Only four teams remain from the 32 that entered the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
On Aug. 20, a new name will be crowned champions of the world. But before that, the final four will battle for a coveted place in the final.
The first semifinal between Spain and Sweden will kick off at 4:00 a.m. ET in Auckland on Tuesday. It’s tapped to be a fiery match between two passionate, technical and resilient teams.
Here’s everything you need to know about tomorrow’s must-win clash.
Last time out
La Roja were first to advance to the semis after beating the Netherlands 2-1 in extra time. Jorge Vilda’s squad seemed to have put off-field issues aside to reach the final four for the first time in their history.
On the other hand, Sweden pulled off an impressive 2-1 win over tournament favourites Japan to book their spot in Tuesday’s game. After knocking off Japan – and the reigning champions USA in the round of 16 – Sweden will be carrying momentum.
Spain at-a-glance
Spain began their tournament with lightning speed, winning 3-0 over Costa Rica and 5-0 over Zambia. They were on their way to topping Group C until being dismantled 4-0 by Japan.
However, the blip was short-lived as the Spainards made light work of Switzerland in the round of 16. In the emphatic 5-1 win, Aitana Bonmati scored a brace.
Their quarterfinal fixture against the Netherlands was dramatic to say the least. Although Spain seemed the dominant team for much of the game, the scoreline remained even and the match went to extra time.
In the end, Salma Paralluelo scored the winner in the 111th minute, which hit the post and ricocheted into the netting. The 18-year-old came off the bench and became Spain’s hero. It’s possible Paralluelo’s performance could help her break tomorrow’s starting XI.
Bonmati headlines La Roja while Putellas takes a backseat
A talking point of Spain’s tournament has been Alexia Putellas. So far, the two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner has been on the periphery for La Roja. She hasn’t found the net, and only came off the bench in the last two matches. She’s coming off an ACL injury, so she’s not in top form. However, it says a lot about the Spanish squad to succeed without their star player.
Amidst Putellas’ absence, Bonmati, Alba Redondo, Jennifer Hermoso and veteran Esther Gonzalez have stepped up.
Bonmati, who has three goals and two assists to her name, will particularly be a player to watch tomorrow. Her speed, technique and ball control could unravel the Swedish backline.
This is Spain’s best Women’s World Cup showing to date, and is a welcome result after bowing out of the 2022 EUROs in the quarterfinals at the hand of England.
Sweden at-a-glance
Unlike Spain, the Swedes had a nervy start to their World Cup campaign.
In their opening match, they trailed South Africa 1-0 at the half before scoring two goals near the end to seal the win. However, they took care of business in the other group games, winning 5-0 over Italy and 2-0 over Argentina to top Group G.
The Blagult’s next test came when they faced reigning World Cup champions USA in the round of 16. In both regular and extra time, Sweden only managed one shot on target but held on to force penalties. In a nail-biting round of spot kicks, Peter Gerdardsson’s side pulled off the upset with a score of 5-4.
In the quarterfinals, many thought the third-ranked Swedes would fall to Japan, who were enjoying a clinical and classy tournament.
Thanks to a goal from Amanda Ilestedt and a converted penalty from Filippa Angeldal, Sweden stunned the Nadeshiko with their resilience and ability to find holes in their defence. Despite a late goal from Honoka Hayashi, Japan couldn’t equalize and were sent packing.
Musovic and Ilestedt could help Sweden reach the final
Having reached the semifinals in their last three major tournaments, including winning silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sweden will look to advance to the finals and actually earn the gold while they’re at it.
While Sweden has always been a top international contender, they’ve perhaps been underestimated at this World Cup.
Chelsea keeper Zecira Musovic has had a standout tournament, while Ilestedt became a surprise favourite for the Golden Boot. The Arsenal defender is currently seated second for the honour with four goals.
History and betting odds
This is only Spain’s third World Cup, while Sweden has appeared in every tournament. Although the Spainards are making their first semifinal appearance, the Blagult have reached the semis five times. Sweden made it to the final once, in 2003, losing 2-1 to Germany in extra time.
Spain and Sweden have met just twice before. The first came in group play in the 1997 EUROs, when Sweden won 1-0. Their second fixture came more recently, in an October friendly last year. The match ended 1-1 with goals from Marta Cardona and Rebecka Blomqvist.
According to Sports Interaction, Spain is favoured to win the match at +108. While Sweden is +250 to get the win.
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