Spain, weighed down by Vilda and absences, makes a fool of themselves against Japan (4-0)

2023-07-31 10:55:02

BarcelonaOn the first climb, a clear breakaway. Jorge Vilda’s Spain has made waves against Japan in the match that decided the first place in Group C of the world championship that is being played these days between Australia and New Zealand. The international stadium in Wellington witnessed a clear Japanese victory against a team unable to find solutions in attack and very vulnerable in space in defence.

Miyazawa on two occasions, Ueki and Tanaka have ridiculed Vilda’s game plan. With this score, the Spanish team will face Switzerland in the round of 16 and avoid the Norway of Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen, who promises to go from less to more in this World Cup.

The Japanese team, which arrived at the meeting after winning the two games against Zambia and Costa Rica, has jumped onto the pitch with a very clear idea of ​​the game. Equipped with a defensive 5-4-1, it has ceded the initiative and the ball to the opponent and has trusted everything to the counter-attacks. The first bite came in the 11th minute, when Endo overcame two lines with a brilliant assist with his left leg for the unmarked in Miyazawa’s space, who slipped between the Spanish centrals – Rocío Gálvez and an unrecognizable Irene Paredes – and he beat Misa Rodríguez by the short post.

The author of the 1-0 score served the second in the 29th minute, converted by Ueki in front of a Paredes who has once again made waves. The Barça team misses having Mapi León around, one of the footballers who have given up on the World Cup because of their differences with Vilda and the RFEF. The third Japanese goal came 10 minutes later, again with Paredes as the sad protagonist. The centre-back made a poor delivery for Teresa Abelleira and provoked another counter for Miyazawa to find the net again with a strong and high shot that was impossible for Misa.

Unable to react to Japanese discipline

While Japan capitalized on everything it generated in attack – three goals with three shots on goal – Spain collided again and again against the defensive wall set up by Futoshi Ikeda. Having two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas at the helm of operations in the three-quarters area has been of no use to the national team. La Molletana has become desperate with the intensity of the opponents and has not connected with her teammates. Nor has it been the day of Aitana Bonmatí, who to enter the game and offer passing lines always had to stand with her back to the game, nor of Jenni Hermoso, too marked in all the actions in which the team tried look for it, mostly with balls hanging without much meaning.

Ultimately, Vilda’s plan was too poor for the demands of the duel. Things will have to change a lot so that Spain’s passage through the World Cup is more glorious than painful. In fact, to top off the nightmare, Japan made the fourth at the end of the game in an action born from a set-piece. Tanaka, fresh because he had entered the second half, portrayed Rocío at speed and dribbled past Paredes before placing the ball in Misa’s box. A golas to close a historic evening for the Asian team.