It’s time for the truth. Spain debuts today in the European Championship against Finland. It is, a priori, the most accessible rival in the group, but it arrives at the worst moment for the Spanish team, which on Tuesday learned of the serious knee injury suffered by its captain, Barça player Alexia Putellas. “It was a shock for everyone, for the team and for her”, recognized Jorge Vilda in the preview of the match. The Spanish coach explained that after the initial impact of losing the Ballon d’Or, “the team got together, conjured up and looks forward. We cannot get carried away by feelings, ”he assured. Captain Irene Paredes was also confident in the group’s ability to recover: “Every human being overcomes adversity, and we are a very resilient team.”
Alexia will be present in Milton Keynes to encourage her teammates in the European debut, “she is always an example, in every word and act”, Vilda pointed out, and her place on the pitch will almost certainly be occupied by another Barça player: Mariona Caldentey. Despite the fact that the Madrid coach had summoned her as a left-handed winger, everything seems to indicate that she will delay the Balearic soccer player to form a trident with Patri Guijarro and Aitana Bonmatí. This would lead to the starting eleven Athenea del Castillo, the footballer that Vilda has used as Mariona’s refreshment in the last two friendlies.
Framed in the group of death, along with the eight-time champion Germany and Denmark, runner-up in 2017, beating Finland is mandatory in order not to complicate qualification for the quarterfinals. Also, anything short of a win would be terrible for the morale of a wounded locker room. “A good start can influence the future of the competition. It is not decisive, but giving a good feeling gives you confidence, although if this is not the case, nothing is finished, that cannot be traced back”, argued Vilda.
They face the Cinderella of the group, a team that has only won one of the last four official matches they have played and that did not even manage to qualify for the final phase of the last European Championship. Although in 2005 she also came as Cinderella and slipped into the semifinals, curiously also on English soil.
Managed by Sweden’s Anna Signeul, Finland has Real Sociedad striker Sanni Franssi, who with her ten goals this past season has helped the Basque team qualify for the Champions League for the first time in its history. A team that also has in its ranks players who have drawn the attention of the English league, such as Summanen or Korpela (Tottenham), or Emma Koivisto, who has just signed for Liverpool.
Vilda highlights their order, their speed and their strength. From the Finnish team they are aware that the role of favorite is for Spain, but they do not give up anything: “The control of the ball will not be 80-20 for us, but they are not invincible, you can also score goals for them”, he assured yesterday the central Anna Westerlund. The red team will not be invincible, but Finland has never managed to prevail in the seven precedents that have been played and you have to go back to 2006 to find the last time the Finns avoided defeat (0-0).
On the lineup of favourites, Jorge Vilda also spoke again, for the umpteenth time: “We bring the best team we have ever brought, we don’t put ourselves in profile, but knowing where we come from. We accept the challenges, we want to go as far as possible, but each match is a victory”.
