Spain begins its path in the European Championship with a victory (4-1) against Finland. Although he began conceding 50 seconds into the match, goals from Paredes, Aitana Bonmatí and Lucía García turned the score around. A victory that was necessary both on a sporting level –before facing Germany and Denmark-, and on a mental level –to recover from Alexia’s loss.
Jorge Vilda surprised with his choice to make up for the absence of Alexia Putellas, betting on Irene Guerrero in the left-handed interior. Despite being the natural replacement by position, all the pools bet that he would delay Mariona Caldentey to accompany Patri Guijarro and Aitana Bonmatí, but he decided to keep the Balearic footballer on the far left.
The game could not have started worse for Spain, conceding a goal after 50 seconds of play. Westerlund sent a pass through the back of Mapi León, who was unlucky in the first minutes of the game, and Linda Sällström did not forgive Sandra Paños who could also do something else to deflect the cross shot from the Finnish top scorer. A goal that woke up all the ghosts in a locker room that needed to enter the game well to show that they are capable of winning without Alexia or Jenni Hermoso on the team.
Despite the jug of cold water, the planned script was not altered, with a dominating Spain against a Finland defending solidly and trying to surprise on the counterattack. Jorge Vilda’s team reacted to the early goal by besieging Korpela’s goal again and again, but always without success. Neither Mariona, nor Lucía García, nor Esther González managed to surprise the rival goal and in Sandra Paños’ area, the inaccuracies of the Spanish defense, the result of nervousness, allowed Anna Signeul’s team to dream. Led by a fast and omnipresent Sällström, they tried to increase the lead on the scoreboard in the isolated counterattacks they managed to mount.
As the minutes passed, Finland continued to show that it was capable of resisting the onslaught of a physically dominant Spain. And it is that most of the soccer players compete in the local league, which is currently in full activity. One more argument for the great strength of this block.
After the halfway point in the first half, and after a goal by Patri Guijarro was disallowed because the ball had gone over the bottom line, the tie would come. Finland was suffering from the corners and Spain took advantage of it with a cross from Mariona Caldentey that Irene Paredes finished off with anger, entering from behind. Things were falling into place and Spain combined with more calm until in minute 41 Aitana Bonmatí unleashed madness among the Spanish fans with a real great goal from a header finishing off a Mapi León cross. The one from Sant Pere de Ribes then starred in one of the most emotional moments of the match when she approached the band to celebrate the winning goal with Alexia Putellas, who was witnessing the match from the stands of Stadium MK. A stadium that hardly exceeded half an entrance and in which the Finnish fans were the majority.
Well into the second half, Laia Aleixadri replaced Irene Guerro in midfield. With the score in favor, Jorge Vilda wanted to try other formulas to cover Alexia’s loss before the demanding game against Germany. The Manchester City footballer came close to scoring on the first ball she touched, a header similar to that of Paredes at 1-1, which Korpela deflected wide.
Spain dominated, but an error in one of Finland’s dangerous counterattacks could jeopardize victory until Mapi León reappeared, putting an impeccable cross for Lucía García to finish off at will and make it 3-1 that gave the Spanish team peace of mind. Already in added time, a clear penalty on Cardona would become, in Mariona’s boots, the fourth and final. Although with an initial scare, the red team scores the first three points in the locker before taking on the eight-time champion Germany next Tuesday (9:00 p.m.).
