There are four teams left to contend for the most coveted trophy.
There’s a Spanish, a Swedish and an English girl in Australia and it’s not a joke, it’s the semi-finals of the women’s soccer world championship. It starts on the morning of our August 15th with the race between Spain and Sweden. For the Swedes August 15th is a day like any other, for the Spaniards it is the day of the Asunción, the assumption of Mary, a holiday throughout the country. As in Italy, in Spain too it is a day of queues on the motorways, crowded beaches and full restaurants. What better moment to watch the world semi-final of your national team?
The red furies they come from 120 very long minutes played against the Netherlands, a team on paper more hardened to reach the bottom of the competitions. In a very long time game, the young flash of Salma Paralluelo to close the 2-1. In the pre-match, when the two teams presented themselves as on the first day of school among classmates, the 2003 class of Barcelona, with a past as a sprinter, had been indicated as one of the possible protagonists. We are after all talking about a rising star of Spanish and international football. The Dutch scratch was instead of Stephanie van der Gragt, thirty years old, knowledge of Serie A in the Nerazzurri shirt. A script seen and reviewed in this tournament: rising young people who share the scene with veteran players at the last or penultimate tango, samba, cha cha cha or macarena.
For the first time the Spanish national team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and no one held back tears, from Putellas to Hermoso. Just Jenni Hermoso, number 10 and symbol of the selection for years, wanted to underline to the microphones how human there is in football: «People believe that it’s about playing football and it ends there, but there are many feelings at stake, a lot life. We are people first and foremost,” she said. Words that come after a scene that, in her own way, will make the history of the competition: coach Vilda, at the end of the match, who looks around without having anyone to celebrate with and share the joy of the goal achieved. A team that seems to have found unity on the pitch, peppered with talent, is in fact now detached from its coach after the numerous clutches who even convinced some players to decline the call-up.
On the other hand, Sweden’s attention will be concentrated above all on Aitana Bonmatí. Pure talent, the Spain ace seems to have missed training with the group yesterday. Swedish countermeasures to stem it are certainly in preparation.
Aitana Bonmatí in the Round of 16 of the World Cup against Switzerland:
– 2 goals
– 2 assists
– 4 key passes
– 88 touches
– 8/9 long balls
– 5 shots
– 4 duels won pic.twitter.com/lJtCD2mulE— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 5, 2023
After the 2-1 victory over a Japan that seemed to be heading towards the final stages with the most coherent of routes, the Swedes with masters in set pieces will face a team of similar pasta. The real star of the Scandinavians so far has been Amanda Ilestedt, new signing from Arsenal, who is a defender by trade but has already scored 4 goals in the tournament. Three of them headed and one kicked after a pinball machine, all in set-piece situations. Sweden’s journey so far has been marked by the goal against Italy, by the victory in the Cesarini area over South Africa, and by the elimination of the reigning world champions on penalties, with the decisive one accepted only thanks to var.
In great dust too Zećira Mušović, the absolute protagonist of the expedition. The goalkeeper born in 1998 has the legacy of Hedvig Lindahl on her shoulders, but, judging by the world in which she has faced the races, even in difficult moments, she is not weighing heavily on her. Although Ann-Katrin Berger is the owner at Chelsea, Mušović has shown her skills and will certainly give Emma Hayes a sweet choice problem once she returns to London. Precisely in the match that ended on penalties against the United States, the Swedish number one made 11 saves, keeping the team afloat in a historic game. Sweden will participate in the semi-finals against all odds, but with the lineage of those used to certain reserved seats.
On the other side of the scoreboard, Wednesday 16th will be the Commonwealth Derby, using a historic licence. Australia-England. Landlord against reigning European champions, neophytes of the semifinals one, semifinalists for the third consecutive World Cup the other. The challenge that takes place for the first time in a world championship sees a difficult prediction to formulate.
Australia, driven by the incredible enthusiasm of the home fans, after an endless series of penalties overcame a France that, if they had respected the charter, should have at least tried to win. In the match, which remained goalless until the 120th minute, Renard’s France saw little or nothing and gave Australia the opportunity to take mental control of the match. The path of Matilda’s it was on the rise. After New Zealand’s exit, Australia stayed alive to do the honors by fielding all their weapons. The absence of Sam Kerr, symbol and best player of the nation, has paradoxically allowed other talents to emerge. As well as Caitlin Foord28, now at Arsenal, needed to be noticed, and with her Hayley Raso, the same age, for years now in England; however, the catwalk of the home world championship has rekindled the spotlight on them and given them new popularity.
On the other hand, those who will be talked about above all in the future are the class of 2003 Mary Fowler, one of the starlets of the entire competition. Sam Kerr also recovered, Australia, who kept a clean sheet in four of the five games played and only lost 3-2 against Nigeria, arrives in Sydney to challenge England. The last match between the two selections, a friendly last April, was the only English defeat under Wiegman’s management.
If the path of Matilda’s it was a crescendo both on and off the field, amid record audiences, cheering squares and exultant planes, that of England it got more complicated than expected. Already orphans of big shots, the Lionesses despite having won group D over Denmark, China and Haiti, they soon started accruing absences. First of all that of Keira Walsh, brain of the team. Released on a stretcher during the match against Denmark, it was feared that the crusader would break for her; once the worst was averted, she remained with the team, albeit half-service. Another heavy absence, also with regard to emerging young people, is that of Lauren James. The class of 2001 under Chelsea, author of a tournament of essential and decisive touches, the vaunted future of English football, was expelled in the match against Nigeria for unsportsmanlike conduct after having trampled the opponent Michelle Alozie. The two were then the protagonists of a beautiful but true interaction on twitter, which dampened the controversy of the gesture: «Please, let’s end it here. We are playing on the world stage. This is a game made of passion, insurmountable emotions and moments. All due respect to Lauren James»wrote the Nigerian; “All my love and respect for you. I’m sorry about what happened. Even for the England fans and my teammates, playing with and for you is my greatest achievement and I promise to learn from this experience» replied the Englishman.
The exclusion of James, who would return for a possible final, has forced CT Wiegman to rethink the team again, tested by a long match decided on penalties against Nigeria and then by a match against Colombia won by 2 -1 thanks to Alessia Russo’s goal. Another footballer who, like Chloe Kelly, seems to warm up under pressure. Finding a way around these difficulties will not be easy even for Sarina Wiegman, a demiurge of world women’s football.
The engines are ready, we just need to get going. Who will win? Perhaps the beauty of this edition of the World Cup is that making predictions seems impossible.