By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer)
SYDNEY (AP) — Spain gained its first Women’s World Cup title lower than a yr after a participant rise up, holding off England 1-0 on Sunday after Olga Carmona’s first-half objective.
The victory made La Roja the primary workforce to carry the under-17, under-20 and senior world titles on the identical time. Spain is the fifth winner in 9 editions of the Women’s World Cup and joins Germany as the one two nations to win each the lads’s and ladies’s event.
At the ultimate whistle the Spanish gamers piled on one another in entrance of their objective. They had been nonetheless dancing on the sphere till the trophy shows, the place they kissed the trophy and raised their arms in triumph as golden glitter fell from above.
The Lionesses had been attempting to convey a World Cup again to England for the primary time since 1966, however fell simply brief.
“They’re a fantastic team. I think first half we weren’t our best, second half, we definitely put the fire in,” England captain Millie Bright stated. “But yeah, we just couldn’t finish it today. This is the hard part of football.”
For England, Bright stated, the loss introduced a “huge amount of disappointment.”
“You know at first you feel like you failed with not winning,” she stated. “I think in a couple of weeks and it settles it will be really really proud.”
In a closely attacking recreation, Carmona’s left-foot strike within the twenty ninth minute was the one objective.
In celebration she raised her jersey to disclose the phrase “Merchi” scrawled in ink on her undershirt, an obvious nod to her former faculty.
Carmona additionally scored the game-winner within the 89th minute of Spain’s 2-1 semifinal victory over Sweden, changing into the primary participant since Carli Lloyd in 2015 to attain in a World Cup semifinal and remaining.
Spain had an opportunity to double the lead within the 68th however Jenni Hermoso’s penalty try was saved by Mary Earps, who anticipated completely and dived to her left.
Spain’s victory comes regardless of a near-mutiny by gamers final yr. Fifteen gamers stated they had been stepping away from the nationwide workforce for his or her psychological well being whereas additionally calling for a extra skilled atmosphere.
Three of these gamers — Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey — reconciled with the federation and had been on the World Cup.
England had momentum going into the event after profitable the European Championship at residence final summer season. But three of the workforce’s greatest gamers, captain Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead, all had knee accidents that stored them off the World Cup squad.
England coach Sarina Wiegman was the primary coach to take her groups to back-to-back World Cup title matches. She led the Netherlands to the ultimate in 2019, however fell 2-0 to the United States. She’s now 0-2 within the championship match.
England was coming off a 3-1 victory over host Australia within the semifinal. Lauren James, who was the workforce’s prime scorer with three targets and three assists, was pressured to take a seat out two matches after being suspended for stomping on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie to open the knockout stage.
While James was obtainable for the ultimate, Wiegman began Ella Toone and used the Chelsea winger as a second-half substitute in a double change to spark the assault.
One of England’s greatest possibilities was within the sixteenth when Lauren Hemp’s blast caromed off the crossbar. A minute later, Salma Paralluelo raced to the objective however couldn’t get a clear shot and Earps stopped Alba Redondo’s try within the scramble in entrance of the online.
Coach Jorge Vilda began 19-year-old Paralluelo, who scored the breakthrough objective for Spain in opposition to Sweden, and the game-winner in additional time over the Netherlands within the quarterfinal. Those efforts helped her win the younger participant of the event award, whereas Earps gained the Golden Glove for greatest goalkeeper and Bonmati gained the Golden Ball for greatest participant of World Cup.
Paralluelo practically scored seconds from half time however her shot hit the publish.
Hemp had one other likelihood within the 54th however despatched it large. A minute later she was handed a yellow card for a foul on Laia Codina.
Spain had an opportunity to double the lead halfway via the second half after a video overview awarded a penalty after Keira Walsh’s handball. But Earps stored England within the recreation, as she did together with her succession of saves late.
Vilda had a problem in working round two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who was nonetheless working her means again from a torn ACL final yr. For the ultimate, Putellas was on the bench at the beginning.
Putellas went into the sport with 15 seconds left in regulation, however there have been 13 minutes of stoppage time.
After the match Putellas was in tears as her teammates danced in entrance of the flag-waving followers behind the workforce’s bench.
There had been 75,784 followers on the remaining at Stadium Australia, together with tennis nice Billie Jean King.
The two groups met final yr within the quarterfinals of the Euros, with England coming from behind to beat Spain 2-1 in additional time on Georgia Stanway’s objective.
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AP World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup
Source: www.bostonherald.com”