Spain Beat Sweden 2-1, Advance To Their 1st Women’s World Cup Final

Spain beat Sweden 2-1 to advance to their first-ever final, riding an exciting finish to the first of two Women’s World Cup semifinals.

An intense 80-minute standoff that ended in a thrilling grand finale with three goals in the final 10 minutes. Olga Carmona performed the role of the hero by scoring the game-winning goal in the 89th minute.

Spain had more than 60% of the ball, but they didn’t have a shot on goal until the final 10 minutes. Salma Paralluelo scored another crucial goal for Spain, following her overtime winner against the Netherlands in the quarterfinal.

The 19-year-old, who replaced an unproductive Alexia Putellas in the second half, lurked in the penalty area during a scrum in front of goal and waited for the ball to rebound to her before putting it into the goal.

But Rebecka Blomqvist’s goal in the 88th minute gave Sweden a comeback. It was not surprising that the equaliser resulted from a headed-down cross in the box because Sweden had dominated the aerial game throughout the tournament. Blomqvist then capitalised on the opportunity and scored with technical skill to tie the score at 1-1.

Carmona scored the game-winning goal less than a minute later, blasting a chance from outside the box that star Sweden goalkeeper Zeira Muovi could only glance at. The ball then struck the underside of the crossbar and fell into the goal, setting up a ferocious celebration by La Roja.

It was Sweden’s fourth semifinal exit in Women’s World Cup history. In contrast, Spain entered the competition with just one victory in Women’s World Cup history. The team will play either England or Australia on Sunday and is now just one victory away from greatness.