Spain’s dramatic victory over Sweden in the Women’s World Cup semi-final has secured their place in the final match, setting up an exciting showdown between hosts Australia and reigning European champions England in the other semi-final.
Spain’s journey to the final was marked by a thrilling encounter against Sweden. In a last-minute turn of events, Carmona’s long-range strike hit the crossbar and found the back of the net just two minutes after Rebecka Blomqvist had equalized for Sweden.
The tide-changing moment came after Salma Paralluelo, the heroine of the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, gave Spain the lead with a goal in the 81st minute, injecting life into what had been a cautiously played match.
Following internal upheaval less than a year ago, ‘La Roja’ will now have the chance to vie for the championship title on Sunday. They will face the winner of the Australia-England match in the final.
Spain’s dominance was evident throughout the game, with 63% of possession and 13 shots on goal, compared to Sweden’s six. Despite their control, Spain struggled to challenge Swedish goalkeeper Zesira Musovic until the final 10 minutes of the game when they managed their only two shots on target.
Making their Women’s World Cup debut, Spain could potentially become the second nation, after Germany, to have secured both the men’s and women’s titles. Germany achieved this feat in 2003 and 2007. England also has a shot at achieving this dual victory if they can overcome Australia in their upcoming match in Sydney.
For Sweden, the semi-final defeat is a familiar story, having lost four out of five Women’s World Cup semi-finals. Their sole success came in the form of a third-place finish, having defeated England in a previous tournament.
