Spain reached their first Women’s World Cup final as Real Madrid left-back Olga Carmona’s 89th-minute strike settled their semi-final against Sweden after a frantic final 10 minutes in Auckland.
Jorge Vilda’s side will now face either co-hosts Australia or European champions England in Sunday’s final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, with those two sides going head-to-head in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
Taking part in only their third Women’s World Cup and competing in their first global semi-final, Spain dominated the possession against the experienced Swedes but lacked end-product in the first half. Chances came more frequently the longer the game went on and, just as it seemed destined to go to extra time, before 19-year-old Barcelona forward Salma Paralluelo’s low strike finally broke stubborn Sweden’s resistance at Eden Park with nine minutes remaining.
That had seemed set to be the winner before Wolfsburg’s Rebecka Blomqvist levelled with two minutes of the 90 remaining, before Spain rallied again and went up the other end almost immediately to win the contest when Carmona’s powerful shot bounced in off the underside of the bar.
Sweden, who knocked out the holders the United States and who were in the semi-finals for the fifth time in their history, remain without a major women’s trophy since lifting 1984’s inaugural European Championships.
Story first published on The Telegraph