(Auckland) Sweden joined Spain in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup, after their victory against Japan (2-1) on Friday in Auckland, where their defense extinguished the best attack of the tournament so far.
The Swedes, who scored through Amanda Ilestedt (32nd) and Filippa Angeldahl (51st from the penalty spot), reached the last four for the fifth time in nine appearances.
“It’s a great feeling to go to the semi-finals. Our performance was outstanding today,” said Ilestedt, player of the game.
The Japanese, who came back through Honoka Hayashi (87th), pushed in vain during ten minutes of added time to snatch extra time.
Sweden has achieved the feat of having eliminated the last two world champion selections, the United States double defending champions in the round of 16 (0-0 ap, 5-4 t.a.b.), then Japan, crowned in 2011.
Goalkeeper Zecira Musovic’s teammates are banking on their defense to win their first star.
Despite the elimination, Japan, which relies on a group among the youngest in the competition, have made an appointment with the future.
“The players have grown during this World Cup. They have shown what they can do at the world level,” said Japanese coach Futoshi Ikeda. “We lost but you have to analyze positively what the players did. I’m proud to have come this far.”
It is an opponent with a similar profile to the Japanese who awaits Sweden in the semi-finals next Tuesday in Auckland: Spain, full of talented players inclined to attack.
The Scandinavians tipped the game over two consecutive situations at a set piece.
Following a free kick, Ilestedt opened the scoring by taking advantage of a scramble in front of Ayaka Yamashita’s cage.
The Arsenal defender scored her fourth goal of the competition, which put her on the heels of the tournament’s top scorer, Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa (5 goals).
From the start of the second half, Fuka Nagano touched the ball with his hand, on a corner. Verdict: penalty converted by Angeldahl.
Trailing 2-0, Japan went all out late in the game. Musovic was vigilant on the head of Ueki (90th 1), on the main Japanese opportunity.
Spain, an emerging nation of women’s soccer, 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), in end of a meeting with twists, Friday in Wellington.
The Spaniards, one of the youngest squads in the competition, avoided the Dutchman’s flight with an extra-time goal (112) 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.
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 through Caldentey, on a penalty spotted by video assistance (VAR) for a handball 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.
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 soccer, where the level gap between long-established nations and their competitors has narrowed considerably.
