Spain begins a new challenge against dangerous Belgium
The women’s team begins a qualification for the EURO compressed into three months and an ‘appetizer’ of the Games
MADRID, 4 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s soccer team will begin this Friday (8:45 p.m./1 p.m.) in the town of Leuven a new and demanding challenge, that of the qualifying phase for next year’s Euro Cup in Switzerland, against a dangerous and competitive rival like Belgium against whom he hopes to maintain his good moment.
A little more than a month after making history again, with the ticket to compete in her first Olympic Games and the Nations League title, the second in half a year after the World Cup, the current world champion will play in the grass of the Den Dreef Stadium its status as a rival to beat today at the beginning of the road to the next continental event.
Spain does not want to stop adding. After the historic World Cup, and despite new turbulence, the internationals were able to overcome everything and achieve new success thanks to a journey where they once again dominated some of the best teams in Europe through an already recognized style. Sweden, on two occasions, the Netherlands and France, which had never been beaten until the final of the Nations League, were submitted by the team coached by Montse Tomé.
However, the players themselves know that these successes increasingly raise the demands and test their ambition, something that they will begin to do against the ‘Red Flames’, a team that is also growing little by little and that will be the first rival in a classification, with a new format and that will consist of three ‘windows’: this one from April, another between May and June and the last one in mid-July.
The number one in the FIFA ranking starts as the favorite to lead this group where two direct tickets to Switzerland are distributed, while the third and fourth must play in two play-offs. Belgium and Denmark emerge as the main obstacles for the Spanish team, while the Czech Republic, rival on Tuesday in Burgos, seems theoretically the most ‘affordable’.
And these three teams and six games will also help Tomé and the team prepare in the best possible way for the assault on the Olympic dream. The last match, at home against the Belgians, will be on July 16, just over a week after making the long-awaited and anticipated debut in the Games, so the Asturian should already have a clear idea of the 18 chosen for this adventure.
But first, the ‘Roja’ must get off to a good start in an always complicated away game. Already in the Nations League, it was where it was most difficult, especially in Sweden (2-3) and Italy (0-1), in both cases with late goals, and in addition Belgium already demonstrated in this same competition against rivals heavy like England and the Netherlands that are not going to make things easy.
ALEXIA PUTELLAS AND MISA RODRÍGUEZ BY AITANA BONMATÍ AND CATA COLL
Spain will be in control of the match with almost complete probability and the coach predicts that the locals will bet on a low block and on surprising the counterattack, backed by the presence of a high-quality forward like the experienced Tessa Wullaert, the biggest threat for a defense that which Laia Aleixandri will presumably return as Irene Paredes’ partner and who improved significantly in the ‘Final Four’ by not fitting in.
Behind will be one of the obligatory novelties. The loss due to injury of Cata Coll, the undisputed starter in goal, will give Misa Rodríguez a new opportunity. The other forced variation due to a physical problem will be in the middle where Aitana Bonmatí will be missing, although there, barring a surprise, the coach will recover Tere Abelleira, absent in the ‘F4’. If they keep Aleixandri as a pivot, Laia Codina would surely be the other center back.
Now, the player from Oviedo must decide the replacement for the Ballon d’Or, with a high probability that it will be Alexia Putellas, who returns to the national team after missing the last two days of the Nations and not playing in the final phase. The other interior would be Jenni Hermoso, while above everything indicates that the trio formed by the talented Mariona Caldentey on the left, Athenea del Castillo on the right, and the powerful Salma Paralluelo as ‘9’ will remain.
The world champion will try to get the first three valuable points against Belgium, number 18 in the world ranking and which she clearly won 3-0 the last time they met, in a friendly at the Santo Domingo de Alcorcón (Madrid) in June 2021, although both combinations have since evolved upwards.
The ‘Red Flames’ were not in the last World Cup, but in the Nations League they had a good chance of moving to the ‘F4’ despite sharing a group with England and the Netherlands. Both fell on their visits to Belgian soil, 3-2 and 2-1, respectively, and although they had options until the last day, they lost against the Dutch (4-0).
Apart from Wullaert, who scored seven goals in the Nations League, Jassina Blom, forward for Costa Adeje Tenerife, is another of the well-known players of a team that also has significant losses in its theoretical starting eleven such as goalkeeper Nicky Evrard and center back Laura de Neve.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
BELGICA: Lichtfus; Kees, Cayman, De Caigny, Tysiak, Deloose; Vanhaevermaet, Delacauw, Missipo; Detruyer y Wullaert.
SPAIN: Misa; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Carmona; Hermoso, Abelleira, Putellas; Del Castillo, Paralluelo and Caldentey.
–ARBITER: Katalin Kulcsar (HUN).
–ESTADIO: Den Dreef.
–TIME: 20.45/La 1.