Takeaways: Spain scores two late goals to top Sweden, make first World Cup final

Doug McIntyre

Soccer Journalist

Spain beat Sweden 2-1 on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand, to advance to the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Olga Carmona scored the winner for La Roja in the 89th minute of the contest to send her team to the title match of a major tournament for the first time in program history.

La Roja will meet the winner of Wednesday’s other semifinal, between co-host Australia and current trophy favorite England, on Sunday in Sydney (coverage begins at 5 a.m. ET, kickoff at 6 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Here are three quick thoughts on Tuesday’s match.

[Spain vs. Sweden highlights: Spain advances to World Cup final]

Play of the game

Spain could’ve crumbled when Swedish forward Rebecka Blomqvist canceled out Salma Paralluelo’s opener to put the two sides back on even terms with just two minutes of the regular 90 left to play. Instead, La Roja roared back down the field and put the Swedes under immediate pressure. It paid off when they won a corner and Teresa Abelleira found a completely unmarked Carmona at the top of the box.

The defender did the rest, launching a left-footed shot over keeper Zecira Musovic, off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. It was a goal worthy of a spot in the championship match.

Spain’s Olga Carmona scores the game-winner

Turning point

For more than 80 minutes Tuesday, neither team could score.

So when the 19-year-old Paralluelo, who came off the bench to score the winning goal for La Roja in extra time of last week’s quarterfinal against the Netherlands, again entered as a substitute and again broke the deadlock, it looked like game over there and then:

Spain’s Salma Paralluelo opens the scoring in 81st minute

Blomqvist had other ideas. But Paralluelo’s goal was still hugely important. Once Musovic was beaten once, La Roja knew they could put another past her — and they did.

[How Salma Paralluelo went from track star to Spain’s World Cup game-changer]

Key stat

Spain was the better team. It badly outplayed the Swedes. It fully deserved to win. Still, for the life of it, La Roja couldn’t find the target for most of Tuesday’s contest. The first 11 shots it took missed the net completely. Musovic, who had a sensational World Cup, didn’t have to make a single save.

She finished the match without one, too, as Spain’s final two efforts — their only two shots on frame all night — ended in goals.

[Spain talking a big game, backing it up]

What’s next for Spain?

La Roja overcame all sorts of obstacles to reach their first final in program history: a devastating knee injury to superstar forward Alexia Putellas, winner of the 2021 and 2022 Ballon d’Or awards, a year before the tournament. A player mutiny against coach Jorge Vilda last fall that resulted in 12 regulars being left of the World Cup squad.

None of it mattered. Now Spain is one game away from immortality. It won’t easy against either the home-team Matildas or the reigning European champions. But who would bet against Spain claiming the trophy at this point?

[For Alexia Putellas, the waiting is the hardest part]

What’s next for Sweden?

The Blue and Yellow’s long wait for a first major title continues. This was Sweden’s third trip to the World Cup semis in four tries. It failed to reach the final each time and also lost consecutive Olympic gold medal games during that 12-year span.

The Swedes will now hope to shake off Tuesday’s disappointment by winning Saturday’s third-place match against whichever team loses the other semi between Australia and England (coverage begins at 3 a.m. ET with kickoff at 4 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). But it will be little consolation for a squad that had every reason to believe that this was finally its year.

Spain vs. Sweden highlights

Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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