Spain did its homework in Son Moix who wore his best clothes. They beat England (4-0) and he did it with a enough margin to depend only on it on the last day of the group stage—against Iceland— to ensure its presence in the 2027 World Cup. The goals from Alexia (2), Guijarro and Pina were the icing on the cake of a great choral exercise.
The world and European champions met again 52 days after the English victory at Wembley. Sonia introduced three new additions to the eleven (Corrales, Imade, Salma) while Sarina only one (Toone). Small changes of pieces on a chess board where the movements seem marked. Spain is football, touch and spark. England is physical, grit and daring. Two styles as different as they are plausible in their best version.
Spain’s eleven against England in Son Moix
The locals took the lead in a match that consumed its first minutes without any great chances. The first from Spain came from the left lane with two centers from Corralesthe first headed aimlessly by Alexia and the second by Edna into the hands of Hampton. The response was a shot from the edge of Walsh, after a corner was rejected, which went into the roof of the goal defended by Cata.
While the orchestra played the classic ‘Someone ask the brunette to dance‘ Pebble received the message in the green. Patri caught the ball in the midfield, made a self-pass against Stanway’s opposition and nailed a pebble -with a touch of Greenwood- at the bottom of the tights.
Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo celebrate a goal for Spain against England
The goal gave wings to Spain, who pressed to deepen the English wound. Salma, who started on the left and improved on the rightwas a nightmare due to its speed and overflow. Alexiawho had almost scored with two shots from the edge of the area, He took advantage of a filtered pass to hit it with his soul, bending Hampton’s hands and putting the second on the scoreboard. The gap could have been even bigger, as Vicky missed a run into the area in which he ended up crashing into the rival goal and a counterattack where he failed in the last pass to Salma.
Spain went out to the second half without speculatinglooking for a third goal that would come before showtime in a play to put in the schools. Choral creativity that culminated with an assist from Batlle from the background to Alexia, whose first shot was taken by Bronze on the goal line, but who took advantage of the rebound to put the leather into the cage and celebrate again.
Spain-England details
Sarina was forced to move the bench and put gunpowder on the field with Mead and Kelly, but Spain by then was comfortable on the vermilion carpet and played at will. Vicky, who tried again in an individual play more typical of a video game vintagewas changed by Pina who as soon as she entered the field tested Hampton from the front.
Then Esther and Bonmatí entered. It took a minute for the three-time Ballon d’Or winner to put a filtered pass to Pina, who broke the waist of Wubben-Moy and scored the fourth with a right hand. In the final stretch there were minutes for Serrajordi and Olga, for the public to make the wave and to understand that What Spain has done in Mallorca is a coup of authority.
