A thrilling and unexpected outcome occurred at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in New Zealand/Australia. Spain secured their first victory in the tournament, defeating England 1-0 in the final on Sunday.
The match took place at Stadium Australia, where Spain’s Captain Olga Carmona scored a decisive goal in the 29th minute. She expertly drilled in from the left of the area, taking advantage of England’s loss of possession in midfield and Spain’s quick counter-attack.
Spain were awarded a penalty shortly after the hour mark due to a handball by midfielder Keira Walsh. However, goalkeeper Mary Earps was able to save Jennifer Hermoso’s spot-kick by diving to her left.
Despite a number of changes made by England coach Sarina Wiegman, including bringing on forward Lauren James, they were unable to find an equalizer. Spain clung on to their lead, securing their first major title.
Read Also: https://thecrux.org.ng/theo-walcott-retires-from-international-football-at-34/
Despite a rather indifferent first-half performance, England did their best to answer back and grew in confidence in the second half. However, Spain managed to hold on and became only the fifth team to win the World Cup, leaving England to wonder what could have been.
The England squad and staff were visibly distraught on the Stadium Australia pitch, with Sarina Wiegman addressing them. However, she expressed encouragement for their future prospects.
Sky Sports commentator Laura Hunter observed that England’s players looked crestfallen. Sarina Wiegman gathered everyone in the middle of the pitch, including staff, to address the team. Hunter expressed her sympathy, saying, “This is a cruel end to a wonderful tournament. No sugar-coating, this will hurt for days and weeks to come. An opportunity missed.”
“On the balance of play, it must be said Spain deserved to come out on top. England have overcome untold adversity, and to reach back-to-back major tournament finals is a huge step forward,”
“The future of women’s football in this country is brighter than ever. Right now, it won’t feel like that, but this group has made history again, despite falling inches short.”
A visibly disappointed England captain Millie Bright shares her views post-match: “It’s hard. They are a fantastic team. We weren’t at our best in the first half. In the second half we put the fight in. We just couldn’t finish it today. This is the hard part of football.”
“Against a team like this where you need to get momentum, it is incredibly difficult. We did have our chances. Keeping them to one [goal] was good. To come this far and to make a World Cup final, not many players get this far,” she said.
“Emotions are high. Huge amount of disappointment. We failed. In a couple of weeks when it settles in we will be really proud.
“We had a lot of critics at the start of the tournament. We bounced back. To be able to stand here today is special.”
Spain made history by becoming the first team in women’s football history to be reigning World Cup champions at Under-17, Under-20, and Senior levels.
Awards
