For the first time in its history, Spain qualified for the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup, after easily dominating Switzerland (5-1), this Saturday August 5, in Auckland. Jorge Vilda’s players did not have time to shake, leading 4-1 at the break thanks, in particular, to a brace from midfielder Aitana Bonmati.
The appointment is therefore made and the date checked: next Friday, they will meet the winner of the round of 16 between the Netherlands and South Africa, who face each other this Sunday in Sydney.
The Spaniards had no choice but to raise their heads after the slap they received on the final day of Group C: a 4-0 loss to Japan. But this Saturday, they controlled their subject by opening the score in the 5th minute, thanks to a precise shot from the left of Aitana Bonmati.
And it wasn’t Laia Codina’s improbable 11th-minute own goal that held the Iberians back. Because six minutes later, Alba Maria Redondo Ferrer, thanks to a header at the far post, restored the advantage to his team before Aitana Bonmati scored his second goal (36th) after a good sequence and eliminating three players. The Spanish festival of this first period was concluded by the unfortunate Laia Codin (45th). In the second half, the scenario was the same: a Spanish domination rewarded with a goal from Jenifer Hermoso twenty minutes from time.
Reassuring for the Spaniards, especially since the Golden Ball Alexia Putellas remained on the bench for a good part of the match. The FC Barcelona player and double Ballon d’Or, who entered in the 77th minute, still does not seem to be 100% recovered from her serious knee injury. Substitute for the first match against Costa Rica, she was established for the second against Zambia where she played half-time and against Japan, before leaving on the hour mark.
Eliminated in the first round in Canada in 2015, the Spaniards lost in the round of 16 in France four years later against the future American world champions. This year in Oceania, they are already doing better with this historic qualification in the quarter-finals.
They were announced favorites and will have lived up to expectations. The Japanese qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to their victory against Denmark (3-1) in Wellington.
As in the first game of the day, the Japanese opened the scoring with an own goal from Norway’s Ingrid Syrstad Engen (15th) before seeing their opponent come back five minutes later with a header from Guro Reiten (20th). But this Saturday, the Japanese were above. In the second half, they made up a gap that will no longer be filled. By Risa Shimizyu (50th) first, then by Hinata Miyazawa (81st), the tournament’s top scorer.
Norway, a strong nation in women’s football since their world title in 1995, appear on the downward slope after being eliminated in the group stage of Euro 2022. Even the late entry of star Ada Hegerberg, the first winner of the Women’s Golden Ball in 2018, did not make it possible to counter the perfectly oiled collective game of her opponent.
The Japanese, titled in 2011, will meet another leading nation in the quarter-finals. Sunday, a tenor will fall by the wayside between the United States, in search of a hat-trick, but in doubt after an unconvincing group stage, and Sweden, Olympic vice-champion and third in the last World Cup.
The Americans, double defending champions, appeared to lack automation and the young stars have been disappointing since the start of the tournament. The USA even came close to elimination in the first round, enough to make Jill Ellis, their emblematic coach during their world titles in 2015 and 2019, declare that “the days when you could predict everything are over”.
The Swedes, on the other hand, are among the three teams that have finished with three wins from three games in the first round. If they face the double defending champions, they are not afraid of their rivals: “Psychologically, we know that we can beat them”, assures coach Peter Gerhardsson.
