An ugly riot in the run-up to the Women’s World Cup threatened to derail Spain’s campaign, but La Roja have enjoyed a good run in the tournament despite major turmoil in their team.
In October, 15 players, known as “The 15”, wrote to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) demanding changes to the national team roster and declared themselves unavailable for selection, directing most of their complaints to coach Jorge Villeda.
The players denied his request for Velda’s dismissal, saying they only wanted to improve working conditions because events with the national team had affected his physical and emotional health. But the union stated otherwise and supported Felda.
When naming her team for the World Cup, Velda included only three of these rebels: Mariona Caldente, Una Patel and Aitana Bonmatti, while other notable players such as Barcelona’s Patry Guijarro, Maby León and Sandra Baños were left out.
A renewed Spain entered the World Cup under pressure, but adapted quickly and achieved comfortable victories over Costa Rica and Zambia. Their biggest challenge came in the third match against Japan, when they lost 4-0 and failed to capitalize on their opportunities despite dominating possession.
However, Spain bounced back with a 5-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 and then a 2-1 quarter-final win over 2019 finalists Netherlands in extra time, booking their place in the semi-finals by first time. time.
The quarter-final match against Sweden awaits them on Tuesday in Auckland, where Felda’s team aspires to achieve an important achievement. But how did they manage to do this?
“Spain has one of the best teams they have faced in their history,” Laia Cervelo Herrero, who reports on Spanish soccer for The Athletic, told Al Jazeera.
“They have great individual players and now they are the best in their positions. This is the case of Bonmatti, Battle and Irene Paredes… Furthermore, the main players of the national team play in the same team: Barcelona, champion of the Champions League. It is easier to take the skeleton of a winning team and transfer it to the national team, it gives you more guarantees.”
The independent writer Pia Redondo stated that while Spain occupies sixth place FIFA world ranking Before the World Cup, they performed well to reach the semi-finals, but they have yet to face any top-level opponents.
“What Spain has shown is great determination and improvement in the round of 16,” added Redondo. “They also demonstrated the ability to put their differences as a group behind them and focus on the goal in front of them.”
Player revolution
Speaking to the media before the semi-final match, Villeda, who has coached the team since 2015, praised the Spanish Federation for supporting the players during their mutiny last year, saying that without the support of president Luis Rubiales, the team would not have achieved success. until now.
Velda said there are no cracks in the team, but it remains to be seen if the player revolution is truly over.
“The Spanish Football Federation at that time [last year] “They didn’t bet enough on their women’s team,” Herrero said. “Players [complained of] They often travel by bus without prior notice and, particularly in Velda’s case, they complained that they were not well prepared.
“They complained about not watching videos analyzing their upcoming opponents, inadequate training sessions and a lack of professionalism.”
The Spanish players celebrate the victory and Velda, well… pic.twitter.com/BSsV1SxFhW
-Ryan Mcwenyana (@RMaq28) August 11, 2023
Despite the absence of several players due to the revolution, Spain emerged as title contenders, with midfielder Bonmati, young winger Salma Baraluelo and defender Batlle playing a key role in their campaign.
Women’s soccer writer Richard Lafferty said the depth of talent helped Spain.
“They did very well at the end of last year and this year, beating teams like the United States, which gave them a good enough ranking from FIFA to be seeded in the World Cup draw,” Lafferty said.
“It’s been interesting to watch it develop. There have been stories in the last 12 months about divisions between players from different clubs who now play together for Spain and they are still divided between Velda and some of the players, however, they seem to have managed to get results. what do you need.
Felda with forward Jennifer Hermoso at a press conference prior to the match against Sweden [Amanda Perobelli/Reuters]
Bonmatti, one of the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or, was a standout player for Spain, scoring three goals and two assists, while Batley and Gini Hermoso also put in good performances, especially in the knockout rounds.
“Bonmate is the best player on the team right now. She sets the tone for the team, and when she is at her best, the team is at its best,” Herrero said.
“Then there is Baralloelo, who is only 19 years old, one of the best players of all time and was key for Spain to advance to the semi-finals with his impressive goal after a sprint against the Netherlands.
“Batley is the best right back in Europe and has the versatility to play on both sides like Selma. “That’s what makes it key for Velda.”
Defensive midfielder Teresa Abillera also played an excellent role as a midfielder, according to Lafferty.
“You can’t win trophies with only attacking players. You need a very good defensive midfielder and Teresa was fantastic.
Bonmati in a match with Dutchman Jackie Groenen during the quarterfinals [Molly Darlington/Reuters]
Spain usually dominates the ball but is often guilty of failing to take advantage of opportunities, something that cost them the game when they lost to England in the quarter-finals of the Women’s European Championship last year despite leading.
If Spain wants to beat Sweden, third in the world, and reach the final, Velda’s team will have to focus on closing the match decisively.
“With their possession style, they get to very good areas but give the ball away or don’t shoot,” Lafferty explained.
Defensive weaknesses could also pose a problem for Spain, who have struggled to find a replacement for Lyon.
Redondo explained: “It was difficult to replace León’s role and the team did not show the strength we were used to defensively when she was Paredes’ teammate in central defense.”
“Ivana Andrés, Rocío Gálvez and Laia Codina have been involved in this role over the last few games, but none of them have been able to provide the sense of security that Paredes and León have provided to Barcelona.”
2023-12-29 23:39:07
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