Spain closes its last game of 2022 with a long-suffering victory (1-0) against Japan, a rival that Spain will face in the group stage of the World Cup next summer. In a lackluster first half, but with effectiveness, Alba Redondo put the red forward in the first one the team had. The second part was even grayer, suffering at times against a team that despite being out of the world top 10 (11 in the FIFA ranking), made Spain uncomfortable with its intense forward pressure.
The match against Japan had nothing to do with the one against Argentina (7-0) a few days ago. The Japanese team disputed possession of the ball and accumulated more arrivals than the reds in the rival area, but Spain’s effectiveness allowed them to leave at halftime with an advantage on the scoreboard, thanks to a solitary goal by Alba Redondo nine minutes into the game .
Japan warned first with a dangerous approach in which Misa left the ball dead in the small area with the good fortune that no nadeshiko was there to finish off. Spain, on the other hand, would not forgive on their first occasion, a shot by Claudia Zornoza that the goalkeeper rejected in the first instance, but which Alba Redondo caught, pushing the ball into the back of the net.
Despite the advantage on the scoreboard, Vilda’s team did not feel comfortable in the match against a Japan that insisted on the Misa area. Tanaka had a one-on-one matchup with the Real Madrid goalkeeper, on whom he fired up to two consecutive times, managing to reject the danger with her body. Clearer was Minami’s shot, who entered completely alone to finish off with a header with little success in the face of Misa’s anger over Spain’s passive defense.
In attack, the Spanish team could not shine either, which, apart from the goal, barely approached with danger. Spain started the second half especially thick, without ideas and struggling to build under pressure from Japan. Vilda brought on Salma Paralluelo, who had made her debut with a hat-trick in the match against Argentina, but this time the talisman had no effect.
As the minutes progressed, Japan was gaining ground but, fortunately for the interests of the reds, they were not incisive in attack either, more focused on defending and preventing Spain from progressing, than on building their own football. With such a short advantage on the scoreboard, the team led by Jorge Vilda had to suffer in the last minutes against a Japan that was looking for a draw. The changes introduced by the coach did not manage to change the game either, but they did tie up the sweaty victory.
Spain closed the last game of the year with a long-suffering victory at La Cartuja. A stadium that the Spanish team also stepped on a year ago to face Scotland in a match that served as a tribute to Alexia Putellas. The Catalan offered her first Ballon d’Or to the fans, which she had received the night before in Paris, and was honored by her teammates. A year later, the picture in the national team is very different, with Alexia recovering from her cruciate ligament injury and supporting the 15 teammates in their fight to achieve professional structures in the national team.
Without these internationals, Jorge Vilda has completely revamped the team, making special use of the Real Madrid squad – no Real Madrid footballer has supported, at least publicly, the fight for ’15’ – and the U-20 internationals. The Madrid coach has taken up to eight rookies to the last concentration of 2022, giving minutes to all of them. Although without a doubt the most spectacular premiere was that of Salma Paralluelo. The Barcelona forward made her debut with the senior team against Argentina, starting and scoring a hat-trick in the 54 minutes she was on the pitch.
