Spain achieved a historic milestone in the Women’s World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time with an outstanding display of firepower in Auckland, which resulted in a 5-1 victory over Switzerland.
Despite suffering a 4-0 defeat to Japan in their final group game just five days prior in Wellington, La Roja bounced back brilliantly during the first half of the match, delighting the record crowd of 43,217 attendees – the largest ever for a football match in New Zealand.
Aitana Bonmati opened the scoring for Spain, but Switzerland equalized when Laia Codina unintentionally directed a back pass past her own goalkeeper from 10 yards inside her own half.
Spain quickly regained the lead through Alba Redondo’s header, and Bonmati further extended the lead with a stylish finish to make it 3-1. Despite the earlier own goal, Codina redeemed herself by scoring Spain’s fourth goal in a scramble inside the box. Jennifer Hermoso added another goal in the second half with a clinical finish, securing her third goal of the tournament.
Jorge Vilda’s side became the first team to secure a place in the quarter-finals and is set to face the winners of the match between the Netherlands and South Africa.
Spain’s remarkable response came after they were written off following the 4-0 loss to Japan. Vilda had promised a reaction from his players, and they delivered with an impressive performance in Auckland.
Vilda made five changes to the lineup following the Japan defeat, including giving goalkeeper Cata Coll her debut in place of Misa Rodriguez. Despite a notable back pass mistake by Codina, Spain exhibited a highly impressive team performance, dispelling doubts surrounding the squad after a previous feud between Vilda and senior players.
For Switzerland, who qualified for the knockout stage despite winning only one game in the group stage, this match marked their World Cup exit. The team had previously shown strength with three successive clean sheets, but they struggled to break through Spain’s defense and managed only one shot on target during the match.
Swiss coach Inka Grings acknowledged the disappointment but praised her team’s efforts, highlighting their accomplishments in the tournament. The team’s World Cup journey concluded as they applauded their fans after the match, reflecting on a successful tournament despite the eventual defeat.
Reporter
