(Wellington) Spain, an emerging nation of women’s football, qualified for the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time, beating the Netherlands, vice-world champions in title (2-1, extra time ), after a meeting with twists and turns on Friday in Wellington.
La Roja will meet Japan or Sweden next Tuesday to extend their dream of winning a first major title.
The Spaniards, one of the youngest selections in the competition, avoided the Dutch hold-up thanks to an extra-time goal (112th) from 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo.
The FC Barcelona striker unlocked the match a few seconds after a huge miss from Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn.
The scenario seems cruel for the Oranje who, although dominated, showed character to equalize during additional time in regulation time, by Stefanie van der Gragt (90th 1).
La Roja had opened the scoring earlier by Mariona Caldentey, from the penalty spot (80th).
The competition says goodbye to a new cador, who had reached the final in 2019 (lost to the United States), after the United States, Germany, Brazil, or Canada.
Driven by the professionalization of its clubs, Spain embodies the recent development of women’s football, where the level gap between long-established nations and their competitors has narrowed considerably.
Movement, possession… The Iberians displayed their technical superiority, despite the presence on the bench of the double Golden Ball title Alexia Putellas (entry in the 99th).
But their lack of success, embodied by Alba Redondo who hit the post twice on the same action (17th), exposed them to a return from the Dutch, who waited until the end of the match to attempt a fatal blow.
The meeting got carried away in the last quarter of an hour, where the two teams seemed on the verge of knockout.
La Roja struck first by Caldentey, on a penalty spotted by video assistance (VAR) for a hand from Stefanie van der Gragt, unhappy on the action.
The defender had both feet outside the penalty area, but not her hand, for a few centimeters.
Van der Gragt (106 caps) is playing her last competition as a player at the age of 30, before joining next season the management of the women’s team of Alkmaar, the club of her debut.
In added time (90th 1), she turned history around, scoring a goal worthy of an attacker, against goalkeeper Cata Coll.
This end full of twists revived the Dutch, who by Beerensteyn, had the opportunity to pass in front of the scoreboard during extra time.