The Swedish and Spanish groups maintain a banner studying ‘#SeAcabó – Our combat is the worldwide combat’ earlier than the Ladies’s Nations League soccer match between Sweden and Spain at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday Sept. 22, 2023. Credit score: AP/Adam Ihse
The Spanish crew poses earlier than the Ladies’s Nations League soccer match between Sweden and Spain at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday Sept. 22, 2023. Credit score: AP/Bjorn Larsson Rosvall
Spain’s Athenea del Castillo, heart, celebrates scoring with crew mates Alexia Putellas, left, and Aitana Bonmati in the course of the UEFA Ladies’s Nations League soccer match between Sweden and Spain at Gamla Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Credit score: AP/Bjorn Larsson Rosvall
GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Spain’s World Cup-winning ladies’s crew acquired again to being soccer gamers on Friday.
A 3-2 victory over Sweden in Gothenburg — secured by a penalty with just about the final kick of the sport — was Spain’s first match since capturing the most important prize in ladies’s soccer final month in Australia. That achievement finally was tarnished by a sexism scandal sparked by the previous Spanish soccer federation president, Luis Rubiales, kissing participant Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the course of the World Cup awards ceremony.
The fallout has been far-reaching, remaining excessive up the worldwide information agenda and persevering with proper as much as the eve of the match when a deal was reached between the gamers, federation and authorities mediators that Spain’s gamers consider will result in actual reform contained in the beleaguered federation and mark a turning level within the combat for equality.
To get to that time, the gamers had been engaged in through-the-night conferences and fixed phone calls, all of the whereas staying beneath huge exterior scrutiny that hardly offered the very best preparation for a Nations League match towards the world’s top-ranked crew.
Nonetheless, the Spanish confirmed the sort of battling qualities which have characterised the off-the-field combat towards their federation by coming from behind on the Ullevi stadium, clinching the win when Mariona Caldentey transformed a spot kick within the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time. The ultimate whistle blew instantly after the ensuing restart and Spain’s gamers celebrated wildly.
“They’ve been tough days for everybody,” mentioned Athenea del Castillo, who scored Spain’s first purpose, “however now we have proven that we’re a real crew that wishes to symbolize its nation and that’s what it’s about — combating till the top.”
A Twenty third-minute opener by captain Magdalena Eriksson gave Sweden the lead however Spain replied via Del Castillo’s equalizer within the thirty seventh, when her shot from outdoors the realm squirmed out of goalkeeper Zećira Mušović’s grasp and bounced into the online.
The Spanish crew poses earlier than the Ladies’s Nations League soccer match between Sweden and Spain at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday Sept. 22, 2023. Credit score: AP/Bjorn Larsson Rosvall
Spain went forward within the 77th via Eva Navarro, who curled a left-footed shot into the highest nook, just for Lina Hurtig to make it 2-2 5 minutes later.
The penalty was awarded with seconds left of added-on time when Amanda Ilestedt pulled again Amaiur Sarriegi within the space, a foul that earned the middle again a pink card.
“I instructed them that it’s a day during which they’ve dignified the career that they take pleasure in a lot and I felt joyful,” newly appointed Spain coach Montse Tomé mentioned. “It has been a particular debut in a sophisticated week, however I felt like we may use that power and focus it on soccer.”
Earlier than the match, gamers from each groups acquired collectively and held aloft a banner containing the phrases “Se Acabo” — Spanish for “that is over” – adopted by “Our combat is the worldwide combat.” There was applause across the stadium.
Spain’s Athenea del Castillo, heart, celebrates scoring with crew mates Alexia Putellas, left, and Aitana Bonmati in the course of the UEFA Ladies’s Nations League soccer match between Sweden and Spain at Gamla Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Credit score: AP/Bjorn Larsson Rosvall
The “Se Acabo” slogan was began by Hermoso’s teammate Alexia Putellas, Spain’s star participant, and has been a rallying name amid the scandal.
Putellas was captain for the sport in a Spain crew containing seven starters from the World Cup remaining towards England. Hermoso wasn’t one in every of them as a result of she wasn’t known as up “as a solution to defend her,” within the phrases of Tomé.
Spain returns to motion on Tuesday towards Switzerland in its first dwelling recreation as world champion.
In the meantime, three nationwide crew gamers have been summoned as witnesses by the decide investigating Rubiales for the kiss. The gamers, who weren’t named, are anticipated to testify subsequent week.
The federation earlier Friday introduced that it fired its integrity director, Miguel García Caba. The announcement got here a number of days after it mentioned secretary basic Andreu Camps was relieved of his duties. The adjustments had been a part of the calls for made by the gamers who boycotted the nationwide crew after the kiss by Rubiales.