and nearly found its way through the legs of Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic - she gathered it just in time.
More great work by Caldentey followed, her switch of play to Redondo creating an opening for Jennifer Hermoso, but Elin Rubensson's tracking run curtailed her progress on this occasion, as did Jonna Andersson in the 27th minute, as Caldentey combined with Hermoso to engineer another opportunity for the enterprising Spaniards.
Sweden were getting frustrated by this time, and their reliance on long balls forward wasn't aiding their cause - Spain would simply regain possession and resume their passing game, all the time looking for openings, such as that which saw Putellas nutmeg Filippa Angeldal on her way into the penalty area, where her driven cross was headed to safety by Magdalena Eriksson.
Six minutes before half-time, Caldentey fed Bonmati on the edge of the penalty area, the playmaker's delightful first touch killing the ball dead, and allowing to hold off a defender and force an opening from which she sent a shot sizzling past the post.
Three minutes later, Sweden finally fired a shot in anger, and drew the first save of the game in doing so. A Carmona clearance was picked off by Nathalie Bjorn, who instantly picked out the run of Rolfo beyond the last defender on the far post.
Her six yard volley was splendidly saved by Cata Coll, at the expense of a series of corners, one of which, delivered by Andersson, arrowed into the heart of the goalmouth. Spain scrambled it to safety, ensuring the first half would end scoreless.
Sweden clearly received a half-time rev-up from coach Peter Gerhardsson, as they started the second spell very much in the ascendancy, forcing Spain into - by their standards - a bit of a panic!
But not before "La Rosa" had threatened through Caldentey, whose super angled through ball, after cutting in off the left across the halfway line, had Redondo in hot pursuit. Musovic was always favourite, however, and duly prevailed.
Swedish pressure forced an error in the 55th minute, as Kaneryd caught Carmona in possession as she dribbled out of defence. Kosovare Asllani quickly took charge of proceedings and slipped a pass through the inside right channel into the stride of Stina Blackstenius as she raced into the penalty area. The spearhead striker's shot stung the gloves of Coll at her near post.
A minute later, Rolfo raided down the left once more, powering past an opponent before smashing a driven cross into the near post which Coll caught, then dropped, then caught again, just as Blackstenius was looking to punish her error.
Spain withdrew Putellas from the fray and introduced Salma Paralluelo, whose impact was instant. Racing through the inside left channel onto a pass, she held the ball up well before the cavalry arrived in the form of Hermoso, who invited Redondo to execute a shot on the turn - "Not today, thankyou!" said Eriksson in response.
On the hour, Caldentey, Hermoso and Bonmati joined forces for Redondo's benefit, with Bonmati instantly racing into the penalty area in anticipation of a return pass which she would have received had Rubensson not been tracking her run with every stride.
The game was beginning to build up a genuine head of steam, as both teams looked to break the deadlock. Sweden next threatened, Asllani - a great second half performance, save for a stamping foul which should have been punished by a yellow card - playing in Kaneryd, whose cross into the danger zone was pawed away by the flying figure of Coll.
She was flying out of her penalty area to clear a through ball seconds later, prompting a Spanish attack which culminated in Redondo's cross being headed over the bar by Paralluelo. Seconds later,
|
Batlle, Caldentey, Hermoso and Paralluelo combined on the left, the last-mentioned getting to the by-line, only to see her cross thwarted by Sweden's defence.
Caldentey wasted the chance to open the scoring via a twenty-five yard free-kick soon after, before Spain turned the heat up big-time with a tremendous move which deserved better fate twenty minutes from time.
Carmona and Caldentey combined with Hermoso, whose cross found Redondo arriving on the edge of the goal area with Andersson for company. The striker wasn't able to direct her shot on target, but Paralluelo made something out of nothing, retrieving the ball and pulling it back from the by-line in one movement for the benefit of Redondo, who was still on the ground. Instinct took over, the striker ramming a shot into the side-netting with Musovic beaten.
Paralluelo was causing Sweden problems galore - the nineteen-year-old is well in the running for Young Player of the Tournament - and did so again in the 74th minute, linking with Batlle on the right. Her cross arced behind Bonmati but found Caldentey running in behind her, but she couldn't direct her shot on target.
Back came Sweden, Nathalie Bjorn inviting Kaneryd to get in behind the Spanish defence on the right. Her cross zoomed across the penalty area and the bows of the incoming Rolfo and Blackstenius, whose last contribution to the match this was.
With nine minutes left, Spain finally broke the deadlock. Hermoso brought the ball down superbly before curling a cross to the far post for the newly introduced Eva Navarro. She was beaten to it by Andersson, who directed her clearance straight to Paralluelo, who, from ten yards, slammed the ball into the bottom far corner of the net.
The crowd erupted, and Spain, understandably, went nuts! It wouldn't be a FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final without VAR rearing its ugly head, however, and sure enough, the Video Assistant Referee found reason to check the validity of the goal, Navarro having strayed offside in the aftermath of her involvement in the move. She was deemed not to be interfering with play, however - the goal stood.
It was all or nothing now for Sweden, and incredibly, they equalised seven minutes later. A steepling cross from Rolfo - easily "Blagult"'s best on the night - which was delivered from near the corner flag found its way to substitute Lina Hurtig, who headed the ball inside to the unmarked Rebecka Blomqvist. Blackstenius' replacement lashed the ball into the top far corner of the net - 1-1.
Suddenly, extra time was imminent, but just 94 seconds after the equaliser, Spain regained the lead, ironically via the means by which Sweden have scored so many of their goals at this tournament - a goal from a corner.
Teresa Abelleira played it short to the unmarked Carmona, who let rip from the edge of the penalty area with a strike which Musovic got her fingertips to, but could only divert onto the underside of the bar, off which the ball crashed into the back of the net - 2-1 Spain, and no need for VAR this time!
Sweden threw everything they could muster at their opponents in stoppage time, but this time there was no way back for a nation which has come so close so often on so many occasions in recent times.
Runners-up at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Women's Football Tournaments, the Swedes finished third at both the 2011 and 2019 versions of FIFA's quadrennial celebration of the women's game, and were beaten semi-finalists at the 2022 UEFA Women's Championship. This defeat sees another "nearly but not quite" entry being added to their footballing resume.
For Spain, reaching the FIFA Women's World Cup Final gives them the opportunity to complete a remarkable and unprecedented treble, as they are the current holders of the FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women's World Cups, won last year in India and Costa Rica respectively.
They also won the U-17 title in 2018, the year the Young Ferns stunned the footballing world by finishing third at the Finals in Uruguay. Spain has also claimed four of the last five UEFA U-19 Women's Championships, and contested the final of the UEFA U-17 Women's Championships in seven of the last eight competitions, winning it twice in that time.
Either Australia or England will stand in their way of adding another success to that enviable list in Sydney on Sunday night, twenty-four hours after Sweden look to finish third in the world once again, this time in Brisbane. They'll look back on what might have been here, but in the end, the better side prevailed. Viva Espana!
Spain: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Carmona; Bonmati, Abelleira, Putellas (Paralluelo, 57); Redondo (Navarro, 73), Hermoso, Caldentey (Gonzalez, 90)
Sweden: Musovic; Bjorn, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldal, Asllani, Rubensson (Hurtig, 87); Kaneryd (Schough, 77), Blackstenius (Blomqvist, 77), Rolfo
Referee: Edina Alves (Brazil)
|
