The world champion closes 'her' 2023 in style
The women's team makes a comeback in a great second half to beat Sweden 5-3
MADRID, 5 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women's soccer team closed its historic year 2023 in the best possible way after winning the last match of the group stage of the 2023-2024 Nations League 5-3 against Sweden at the La Rosaleda Stadium in Malaga. thanks to a tremendous second half where they overwhelmed their rival who went into the break 1-3.
Spain put a great finishing touch to an unforgettable year by winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and was able to forget everything that happened last Friday in Pontevedra. At times it seemed that it would not be like that, after an irregular first half where she was severely punished by her rival, but after the break she approached her best version and came back with a 4-0 lead, with the last three goals in just 10 minutes, to the joy of a fan that established a new attendance record with 15,896 spectators. Now, the 'Red' will have to rest to face the challenge of 'F4' in February where they will seek to complete the Olympic dream.
Without Aitana Bonmatí, replaced by Maite Oroz, without the 'centennial' Irene Paredes, whose place went to Ivana Andrés, and with Misa Rodríguez in goal, the world champion once again had a start to forget. If against Italy, the mistake with the change resulted in a quick draw, this time, Sweden only took 40 seconds to take the lead. A corner kick awarded perhaps unnecessarily and combed at the near post ended up being pushed into the net alone by Zigiotti Olme.
Spain knew how to recover this time and sought to equalize as soon as possible. She achieved it after ten minutes and after Olga Carmona once again showed her rival her dangerous left foot with a shot that bounced off the crossbar. The Sevillian also demonstrated her ability to cross and sent a precise one for Salma Paralluelo, with Ilestedt poorly positioned, to head in to make it 1-1.
But the joy at La Rosaleda was short-lived for the local fans. Blackstenius drew a great pass for the entry of Asllani, who finished with class over Misa Rodríguez to put the Olympic runner-up ahead again. The team coached by Montse Tomé tried not to suffer the blow and despite not having the most fluid football, they managed to have good chances to tie before a new splash of cold water.
Falk made himself big in the goal to correct his own error in the ball's exit and cover Mariona Caldentey's shot in time and put a good hand on a 'poisoned' center from Jenni Hermoso, which did not hit the mark in the subsequent corner kick. with his headbutt. The 'Roja' was hugging and growing when it paid dearly for another mistake. Tere Abelleira lost a ball and Sweden converted it to make it 1-3, with Blackstenius pushing at the near post a pass from Rytting Kaneryd.
The world champion had once again conceded three goals like last Friday in a short space of time and went in search of closing the gap before the break, although without the necessary 'spark' that players like Mariona Caldentey or Jenni Hermoso give. Even so, Salma Paralluelo had two options, but the Aragonese could not push a good pass from Ona Batlle and ran into Falk, while Misa Rodríguez 'flew' to avoid Angeldal's 1-4.
SPAIN IS UNLEASHED WITH SPACES
The break, with the only entry of Laia Codina for Ivana Andrés, did not sit well with the locals either, who suffered at the beginning and were on the verge of conceding the fourth, allied with a crossbar that repelled Blackstenius' shot. But this time, the one who hit was Spain, who got back into the game with another pass from Olga Carmona and a good pass into the heart of the area for Athenea del Castillo to make it 2-3.
The world champion regained control and offered a better version, helped by the greater role of Mariona Caldentey and Jenni Hermoso in a duel where spaces began to appear because the Swedes could not withstand their physical effort and the technical quality of the Spanish was began to impose.
Thus, the number one in the FIFA ranking began to leave too many gaps and suffer, especially when Tomé tweaked the team and brought in Aitana Bonmatí and Fiamma Benítez. Sweden clung to Falk to stay alive, even extended by the Ballon d'Or with a failed shot when he had everything in his favor. But the visitors couldn't last much longer and were undone when Mariona Caldentey made it 3-3 and unleashed the Spanish storm. Fiamma Benítez, with quality, completed the comeback and Mariona Caldentey closed the win to put one more smile on 2023.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SPAIN, 5 – SWEDEN, 3 (1-3, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS.
SPAIN: Misa Rodríguez; Ona Batlle, Ivana Andrés (Laia Codina, min.46), Laia Aleixandri (María Méndez, min.75), Olga Carmona; Maite Oroz (Fiamma Benítez, min.61), Tere Abelleira, Jenni Hermoso (Aitana Bonmatí, min.61); Athenea del Castillo (Eva Navarro, min.69), Salma Paralluelo and Mariona Caldentey.
SWEDEN: Falk; Lundkvist (Rybrink, min.82), Sembrant (Janogy, min.82), Ilestedt, Eriksson; Angeldal (Bennison, min.63), Asllani, Zigotti Olme; Rytting Kaneryd, Blackstenius y Nilden (Andersson, min.62).
–GOALS.
0-1, minuto 1. Zigiotti Olme.
1-1, minute 11. Paralluelo.
1-2, minute 14. Asllani.
1-3, minute 29. Blackstenius.
2-3, minute 51. Del Castillo.
3-3, minute 78. Caldentey.
4-3, minute 81. Benítez.
5-3, minute 89. Caldentey.
–REFEREE: Kateryna Monzul (UCR). She cautioned Asllani (min.42) and Eriksson (min.73), for Sweden.
–STADIUM: La Rosaleda de Málaga.