2023-09-22 21:11:21
‘Se acabó. Our fight is the global fight‘. Message to Europe and the World in a match that was more than a party and that it was a double victory (2-3) for Spain. The footballers of the Swedish and Spanish national teams united, at the premiere of the Nations League, to show a powerful banner in support of Jenni Hermoso and against a system that has abused women’s football. La Roja’s fight is everyone’s fight. There have never been and never will be colors or flags in this.
United for the fight
The entire preview of the match revolved around this. Posters of the Swedish fans of ‘We are with you, Jenni and La Roja’, applause when they came out to warm up -more than their own players- i shin pads of the Spanish internationalswho raised their fists in the official photo of the eleven, with the ’10’ of the Madrid forward and the ‘se acabó’.
When she started rolling the ball, however, all eyes were on her. They wanted to play football, although the Spanish women, who have spent more time these last few days in online and face-to-face meetings than training, they arrived physically and mentally exhausted and with only a couple of preparation sessions. “We are professionals and we will give everything”. And so it was.
The first eleven of Montse Tomé – who embraced with his coaching staff in his debut on the bench – was a gala, despite some absences due to injury such as that of Paralluelo, Codina or Alba Redondo, all three in the World Cup final. Aleixandri and Lucía García returned to play a match with Spain a year later. The first, forming a partner in the axis of the saga with Paredes, who recovered the bracelet. And the second, standing, accompanied by Athenea on the right and Mariona on the left. Tere Abelleira, Aitana and Alexia formed a trident in the core and Ona Batlle and Olga, owners of the sides.
Each with their cards
Sweden started strong, with a tested first possession that looked for the unmarking of Blackstenius to surprise the defense of the Red, who on this occasion wore the second kit, blue. He didn’t manage to cross the wall, he cleared Paredes well and went ahead with the ball Aleixandri.
Each team showed their cards from the start, without any clear dominator. Spain built from the back, with touch and possession, and gradually became comfortable. Alexia got the Gamla Ullevi crowd going with a tunnel to Björn. Aitana and Athenea sought the former but Musovic avoided it on both occasions. And the Olga and Mariona centers, omnipresent, they did not find a finisher. He lacked precision in the last meters and also consistency in La Roja.
Eriksson… I Athena
Sweden played the complete opposite. With long passes, taking advantage of his physical superiority and speed, and looking for the backs of the sides in the counters. He also, of course, took advantage of his best weapon, the ball stopped. And so came the first goal of the game. Corner service from Asllani who finished, free of mark, one Eriksson who celebrated his one hundred internationalities and that brought the roar of the whole stadium.
Spain responded, a few minutes later, with one goal to start again. The author was Athena, with a shot from the front and a mistake by Musovic, who miscalculated the rebound and sent the ball into the back of the net. Alexia was the first to embrace Cantabria in the celebration and then the rest was added, leaving one group bonding image on the Gamla Ullevi lawn. The duel went into the break with a tie, although Cata Coll avoided, with a providential save, Sweden’s second.
Alexia grew up, Roja grew up
The Spanish team did much better in the second half, showing their teeth and dominating. They had the second Lucía in their boots, with a poisoned shot that went just wide, and Athenea, who reminded Gothenburg at its best. Also Aitana and Mariona, who ran into a great Musovic and were left with honey on their lips.
This step forward of Spain coincided with the Alexia’s best minuteswhich was reunited with the stadium in which he conquered Barça’s first Champions League, since returning from injury. Mollet raised the bar with filtered passes between the Swedish defense that only she sees and carrying the baton of the gamewith imbalance, desymboltura and more daring and fearless.
Victory ‘at the ends’
It only suffered, the Red, for a few minutes in which Sweden gained confidence and mercilessly attacked the area of Cata. They defended well Paredes, Aleixandri and the rest of the team, who did not hesitate to download to help. He shook the Tomé bench and brought out an Eva Navarro who entered and kissed the saint. Murcia scored the second with one shot in the whole squad to advance in Spain. A left-handed whip after a big cut.
As happened in the semi-final of the World Cup, Sweden equalized – with Lina Hurtig’s goal – when Spain already looked like a champion. But luck was on their side again and the referee signaled a penalty for one foul by Ilestedt on Amaiur and transformed Mariona, the usual one, with a tight shot. For ninety minutes, the first and the second in the World – both were in their first position in the FIFA ranking, they made us enjoy football and the show again.
#Double #victory #Gothenburg #Diari #Girona