Spain defeats England their very first major championship – In a heartwarming turn of events, the Women’s World Cup – in less than a year following the players’ brave stand. Their triumph unfolded on a sunny Sunday when they managed to secure a 1-0 victory over England, all thanks to a splendid goal by Olga Carmona during the first half.
With this remarkable victory, Spain etched its name as the first European team to grasp the Women’s World Cup title since Germany in 2007, marking a historic milestone in the realm of international football.
Celebrations Galore as Spain Defeats England in a Thrilling Finale
Amid cheers and joy, the Spanish players gathered around, hugging one another in front of their respective goals as the final whistle echoed. And oh, what a moment it was! In the 29th minute, Carmona’s artful left-footed shot from a distance elegantly slipped past England’s vigilant goalkeeper, Mary Earps, gracefully nestling into the far corner of the net.
She joyfully took off her jersey to reveal the word “Marci” written in ink on her undershirt—clearly an homage to her previous school.
Spain’s Victory Over England Marked by Carmona’s Spectacular Goal
Carmona also scored the game-winning goal with a shot in the 89th minute of Spain vs. Sweden’s semifinal match. She followed Carli Lloyd in 2015 as the first World Cup player to score in both the semifinal and championship games.
Spain had a chance to extend their lead in the 68th minute, but Jenny Hermoso’s penalty attempt was blocked by Earps. She made the ideal assumption and dove to her left to deflect the shot.
Spain almost experienced a significant upheaval the previous year, but they were able to prevail. In addition to calling for a more professional environment, fifteen players openly discussed the need for a sabbatical from the national team in order to concentrate on their mental health.
Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmati, and Mariona Caldentey were some of these players; they had all previously worked with the federation and were on the World Cup team.
Since they won the European Championship at home last year, England’s performance has been astounding. Unfortunately, because to injury, their three star players—captain Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby, and Beth Mead—were unable to compete in the World Cup.
Serena Wiegman, the coach of England, was the first coach to successfully guide two of her squads to World Cup finals. She led the Netherlands to the 2019 final, where they lost to the United States 2-0. Her record right now is 0-2 currently.
England was up 3-1 over Australia in the semifinals. For stamping on Michelle Alozie of Nigeria, who was eliminated from the knockout stage, Lauren James, the team’s leading scorer with three goals and three assists, received a two-game suspension.
Wiegman started a conversation with Ella Toone while James was available for the final. At the beginning of the second half, James entered the game.
A person’s entry onto the field in the 25th minute briefly stopped play, but security staff handled the matter quickly.
The crossbar was hit by Lauren Hemp’s powerful shot in the 16th minute, which was one of England’s best chances. Salma Paralluelo sprinted towards the goal a minute later but was unable to get a clear shot off, and Alba Redondo’s attempt was blocked by Earps in a hand-to-hand struggle in front of the goal.
The 19-year-old Paralluelo was the first player on Vilda’s team, and he scored the important goal against Sweden for Spain as well as the game-winning goal in extra time against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Just a few seconds prior to halftime, Paralluelo came close to scoring but her shot struck the post. Alex Greenwood of England was given a yellow card in the 78th minute for a foul when she poked her opponent in the eye.
In the 54th minute, Hemp had another chance, but she missed the goal. Kadeisha Buchanan was given a warning for fouling Hemp a minute later.
Spain had a chance to extend their lead after Kiera Walsh’s handball in the 68th minute and a video review that resulted in a penalty. Earps, however, made a series of saves to keep England in the match.
Alexia Putella, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner who was still recovering from a difficult ACL injury last year, was a challenge for coach Jorge Vilda. Putella began the game’s finale on the sidelines.
Putella made her entrance into the match with only 15 seconds of the game’s normal time remaining and 13 minutes of stoppage time. Tennis legend Billie Jean King was one of the 75,784 spectators in the stadium in Australia for the championship match.
Last year, England and Spain played each other in the Euro quarterfinals, with England coming out on top 2-1 in extra time thanks to a goal from Georgia Stanway.
1 thought on “Spain defeats England 1-0 to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time”