WELLINGTON, New Zealand – There was something apt in Spain’s programmatic indifference Distraction from an earthquake in Wellington to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time with a 2-1 extra-time victory over the Netherlands.
La Roja They lost their stability due to a mistake of their own over the past year, with coach Jorge Vilda continuing to lead this tournament despite 15 of his players – known as “Las 15” – Writing to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to demand changes to the way we play. The players denied calling for Filda’s sacking, wanting only behind-the-scenes improvements, but the RFEF claimed otherwise and threw their support behind Filda, who was in charge in 2015.
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Since the so-called rebellion last October, Spanish football has been struggling to regain calm. only three of “Las 15” They arrived in Filda’s squad for this World Cup, the dressing room reportedly divided by the events of last year, and the wounds clearly not healed, with defender Wan Batley saying last month: “You don’t have to be close friends with your team-mate.”
However, despite all the tensions and issues still simmering, Spain is now one game away from the World Cup final. They’ve learned to live with their earthquake, so the 5.6-magnitude tremor, recorded just 67 minutes before kick-off in New Zealand’s capital, may have seemed like just another bump in the road.
“We were so focused on the match that we didn’t feel it, even though we felt some vibrations in the hotel the day before,” said Vilda. Spain’s victory was the earthquake.
It may have been significant that only one player congratulated Vilda at the final whistle, but whether or not the 42-year-old had the support of the majority of the squad, the results will determine his future and he has now led Spain to a greater level in the world. More cup than ever.
“The federation and the president have always supported me from the beginning,” said Felda. “The entire staff is completely supportive and (Luis) Rubiales (RFEF President) has been with me the whole way. I am very happy because of all the management we had to do. This is not over yet, but we have a lot of will to continue to make everyone happy.”
Vilda’s situation certainly presents a paradox, but by reaching the semi-finals, Spain also showed that footballers can often put aside grievances against their coach or team-mates to get the job done on the pitch. And they did it against the Dutch.
Selma Baralelo’s stunning solo goal in the 111th minute, seconds after Lenneth Berenstein missed a clear chance to put the Netherlands ahead, sealed a 2-1 win for Spain and was well deserved.
“It means everything to me,” said the 19-year-old Barcelona winger. “It was such a unique moment. I felt so euphoric.”
Spain dominated the ball and scored 26 attempts on goal, compared to nine that the Netherlands mustered, and also outplayed and surpassed their opponents. This was not the performance of a group of players who only talk to each other when they cross the white line on the field. But it was also a game in which the Spanish game plan worked perfectly. Against the more physical Dutch, Spain dominated the ball, widening the pitch and taking control across the board.
With one of the main factors in last year’s “rebellion”, it is believed that Vegas 15 Players There was insufficient preparation or a specific game plan to beat England in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals – it was alleged that the players didn’t even have video footage of England’s set-pieces and tactics – the way to win against the Netherlands pointed to lessons learned and Filda and his staff upping the bar.
To beat the Dutch, finalists in 2019 and a team good enough to top the USWNT group in this tournament, Spain had to be organized and convincing. They didn’t lead until the 81st minute, when Mariana Caldente scored from the penalty spot after a VAR-influenced decision after Stephanie van der Graagt’s handball, but Spain created several chances – Esther González got the top spot. Half of the goal was ruled out for offside – they had their lead.
Van der Graagt took the match to extra time with an equalizer in the first 12 minutes of stoppage time, but Baraliolo’s goal was fitting to earn a place in the semi-finals.
It remains to be seen what happens next, but it’s possible that Filda has secured an extended stay in the job and the RFEF will feel justified in keeping him there. As for the players, those who still have doubts and fears are within striking distance of the World Cup final, so the only thing they can do now is keep winning and see how the dust settles at the end of it.
