The clash between fire and water

The players hugged each other and looked towards Paralluelo, who was ecstatic on the field, while the Spanish coaching staff embraced each other in joy. The victory, finishing as runners-up in the 2019 World Cup, propelled Spain to the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup for the first time in history, demonstrating the continuous progress of women's football in Spain.

The immense impression created by Alexia Putellas (Women's Ballon d'Or 2021 and 2022) and her teammates like Aitanam Bonmati, Irene Paredes, and Jennifer Hermoso is hard to forget. It was a style of attacking football, the best in the league, the most entertaining, imposing their game on their opponents almost completely. The fact that they only scored 15 goals from 132 shots (the most in the league) in matches where they had 70-80% possession shows two things: firstly, they were incredibly strong and could create countless opportunities; secondly, they were also relatively wasteful.

The Spanish team (left) will have a potentially dramatic match against Sweden at 3 PM today.

Reaching the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup could simply mask Spain's unresolved issues. A number of players from the Spanish women's national team, including key players currently competing in this World Cup such as Ona Battle, Marionna Caldentey, and Aitana Bonmati, had petitioned the Spanish Football Federation demanding the dismissal of coach Vilda for imposing overly harsh rules on the players. For example, forcing players to open their hotel room doors so he could check if they were present. Many of them chose not to join the national team after their petition went unaddressed. The decision of these key players to participate in the 2023 World Cup also caused conflict with many of their teammates. Therefore, these victories are keeping the momentum going for Spain, preventing internal problems from erupting.

Sweden needs to employ an absolutely perfect strategy to prevent Spain from shining. And what they've shown in the last two knockout matches has demonstrated that coach Peter Gerhardson's team has more than enough patience to overcome even the toughest opponents. They patiently fought to the very end to defeat the defending champions, the USA, despite being under pressure. They also patiently traded blows in their match against Japan. Sweden doesn't generate as much attention as Spain or other rivals. Right now, their ambition is immense. Sweden has always been eliminated before major opportunities. They reached the semi-finals in 8 of the last 10 European Championships without winning a title. They also won silver medals in women's football in the last two Olympic Games. And the World Cup? The last time they reached the final was 20 years ago, when they lost to Germany in the 2003 Women's World Cup.

It's no surprise that against Spain, the world's number 3 team will still rely on the composure and solidity of their defense, featuring goalkeeper Zerica Musovic, center-back Amanda Ilestedt, who is in contention for the Golden Boot with 4 goals (one goal behind Miyazawa of Japan, but Japan has already been eliminated), and the leadership of captain Kosovare Asllani. They don't have big stars capable of explosive performances like Spain, nor are they adept at attacking with fluidity and agility in tight spaces. But as captain Asllani said: "We push each other in training and in matches. We have a very good connection, we're close. That's what makes Sweden strong."

What will happen today at Eden Park? Will the Spanish fire consume everything, or will it be extinguished by the pragmatism and cold-blooded Nordic approach of Sweden?

Source link