A nail-biting encounter took place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal on August 15, as Spain secured a remarkable 2-1 victory over Sweden, thanks to Olga Carmona’s late-game heroics.
This triumph marks an unprecedented achievement for Spain, as they advance to their inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
The tension reached its peak in the 89th minute when Carmona elegantly curled the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area, just moments after Swedish substitute Rebecka Blomqvist had equalized, responding to Salma Paralluelo’s 81st-minute opener.
Despite dominating possession with 52 percent in the first half, Spain struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Alexia Putellas, a two-time Women’s Ballon d’Or winner and widely recognized as one of the best female players worldwide, made a significant comeback after a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in July of the previous year.
She earned a starting position for Spain. Despite holding only 31 percent of the possession, Sweden came close to taking the lead in the 42nd minute when Fridolina Rolfo’s close-range volley was deflected by the Spanish goalkeeper, Cata Coll.
In the 57th minute, Spanish head coach Jorge Vilda substituted Putellas with the 19-year-old sensation Paralluelo, who had previously clinched victory against the Netherlands during the quarterfinals’ extra time.
Paralluelo nearly provided an assist in the 70th minute, delivering a precise pass into the goal area. However, Alba Redondo’s shot narrowly missed the target. La Roja finally broke the deadlock deep into injury time.
Jenni Hermoso’s cross deflected off Jonna Andersson, and Paralluelo calmly placed the ball into the far corner of the net.
Sweden’s hopes were briefly revived in the 88th minute when Blomqvist headed home a high cross from fellow substitute Lina Hurtig. Nevertheless, Carmona’s decisive goal extinguished their aspirations and secured Spain’s place in the final.
Spain now anticipates the victor of the showdown between Australia and England in the highly anticipated grand final, scheduled for August 19.
This historic achievement has placed Spain on the world stage of women’s football, setting the stage for an exhilarating championship match.