Spain embroiders a star to remember

MADRID, 20 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish women's soccer team was proclaimed brilliant world champion this Sunday for the first time in its history after beating England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand, after a great match culminating in a goal by Olga Carmona , again disguised as a heroine.

Spain finally touched the sky with its first major title and already has its long-awaited star, an award fruit of the work of many generations of soccer players and confirmed by surely the best that national women's soccer had given. She did it, as in the quarterfinals and semifinals, suffering until the end, but this time showing signs of great maturity to control the attempts of a competitive European champion, but who, except for a few bars, always gave the feeling of being inferior.

The team led by Jorge Vilda was true to itself and left its mark on the Stadium Australia. He found resistance, as was to be expected, from an English team that never gave up and survived holding on to a great Mary Earps, who kept him alive by stopping a penalty with 1-0. But Spain defended itself well, withstood its momentum under the baton of Aitana Bonmatí, chosen as the 'Ballon d'Or' at the event, and asserted Olga Carmona's great goal to achieve glory in Sydney.

Spain went from less to more. With the only novelty of Salma Paralluelo as '9' and with Jenni Hermoso in the middle instead of Alexia Putellas, she felt somewhat nervous at the start of her first final compared to her rival, who settled faster and threatened her danger quickly, with a very active Lauren Hemp. The forward, after a warning from Alessia Russo after a robbery in the middle, was the first to scare with a shot to the crossbar.

However, nervousness did not spread in the ranks of the team, which responded instantly, with a good double opportunity from Salma Paralluelo, who failed to finish off a good cross, and from Alba Redondo who did, but in a way too focused that she failed to surpass Mary Earps. The 'Red' tried to impose their highest technical quality in the middle and when they managed to break away from the English pressure they gave a feeling of danger, especially on the left side of their attack.

The party was balancing. The European champion was more direct in her game and sought to press well to try to surprise, but she received the Spanish goal that way. Lucy Bronze left her side to make too long a drive to the center and lost a ball that Spain turned into a deadly transition. Mariona Caldentey received and endured the unfolding of Olga Carmona, whose cross shot was unstoppable for Earps.

The goal further settled the 'Red', but the team led by Sarina Wiegmann pressed in the final stretch in search of the tie, although it was Salma Paralluelo who came close to making it 2-0, with a shot at the post just before the break after the one that Wiegmann moved the team with the entries of Lauren James, his best striker in this World Cup and suspended the last two games, and Chloe Kelly.

EARPS STOPS A VITAL PENALTY TO JENNI HERMOSO

And after a good initial warning from Mariona Caldentey, England tried to put in one more gear, overwhelming, although without great occasions. Jorge Vilda's response was to put in a double lateral on the right with the entry of Oihane Hernández for Alba Redondo, in search of having more defensive security. Spain, supported by the deployment of Aitana Bonmatí, enormous in the second half, the talent of Mariona Caldentey and the leadership behind Irene Paredes, gradually remade itself and had the sentence in its hand.

A handball by Keira Walsh was finally marked, after a long wait and consultation on the monitor, as a penalty by Tori Penso. Jenni Hermoso took responsibility, but Earps read her intentions and kept her team alive, who took advantage of this emotional rush to create problems again, although their only real chance was a powerful shot from James that found a good response from Cata Coll .

The minutes went by, but this time the team knew how to hold the script better than against the Netherlands and Sweden. He had options not to live overwhelmed with the spaces that his rival was already leaving, but he did not shamelessly lock himself in either, he clung to his quality with the ball and bravely survived the final rush, with more heart than head. After almost a quarter of an hour of addition, Tori Penso decided that there was no need to wait any longer for the entry into history, something perhaps unthinkable a year ago and that is now a reality.

DATASHEET.

--RESULT: SPAIN, 1 - ENGLAND, 0 (1-0, at halftime).

--LINE-UPS.

SPAIN: Cata Coll; Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Laia Codina (Ivana Andrés, min.73), Olga Carmona; Jenni Hermoso, Tere Abelleira, Aitana Bonmatí; Alba Redondo (Oihane Hernández, min.60), Salma Paralluelo and Mariona Caldentey (Alexia Putellas, min.90).

INGLATERRA: Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Walsh, Stanway, Daly (Kelly, min.46); Hemp, Toone (England, min.87) y Russo (James, min.46).

--GOALS.

1-0, minute 29. Olga Carmona.

--REFEREE: Tori Penso (USA). She admonished Paralluelo (min.78), and Hemp (min.55), for England.

--STADIUM: Stadium Australia in Sydney.