Spain Women vs Holland Women. Women's World Cup Quarter-Final.
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Match report as Spain edged Netherlands 2-1 to reach the Women's World Cup semi-finals for the first time ever; Mariona Caldente gave Spain the lead on 81 minutes after VAR controversy but Stefanie van der Gragt's goal forced extra-time; Salma Paralluelo scored a superb extra-time winner
Friday 11 August 2023 10:11, UK
Spain reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals in dramatic fashion as Salma Paralluelo's stunning goal sealed a 2-1 extra-time win over the Netherlands.
There was even drama before kick-off as a 5.0 magnitude earthquake shook Wellington about an hour before kick-off, but the match in the New Zealand city still went ahead despite both teams preparing for kick-off with the ground shaking.
And then normal time brought some VAR drama as a second-half penalty awarded to the Netherlands after a push by Irene Paredes on Lineth Beerensteyn was scrubbed out after a review from the video technology.
What might have been a 1-0 lead became a 1-0 deficit on 81 minutes when Mariona Caldente scored from the penalty spot for Spain - after another review found defender Stefanie van der Gragt's hand had made contact with the ball near the edge of the area.
But Van der Gragt made dramatically made amends in stoppage time as she broke free on Victoria Pelova's pass to calmly strike the ball past the Spanish goalkeeper.
Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn had two chances in extra-time, hit one wide, the other over the bar - but Spain advanced through Paralluelo late in the second added period.
Beaten 2-0 by the United States in the final of the 2019 World Cup, the Netherlands had positioned themselves well to reach the final again after the exit of the United States in the round of 16, but it wasn't to be.
Netherlands manager Andries Joncker:
"Well, look, I think the VAR didn't do their work properly [in taking away Netherlands' second-half penalty], but they [Spain] deserved to win. It's just that this decision was wrong. It was wrong.
"The main thing is, this is the Netherlands, we can play football, and we can win against Spain.
"We did our best. We tried to camouflage our weaknesses and show our strengths, but there's only one solution: you have to play forward, you have to get the ball, stay on the ball, make the game and step one was fantastic. What we showed during this tournament, sometimes it was fantastic, sometimes it was less than that.
"We've been convinced to make it through to the semi-finals and make it to the finals. But we didn't. On the other hand, very proud of this team, of the staff. Within one year we managed to get back in and this is a tough one to swallow. But we put ourselves on the map, again."
Spain manager Jorge Vilda:
"We were so concentrated [before kick-off]. Yes, it was a middle [moderate] shake, an earthquake, but not today. The earthquake was the victory of Spain.
"It's a great day for Spanish women's football. We've reached somewhere we've never reached before, and done it playing a good game as well, with a team that is convinced that we can go even further.
"They played an extraordinary level, all players, and there was a match with a lot of emotions. And the goal from Salma, it was sheer joy.
"Well, she came in or she helped us with what we wanted to achieve. We wanted to rest our central defenders and in the second half Salma with her speed was going to be a substitute with other wingers who are very quick.
"Salma is a player with an enormous potential. And she's not reached her best yet."
Spain will play either Japan or Sweden in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup. The match will be played on Tuesday August 15 at 9am.
The round of 16 concluded on Tuesday ahead of the quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, between August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
