FIFA World Cup: Spain Dampens Sweden’s Hopes with Dramatic Finish, Secures First-Ever Final Spot In a thrilling culmination, Spain shattered Sweden’s aspirations with a last-minute victory (2-1) on Tuesday, earning their inaugural World Cup final appearance. They are set to face either Australia or England on Sunday.
Ten minutes of sheer excitement led to a historic triumph. After a balanced semi-final where both teams had their moments, Spain outshined Sweden in a tumultuous ending (2-1) at Auckland’s Eden Park on Tuesday, August 15, sealing their first-ever World Cup final berth.
Despite Sweden’s equalizer in the 88th minute, responding to Salma Paralluelo’s strike (81st minute), defender Olga Carmona had the final say, securing victory with a late extra-time shot from outside the box that found the back of the net (90th minute). This justifiable triumph brought tears of joy to the faces of the Spanish players as the final whistle blew.
A Historic Milestone While Sweden had previously quashed Japan’s alluring attack in the quarter-finals (2-1), Spain stood firm despite a playing style similar to that of the Japanese. Taking control of the match from the start, albeit without creating clear-cut opportunities, the Spanish team managed to weather the storm when Sweden posed threats from set pieces.
The substitution of Salma Paralluelo for the ineffective two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas (57th minute) ultimately turned the tide. Through her runs, the young 19-year-old from Barcelona disrupted the Scandinavian defense, which had thwarted her teammates until then. This allowed Alba Redondo, even while on the ground in the six-yard box, to come close to opening the scoring (74th minute). Following Salma Paralluelo’s goal, Spain eventually secured the victory in the midst of this frenzied scenario.
Sweden’s Continuing Misfortune However, Sweden continued to suffer misfortune. Despite reaching their 16th semi-final in 27 major tournaments, experience didn’t aid in curbing the fervor of Spain. Fridolina Rolfö almost turned the tables for her FC Barcelona colleagues when she connected with a cross at the far post, but her volley ended up too tame (41st minute).
Yet, the Blågult (Swedish national team) will lament their costly lapse in concentration during the corner that led to the 2-1 goal. This error occurred just after they had drawn level through Rebecka Blomqvist’s cross-shot, set up by a header from Lina Hurtig (88th minute).
Having reached this stage of the competition by eliminating the last two world champion nations – the United States and Japan – Sweden fell short of the final for the fourth time in five semi-finals. Meanwhile, Spain will challenge the winner of the other semi-final clash between England and Australia at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday. Their sights are set on their first-ever World Cup victory.
