Six months after becoming world champion, the Spanish women’s team made history again by achieving its first qualification for the Olympic Games. Their 3-0 victory over the Netherlands guarantees them one of the two tickets to Paris 2024 thanks to goals from Jenni Hermoso, Aitana Bonmatí and Ona Batlle.
‘La Roja’ knew how to evade all the problems that surrounded the concentration, such as the change of venue from Cádiz to La Cartuja two weeks before the semifinal, or the controversial presence of Alexia Putellas in the concentration. Finally, the captain of Spain and Barça, who is still recovering from her knee problems, did not enter the list of 23 players, but on Thursday she trained with the group and her presence for the final is not ruled out.
Without Alexia Putellas in Spain, and without Jill Roord in the Netherlands, injured in her cruciates a few weeks ago, the game did not lack rhythm. The two teams offered an entertaining match alternating dangerous arrivals, although with the Spanish predominating as the minutes passed.
But the first shot went to the Dutch, from the hand of the Blaugrana Esmee Brugts, who failed to connect well with a very dangerous center coming in from the left. And not only with set pieces did they seek to create danger in Cata Coll’s goal, but also through very fast and vertical football, always looking for their main reference at the top, Beerensteyn.
Spain, for its part, matured the moves patiently, looking for spaces to hurt the Netherlands. One of her weak points was found by Salma Paralluelo, beating the veteran Spitse again and again. Barça’s forward line had the clearest chances, but the goal didn’t quite come. Spain was forgiving and the end of the first half was approaching, but the best was still yet to come. In just four minutes, Jenni Hermoso, first, and then Aitana Bonmatí, put Spain’s ticket towards Paris on track.
The Madrid striker invented a quality play, getting rid of two defenders to beat Van Domselaar for a goal that seemed to have a certain point of poetic justice. She. The one who had the worst time after the World Cup with everything that happened in the ‘Rubiales case’, was also the one who scored the goal that brought Spain closer to its first Olympic Games.
They didn’t give the Netherlands time to react and Aitana Bomatí, who had assisted Jenni at 1-0, scored the second by pushing a pass from Mariona into the back of the net as if she were a real killer, entering with everything from behind.
Aware that he had to move chips, Andries Jonkers brought on Damaris Egurrola instead of Miedema, the big surprise of the Dutch eleven. The forward, one of the stars of her team, has just returned from a long cruciate injury and had only had a few minutes before starting against Spain. She was not very incisive in the first 45 minutes and Jonkers changed her for the Spanish Egurrola in the second.
The Netherlands continued looking for the goal that would put them in the game, but Spain had the game under control and did not hesitate in defense. What’s more, she even had opportunities to extend distances, again through a tireless Salma Paralluelo.
Tomé also moved the bench giving refreshment to some players, but without a doubt the main protagonist was Vicky López, jumping onto the field of play in the 73rd minute and becoming the youngest footballer to debut for the senior team. The Blaugrana has made the leap from the under-17s, directly to the senior team and did not disappoint in her debut. She replaced Jenni Hermoso and on the first ball she touched she already faced Van Domselaar’s goal. With her on the field, Spain would end the match in the 77th minute with a goal that, after several rebounds, ended up being sent into the back of the net by Ona Batlle.
With the ticket to Paris in their pocket, Spain will play on Wednesday for the honor of being the first winner in the history of the Nations League. In the final, also in La Cartuja, they will face France, which defeated Germany (2-1) and has already assured its presence at the Games as host. Therefore, the Netherlands will still have another chance to qualify if it beats a Germany that has not yet risen in the major tournaments in the match for third and fourth place that will also be played next Wednesday.
