Spain defeats Sweden To Go To The First-Ever Women’s World Cup final
Indeed, the goal was to maintain possession of the ball for as long as possible while sacrificing some verticality and a front-row position to stabilize the solid Swedish center-backs.
Jorge Vilda chose Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso, and Alexia Putellas to lead the way.
Spain defeated Sweden 2-1 in the opening semifinal to go to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
They will compete against either England or Australia in the championship game. The semifinal will take place on Wednesday morning CEST.
Jorge Vilda chose Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso, and Alexia Putellas to lead the way.
Indeed, the goal was to maintain possession of the ball for as long as possible while sacrificing some verticality and a front-row position to stabilize the solid Swedish center-backs.
Wisdom and bravery
The middle circle, where there were too many players to allow for a flowing assault, was where the game was most condensed.
Sweden held the ball when Spain had possession, blocking any transition with two lines of four positioned closely together.
In the initial risky maneuvers, Olga Carmona played the lead role. In the first instance, Alba Redondo sent a cross to the far post without finding a teammate to complete it, and in the second instance, she took a shot from the edge of the box that missed the far post by a whisker.
The few counterattacks that Sweden attempted were in response to pressure, and Catalina Coll was unaffected except for the occasional long ball. Catalina Coll once again showed her composure and sure footing.
On the pitch, Spain had a seasoned squad that knew how to read the game and deal with the often excessive permissiveness of the referee.
Both defensively and offensively, the fullbacks were more than sufficient. Still, the wingers needed to be more disjointed from the inside players, restricting Spain’s opportunities to hesitant efforts beyond the box.
Only one shot—a volley by Fridolina Rolfo off of a Bjorn pass that Coll well saved—was on goal in the first half.
A Spain team that found itself without the ball and any ideas suffered dramatically from the intense pressure of the Swedes at the beginning of the second half.
Vilda responded by shifting the slate, eliminating Putellas, and bringing Salma Paralluelo up front as a reference.
The strength and size of the Swedish defense with muscle and quickness
After entering the game, the winger quickly took advantage of an opportunity to gain yards and open the field. A free kick from the edge of the box by Mariona Caldentey was an attempt at a set piece, but the defense’s strong play prevented Zecira Musovic from being put to the test.
A breath-taking conclusion
When Paralluelo’s cross was headed into the side netting with 20 minutes remaining, Redondo caused the fans to get up from their seats.
It has entered half of the stadium. Once weariness had started to open the game, the ball was frequently in both penalty areas, floating from one side to the other without a finisher.
Caldentey, Redondo, Stina Blackstenius, and Rolfo nearly found the opening.
The moment of truth has arrived. Hermoso initiated the play, and Paralluelo capitalized on a dead ball inside the box to score. Despite reviewing the goal, the VAR could only state with certainty that the dream was 10 minutes away from becoming a reality.
With Rebecka Blomqvist’s goal from Lina Hurtig’s assist three minutes later, history appeared to be repeating itself. However, everything is possible for a squad that believes, and this Spain team has already convinced themselves that they can accomplish anything.
This time, Olga Carmona took the shot that deflected off the crossbar and into the goal from the edge of the box.
It took patience, nervousness, and joy to get through the additional seven minutes until the referee sounded the final whistle.
