The 20,983 fans who ventured along to Eden Park on 26 July were treated to one of the finest displays of flowing football ever seen at this grand venue since the days of the all-conquering Auckland rugby team of the 1980s, as Spain produced some sparkling stuff in sweeping aside Zambia 5-0 to advance to the knockout phase of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. Jorge Vilda's charges were swiftly into their stride, Salma Paralluelo unable to capitalise after Eunice Sakala had parried Olga Carmona's fourth minute cross into the striker's path. Zambia's 'keeper was to the fore again seconds later, spectacularly pawing away an Alexia Putellas cross after the reigning FIFA Women's Player of the Year had worked a one-two with Jennifer Hermoso on the left. Aitana Bonmati sparked the next attack, her eighth minute pass inviting Mariona Caldentey to get wide on the left flank before delivering a pinpoint cross for Paralluelo. She headed the ball down, but just failed in her quest to score what would have been a stunning volleyed goal had she connected with the ball. Zambia launched an instant counter-attack, captain Barbra Banda racing away down the right, fending off the challenge of Ivana Andres then dashing past Irene Paredes before getting it all wrong in the penalty area, affording Misa Rodriguez an easy save. "La Rosa" promptly swept downfield and opened the scoring, a ninth minute strike arising from a delightful interchange of passes between Hermoso, Caldentey, Putellas and Hermoso again. The striker rolled the ball into the stride of Teresa Abelleira, who unleashed an unstoppable  twenty yard screamer which stormed into the top right-hand corner of the net with such rapidity that Sakala barely moved - even if she had, there was no stopping this one! Terrific goal! Spain doubled their lead four minutes later, this time via a goal which featured exquisite passing and movement as Zambia were picked apart with precision and panache. The culmination of the attack saw Carmona feed Caldentey, whose slide-rule angled ball inside rewarded Putellas' angled right-to-left run into the penalty area. Her measured cross arced over Sakala and found Hermoso on the far post, where she stooped to conquer - 2-0. The Spanish proceeded to put on a clinic in the beautiful game, a purist's delight as Eden Park's patrons were treated to intricate triangles, precision passing, incisive movement, party pieces aplenty - a joy to behold! Every once in a while, Zambia would briefly savour possession, and on a couple of occasions shy of the half-hour mark went close to reducing the deficit. The jet-heeled Racheal Kundananji stormed down the left from halfway in the 26th minute before inviting Banda to batter a shot past the near post, while two minutes later, Kundananji just failed to get on the end of a Siomala Mapepa free-kick, as the Africans reminded Spain that they weren't the only show in town. In response, Spain found another gear, Carmona and Paralluelo working a one-two on the left, the fullback just keeping the ball in along the by-line before crossing to Hermoso, whose header down invited Bonmati to let fly. Her eighteen-yarder grazed Sakala's left-hand post in the 29th minute. Nine minutes later, the offside flag denied Hermoso a goal, while after Paredes' perfectly timed tackle thwarted Banda in the box, Margaret Belemu blazed over from twenty-five yards after Abelleira had cleared Ireen Lungu's corner to safety. On the stroke of half-time, Spain should have scored a third goal. Carmona, Putellas, Hermoso and Paralluelo combined on the left, the last-mentioned's cross being missed by Martha Tembo. Bonmati was the beneficiary of her blunder, but was thwarted in her bid to find the back of the net by a fine blocking save by Sakala. Spain made three changes at half-time, but the flowing football continued unabated. A lovely move in the 51st minute saw Hermoso combine with Caldentey on the left, the latter's inch-perfect cross finding Bonmati arriving on cue. Sakala parried her header, then grabbed the ball at the second attempt as it threatened to roll over the line. Two minutes later, Zambia again reminded Spain that they weren't to be taken lightly, Banda and Kundananji both being thwarted by Paredes. "La Roja" counter-attacked instantly, Eva Navarro racing down the right before crossing to Caldentey, who headed past the far post. Kundananji's express pace was something Spain were finding hard to contain, and just shy of the hour mark she scampered away down the left once more, exploiting an Oihane Hernandez error. Her

cross picked out Evarine Katongo, who executed the perfect air-shot - chance lost. Spain found another gear after this, and in the 65th minute, Navarro invited Hermoso to let fly. Her twenty-yarder cannoned off Agness Musesa, forcing Sakala to turn the ball round the post. While nothing came from this corner, the Spanish were rewarded for their attacking efforts with a wonderful third goal four minutes later. Half-time substitute Navarro outmuscled an opponent before working a one-two with fellow substitute Irene Guerrero then threading a sumptuous pass from halfway into the stride of Alba Redondo. Musesa shoved the striker in an attempt to knock her off her stride - briefly accomplished, but Redondo recovered to round the approaching figure of Sakala and roll the ball into an empty net - 3-0. Our dear friends in the Video Assistant Referee area must have been wishing every game was like this one, as their services had yet to be called upon, but within a minute of Redondo's goal, Hermoso had the ball in the net again, tucking home the rebound after Caldentey and Carmona had combined for Guerrero, who hit the post. The offside flag was aloft, however, so the goal was ruled out. But the VAR team, after being roused from their slumbers then taking an eternity to come to a decision, deemed that Guerrero had not been offside when picked out by Carmona's cross, a full four minutes after Hermoso's goal celebrations had started … the scoreboard eventually read 4-0 to Spain. There really needs to be a time limit introduced to improve the decision-making requirements of VAR, as these lengthy delays do so much to ruin the joy and spontaneity of the moment in the interests of precision and accuracy (as if fans and players really care about that when their team has the ball in the net), not to mention disrupt the momentum and flow of the game. 45 seconds tops to sort it, otherwise run with the on-field call. And only to get involved when the on-field officials have made a "clear and obvious error" (to quote the legislation) - to do otherwise undermines the authority and integrity of the on-field officials. In other words, let's get on with the game and keep the outside interventions to an absolute minimum! Back to the action. Navarro and Banda exchanged efforts on goal prior to the eighty minute mark, the Spaniard's effort drawing a flying save from Sakala. Kundananji's twenty-yarder stung the gloves of Rodriguez soon afterwards, to which the European team responded via Hermoso, who saw her rising drive tipped onto the bar by Sakala. After Paredes had headed a Guerrero corner straight at Zambia's goalkeeper, Spain went nap five minutes from time, with VAR overruling the referee's assistant for the second time in fifteen minutes. Andres fed Guerrero, whose round-the-corner pass invited Navarro to deliver a measured cross for Redondo to exploit. She showed terrific composure to control the ball and evade the challenge of Musesa then tucking home into the net beyond Sakala, only for her delight to turn to dismay at the sight of the offside flag once more being raised aloft. Common sense soon prevailed, and the goal was confirmed, one which Spain looked to add to in the dying minutes. Paredes released Navarro down the right, from where she looked to pick out the hat-trick-hunting Redondo with a cross. Musesa prevailed on this occasion, but could only look on as Sakala kept out Redondo's header from the resulting corner, taken by Guerrero. After Kundananji had tried an ambitious effort from halfway in a bid to earn Zambia a late consolation goal, Spain threatened again through Redondo, with Guerrero again the supply line. Sakala wasn't in the mood to have anyone celebrating a hat-trick at her expense, and duly tipped the header around the post to ensure Spain's winning score would be restricted to 5-0 - a five-star performance from a team with the potential to go all the way in this tournament. Spain:          Rodriguez; Batlle (Hernandez, 46), Paredes, Andres, Carmona; Bonmati (Guerrero, 61), Abelleira, Putellas (Redondo, 46); Paralluelo (Navarro, 46), Hermoso, Caldentey (Del Castillo, 83) Zambia:     Sakala; Belemu, Musesa, Mweemba (Phiri, 76), Tembo (booked, 90); Lungu, S. Banda (Wilombe, 37), Katongo (Lubandji, 76 (booked, 90)); Mapepa (Chitundu, 37), B. Banda, Kundananji Referee:     Oh Hyeon Jeong (Korea Republic)