Spain, an emerging nation of women’s football, qualified for the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time, beating the Dutch vice-world champions in title (2-1), after a meeting with twists, Friday, August 11 in Wellington.
La Roja will meet Japan or Sweden on Tuesday to extend their dream of winning a first major title.
The Spaniards, one of the youngest teams in the competition, won thanks to an extra-time goal (112) from 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo. The FC Barcelona striker unlocked the match a few seconds after a huge miss from Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn.
The scenario seems cruel for the Oranje who, although dominated, showed character, equalizing, during additional time in regulation time, with a shot from Stefanie van der Gragt (90th 1). La Roja had opened the scoring earlier thanks to a penalty shot by Mariona Caldentey (80th).
The competition therefore says goodbye to the Netherlands, who had reached the final in 2019 (lost against the United States).
Driven by the professionalization of its clubs, Spain embodies the recent development of women’s football, where the level gap between long-established nations and their competitors has narrowed considerably.
Coup fatal
Movement, counter-pressing, possession… The Iberians displayed their technical superiority, despite the presence on the bench of the reigning double Ballon d’Or Alexia Putellas (entered in the 99th). But their lack of success, embodied by Alba Redondo, who hit the post twice on the same action (17th), exposed them to a return from the Dutch, who waited until the end of the match to attempt a fatal blow.
The meeting got carried away in the last quarter of an hour, where the two teams seemed on the verge of knockout. Caldentey struck first, for La Roja, on a penalty spotted by video assistance for a handball from Stefanie van der Gragt, unhappy on the action.
The defender had both feet outside the penalty area, but not the hand, for a few centimeters. Van der Gragt, 30 years old and 106 caps, is playing her last competition as a player, before joining next season the management of the women’s team of Alkmaar, the club of her debut.
In injury time, she turned history around by scoring a striker-worthy goal against goalkeeper Cata Coll. This end full of twists revived the Dutch, who by Beerensteyn, had the opportunity to pass in front of the scoreboard during extra time.