Football World Cup semifinals
Dramatic final phase – Spain celebrates, Sweden cries
Status: 12:22 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Olga Carmona celebrates her winning goal
Credit: AFP/MICHAEL BRADLEY
Spain’s footballers are in the final of the World Cup for the first time. In a game against Sweden that was boring for a long time, the events only really took off at the very end.
Spain’s footballers are in the final of a World Cup for the first time. Substitute Salma Paralluelo (81st minute) and captain Olga Carmona (89th) led the southern Europeans to a 2-1 (0-0) victory over Sweden in the semifinals. In a turbulent final phase, Rebecka Blomqvist (88th) scored the interim 1-1 in front of 43,217 people in Eden Park in Auckland.
Spain will face England or Australia next Sunday in Sydney, who will be playing in the second semi-final this Wednesday – also in Sydney – for a place in the final (12:00 p.m. CEST/ARD).
For a long time it was a semi-final that was hardly nice to watch. The game flowed slowly, both teams avoided risks. The Spanish short passing game, mainly initiated by Aitana Bonmati, looked good at times, but Jennifer Hermoso was ineffective in the front row. Carmona, newly rotated into the team, initially missed Spain’s best opportunity in the 14th minute, her shot from distance flew just wide of the Swedish goal.
Swedish tears after the final whistle
Which: REUTERS
Sweden’s first good chance through Fridolina Rolfö from just a few yards away was saved by Cata Coll just before half-time. Spain’s goalkeeper was only awarded her third international cap in the semifinals. In the preliminary round, coach Jorge Vilda had put on Coll’s competitor Misa Rodríguez. Rolfö’s direct acceptance was Sweden’s only shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, while Spain recorded only three.
After 57 minutes it’s over for the world footballer
Vilda was again without Barcelona’s Paralluelo in his starting XI. The youngest player in the squad at 19 had already decided the quarter-finals against the Netherlands (2-1) in extra time with her goal. Two-time world footballer Alexia Putellas played a part from the start, but found little to defend against Sweden’s courageous defensive line. After 57 disappointing minutes, Vilda took the Barça player off and Paralluelo came on.
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The move almost paid off in the 70th minute when Paralluelo served the downed Alba Redondo. Graduation was just over. The Super-Joker finally did better himself. After a cross, Paralluelo took a shot from six meters and put the ball flat into the right corner.
The Spanish cheers had hardly faded when Blomqvist converted a header from Lina Hurtig to equalize. Carmona, however, had the last word and put the ball on the lower edge of the crossbar after a short corner. As in the tournament four years ago in France, the Swedes narrowly missed out on the final. The match for third place on Saturday (10:00 a.m. CEST) in Brisbane is about bronze.
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