FÚTBOL | WOMEN’S NATIONS LEAGUE
The Spanish women’s soccer team qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time in its history. Spain will be in Paris 2024 after beating the Netherlands in the UEFA Women’s Nations League semifinal match by a score of 3-0. The first two goals of the Spanish came during the last five minutes of the first half: first it was Jennifer Hermoso who put her team ahead in La Cartuja in Seville and, then, it was Aitana who extended the score. The third and final goal came when the match crossed the threshold of the last quarter of an hour of the duel, with Ona Batllé scoring in the 77th minute. It will be the first time that the Spanish women’s soccer team participates in a Games, but not the first time that a soccer player born in Spain is an Olympian. In fact, the Valencian soccer player from Manises Nayadet López was an Olympian in Tokyo 2020, although she did so playing for Chile, since her mother is of that nationality and she played for that team.
The respect between both teams and the importance of the loot at stake left the first few minutes anchored in imprecision, with both teams testing each other. The Netherlands had the first chance: Brugts failed to finish a pass from Van de Donk at goal. Then Spain replied. He combined a couple of good attempts on Van Domselaar’s goal. First, a long ball from Mariona for the run of Paralluelo, whose shot went just wide near the right post. The same finisher was close to overtaking the Spanish after a pass from Athenea.
After the quarter of an hour, Cata Coll took a powerful shot from Beerensteyn with her left foot. There was a response from Spain, again with Paralluelo. The national team, also pushed by the more than 21,000 spectators in La Cartuja, began to control and show superiority. After half an hour, the chances were with shots from Irene and Olga. It was in the 41st minute when Spain’s first goal arrived: Ona Batlle sent a good ball into the area, where Jenni Hermoso controlled and finished with a dry shot with her left foot to beat Van Domselaar. Shortly after, in the 45th minute, the assist came from Mariona and the shot from Aitana made it 2-0.
Once the game resumed after passing through the locker room, the alternation between one and the other once again set the script at the beginning of the second half. There was a lack of precision to break through the rival goal in the last few meters to create chances. The passage of time led to movement in both teams with the entry into the fray of fresh players: among them, for Spain, Vicky López debuted with the senior team on the day she turned 17. It was already in the 77th minute when the sentence came: Ona Batlle made good use of a loose ball inside the area to score the third. The 3-0 score was ultimately decisive for the victory, the pass to the final of the UEFA Women’s Nations League and, especially, the qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Datasheet:
Spain: Taste Coll; Ona, Irene, Codina, Olga (Oihane, m.73); Aleixandri, Aitana, Hermoso (Vicky López, m.73); Athenea (Alma, d.62), Paralluelo (Lucía García, d.82) and Mariona (Eva Navarro, d.82).
Netherlands: Van Domselaar; Casparij, Dijkstra, Janssen (Wilms, m.68), Brugts (Jansen, m.79); Groenen, Spitse, Van de Donk (Kaptein, m.86); Beerensteyn (Soneijs, m.68), Miedema (Damaris, m.46) y Martens.
Goals: 1-0, min.41: Beautiful. 2-0, min.45: Aitana. 3-0, min.77: Ona Batllé.
Referee: Rebecca Welch (ENG).
Incidences: La Cartuja Stadium (Seville): 21,856 spectators. UEFA Women’s Nations League semi-finals.
Foto: RFEF
2024-02-23 23:06:11
#Football #Spain #sealed #qualification #Paris #Games #defeating #Netherlands
