Spain-England, an unprecedented final in a record competition
Spanish Baralelo against the English Reuters/Amanda Perobelli/Reuters/Jamie Joy
The Spaniards and the English, who reached the final for the first time, will compete on Sunday (12:00 pm) to conclude the wonderful World Cup finals.
The title of world champion will be awarded for the first time this Sunday. A record-breaking tournament on and off the field, the Women’s World Cup will reach its climax on Sunday with an unprecedented final between England and Spain. About 75,000 fans are expected once again to attend Stadium Australia in Sydney for the coronation of the World Cup, as attendance figures for Australian and New Zealand stadiums since July 20 have been linked.
Aside from the popular enthusiasm, which was also resonated by audiences in Australia – 17.15 million cumulative viewers in Australia and England – the competition was the scene of some surprises: several candidates were eliminated prematurely, in historic fashion. Germany lost in the group stage to Brazil, Italy and Olympic champions Canada. Then the United States, the two-time defending champion, fell into the trap in the round of 16, its first elimination in history. Conversely, nations emerged: South Africa, Jamaica and Morocco all reached the Round of 16 for the first time. Colombia, supported by thousands of fans, appeared for the first time in the quarter-finals, losing with honors (2-1) to England.
See also – Spain’s chaotic journey to the World Cup final
And the exploits of lower-ranked teams prove that the gap has narrowed dramatically in women’s football. Even if in the end, two of the best teams in the world will face each other in the final. Sarina Wiegmann’s England are European champions on home soil, while Spain, playing in only their third World Cup, have already won the U-20 and U-17 World Cups in 2022. This remains an unprecedented final because the two teams, who met in the quarter-finals in Last year’s European Championship (2-1 to England in extra time), they’ve never reached this level of a World Cup.
I never take anything for granted, but it’s like living in a fairy tale.
Sarina Wegman
Lionesses coach Wegman also breaks records. The Dutch are about to play the final of a major competition for the fourth time in a row, after Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup at the helm of the Netherlands, and thus Euro 2022 with England. Highly respected in her native country, she is now just one victory away from joining Alf Ramsey, who led England to the men’s title in 1966, England’s only World Cup. “I never take anything for granted, but it’s like living in a fairy tale,” she explained.
Ahead of the potential Holy Grail, the English were not quite perfect but they did use their experience, especially in the round of 16 during the penalty shootout against Nigeria. Spain also faced some difficulties, losing 4-0 to Japan in their final group match. La Roja’s side also braved off-field turmoil as World Cup preparations were disrupted by a row between 15 players and coach Jorge Vilda, who has been criticized for his management.
Aitana Bonmati Creative Force
Despite being down to 12 players, including at least five key players – three returning – the Spaniards are one step away from world domination. Like the injured England players (Lea Williamson and Beth Mead), players who refused to play under Filda barely missed the call-up, a testament to the extent of both teams’ resources. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Potellas has also been reduced to a secondary role as she tries to regain fitness following a left knee injury. In her place, FC Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati, who was among the 15 protesters, has emerged as a creative force in Spain, as has youngster Salma Baralelo, who made two sensational debuts against the Netherlands and Sweden.
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