The time has come. The one that all the Spanish team players – and those who unfortunately are still at home – dreamed of. “Playing some Games is what I have left to do,” said Aitana Bonmatí after winning everything this year, including the Ballon d’Or. And the ticket to Paris goes through Seville.
The national team plays its most important match in history on Spanish soil this Friday (9:00 p.m.). The World Champion receives the Netherlands in La Cartuja in the UEFA Women’s Nations League semi-final with a double incentive: a pass to the final and a place in this summer’s Olympic Games.
If they beat the Dutch team, Spain will be in the final of the Nations League on February 28 – the other semi-final is played by France and Germany – and will also have a guaranteed place in the Paris Games. If they lose, their Olympic participation will depend on what France does, a team with a guaranteed place because it is the host. If France beats Germany and Spain loses, the last ticket to the Games will be played in the match for third and fourth place.
The last time Spain and the Netherlands met was at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, on August 11, in the quarterfinals, with an unprecedented victory for La Roja. Mariona Caldentey put the national team ahead in the final minutes, Van der Gragt equalized in added time and Salma Paralluelo scored the winning goal in extra time. The rest is history and this team already sports a star on its chest.
Spain achieved its place in this final four of the Nations League after a practically perfect group stage and despite all the noise around the national team at the beginning of the season, with the ‘Rubiales Case’, the dismissal of Vilda, the appointment of Montse Tomé in her place or the Oliva summit. Five wins and one insignificant loss against Italy.
The Netherlands, for its part, qualified on the last day, thanks to a double from Damaris Egurrola in added time which left England out.
The words of Montse Tomé and Irene Paredes
About the presence or not of Alexia Putellas in the semifinal -that SPORT, from the Prensa Ibérica group, already announced that it was ruled out for this match-, Montse Tomé did not want to speak out in the preview. “When it’s over, we will assess how the players are doing. Alexia is doing well in her readaptation process, she is training as much as she can.” “I’m not going to give clues to the rival. We have an important objective, which is to be in the Olympics”he reiterated at the insistence of the press.
Irene Paredes highlighted Beerensteyn’s speed and the importance of being focused so that their backs do not win. “We know that we are taking risks and we will have to be very vigilant.”
And the captain took advantage of the opportunity, to make “an appeal to the fans, they are going to have a good time”making it clear that “Playing at home is an opportunity; It is not the best situation for them to change the stadium fifteen days before, but we trust that the fans will come to cheer us on.”. It could be your (our) big night…
2024-02-22 21:08:07
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