by The competition will come to a head this weekend. Spain will contest England in Sunday’s final for a chance to lift the ultimate prize as both strive to win the tournament for the first time. Saturday will see hosts Australia welcome Sweden as the two aim to secure the only remaining medal, bronze.
How the semi-finals unfolded
The hosts Australia and Sweden were both left with heartbreak following two well-contested semi-finals. Sweden kicked off proceedings against Spain with the confidence of having eliminated favourites USA and Japan.
Spain’s affair with Sweden was a slow-burner of a match that did not really ignite until the final ten minutes. It was quarter-final hero Salma Paralluelo who got the Spaniards in front with a well taken strike in the 81st minute. However, Sweden showed great character to get the equaliser just seven minutes later. Two substitutes combined as Lina Hurtig headed the ball for Rebecka Blomqvist who struck sweetly into the far corner.
However, the rush of having gotten back into the match seemed to lead to a costly lapse in concentration in defence, who had otherwise been diligent in their marking. An unmarked Olga struck venomously from outside the box and though Zecira Musovic got the slightest of fingertips on it, she could not direct it above the net. The late goal ensured Spain’s first appearance in a Women’s World Cup final, while absolutely crushing Sweden to a fourth semi-final defeat in five appearances.
The second semi-final saw the Matildas welcome England in a high-intensity match that saw plenty of chances at either end. Ella Toone opened the scoring with a strike into the far side netting that saw her get on the scorer’s list in the competition. Doing so, is likely to have boosted the confidence of the Manchester United number ten, while also silencing some of the criticism that had been directed in her way following Lauren James’ stellar performances. However, the second half saw Australia’s captain Sam Kerr deliver a strike from distance that beat Mary Earps to send Stadium Australia into euphoria.
Sam Kerr had another chance from six years but it was a rare miss from the Chelsea forward, who is usually ruthless from such distances. Alarm bells were surely ringing for the Lionesses, most of whom play in the Women’s Super League and so know Kerr’s abilities all too wall. The hosts appeared to have shifted momentum in their favour. However, Lauren Hemp silenced the crowd when she nudged the Lionesses back into the lead just eight minutes later. Alessia Russo earned England the comfort of a two-goal cushion four minutes from time.
Sweden and Australia’s Dance for Bronze
It is a position that neither wanted to be in when their respective semi-finals kicked off. However, considering the way things panned out, there is no doubt that they would rather walk off with bronze than nothing at all.
It will be the Matilda’s first opportunity in this stage and having surpassed expectations both on and off the pitch, the team will surely want to end it with a bang. There have been standout performances and having started her first match against England, Sam Kerr will be ready to pepper Sweden’s goal. The duo of Zecira Musovic and Magdalena Eriksson know all about her, as Chelsea teammates who lifted numerous titles until last season. However, as the tournament has shown, Australia is not a one-player show and the likes of Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Mary Fowler will fancy ending it on a high with a goal or two.
On the other hand, Sweden come into the match the more experienced of the two teams and their defensive organization will be put to the test once more. Having paid the price for allowing Spain to take the initiative, perhaps the Swedes will approach the match more in the manner that they did the one against Japan. They certainly have the firepower upfront to challenge Australia’s defence. Though they have been ruthless in set-pieces throughout the tournament, Australia will be wary of the threat. The fact that Alanna Kennedy will still be ruled out of the match after displaying delayed concussion symptoms adds further woes in this regard for the Matildas in this regard. On the other hand, Sweden’s Amanda Illestedt will want to finish capitalise for a chance to be the one of the most unorthodox golden boot winners in history.
It will likely be a more open match than that between Spain and England in the final, and probably a lot more than the semi-final between Spain and Sweden. The crowd will no doubt be on Australia’s side so it will be interesting to see how Sweden fair against that pressure. However, come the first whistle there is no doubt that neither team wants to end the tournament in fourth place.
The Final
Two Contrasting Coaches
Sarina Wiegman will be competing in her fourth final in four major tournaments that she has coached a team in. She has won two European Championships but was beaten in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final as the coach of her native Netherlands. A well-loved coach in the footballing world who is praised for people management and meticulous planning, underpinned by her competitiveness. Having achieved the final she will want to steer the Lionesses to their first Women’s World Cup and England’s first since the men’s team won it in 1966, whilst also jotting the trophy in her personal list of achievements.
At the other end of the dugout will be Jorge Vilda, who offers a stark contrast after having been in the spotlight mainly following players’ criticism and protests due to his player management. Though a few of the players have walked back into the side, including Aitana Bonmati, Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey all of whom have put on great performances to reach the final, the story of fifteen players rejecting his methods throughout the year will still haunt him. Perhaps having steered Spain to their first major final he will feel that he has more than earned the right to stay on as coach. However, it is likely that win or lose, those protests will rear their heads once more.
Having seen the stories of these two sides play out throughout the year, many will feel that while the Lionesses will want to win this match for themselves and their coach, sealing what has been a fantastic partnership in the best possible way. The Spaniards’ story is more complicated. It may be more about the team wanting to earn the reward for the sacrifices made after their requests were shunned, and perhaps in attempt to gain more bargaining power with their football federation.
Evolution since last summer’s EURO encounter
The two teams are no strangers and the quarter-final fixture between them was arguably the toughest one that England faced during the EURO competition last year, which they went on to win on home soil. That game saw Spain lead at the break thanks to Esther Gonzalez, before super-sub Ella Toone got England level. Extra-time saw the Lionesses nick a place in the semi-finals thanks to a stunning shot by Georgia Stanway.
Since then, England have seen considerable shifts in formation and line-ups, mostly forced through injuries to Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and also Fran Kirby. Additionally, new stars have come to the fore. Lauren James is a prime example, who will be available for Sarina Wiegman to deploy should she choose. Having seen the 3-4-1-2 formation work so well, it is unlikely that Wiegman will rock the boat. Additionally, since last year, Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze have had time shoulder to shoulder with their Barcelona teammates, thus brining an additional awareness of how the Spanish like to go about their business.
However, in a similar manner Spain will also be keenly aware of the English duo’s capabilities. Additionally, Spain have been more open to deviate from their strict tiki-taka approach in this competition, which gives England a different scenario to handle. It has allowed the likes of Salma Paralluelo and Ona Batlle to shine in attack. The name of Aitana Bonmati has stolen headlines and she will want to keep that run going. However, this match will also see Alexia Putellas in the fold. She missed the EURO through her injury and though many would argue that the Ballon D’Or winner is still not yet at her peak level, she can definitely do damage if given some space.
Duels of interest
It will be tightly poised. Spain have made a habit of striking late, which Wiegman will be wary of and likely to push England to take the initiative early on. In a battle of experience and adrenaline, it will be interesting to see how Ona Batlle and Lucy Bronze fare, noting that both will be at Barcelona next year and have the exact same attacking will, but are seven years apart in age. The midfield will offer another fascinating tussle as Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway will likely come head-to-head against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.
Perhaps England will have the more experience having already played and won the EURO final and the Finalissima, whilst having a coach who has danced this dance before. On the other hand, Spain is stacked with players who have won major titles at club level. They did not show too much trepidation in the semi-final against the experienced Sweden and so it is unlikely they will do so against England.
Whichever way the final pans out, one thing’s for sure, a new nation will be hailed the best in the world come Sunday.
Photos: FIFA
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