Can Spain Continue Its World Cup Winning Ways at the Olympics?
Spain’s Women’s National Team, also known as La Roja, had an impressive Women’s World Cup journey. They defied all odds, dominating teams that typically find success in the World Cup, including the Netherlands, Sweden, and England.
Many players spoke up months before the tournament against the former coach, Jorge Vilda, and were absent from the team. Additionally, at the end of the WWC, a scandal engulfed the national team in which the Football Association president, Luis Rubiales, kissed player Jenni Hermoso. Despite the current turmoil and rebuild within the federation, Spain looks to be a new powerhouse in women’s soccer. Can they replicate their World Cup success at the Olympics next year? As we explore their chances, we’ll also take a closer look at the recent success, team, coaches, their football betting odds, and more.
World Cup Success
Spain was a bit of a dark horse team in this World Cup. Although many of the European countries were envisioned to perform well, Spain ultimately emerged as the top team.
They had a dominant performance in the group stage besides their drastic 4-0 loss against Japan. They made it out of their group second and took on Switzerland in the Round of 16, winning 5-1.
Their quarterfinal match-up was against the Netherlands. In a game that went to overtime, 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo proved to be the difference, scoring a goal in the 111th minute, giving La Roja the 2-1 victory.
In the semifinals, Spain beat Sweden 2-1. The Swedes had conceded very few goals all tournament, but Paralluelo and Olga Carmona were the difference-makers.
With Spain moving through their knockout stage games, they met England in the final. Spain dominated possession, had more shots on goal, and ultimately won 1-0 after a goal from Carmona midway through the first half.
Spain proved to be not only the best team in the tournament but can boast that they are one of the best–if not the best–teams in Europe after taking on all European teams through the knockout stages.
La Roja Makes History
La Roja’s win was nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, it was a historic moment for the nation that was somewhat overshadowed by the scandal of RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissing star player Jenni Hermoso. What followed would create an entire upheaval within the federation but ultimately cleared the ground for something new and better to grow.
Recent Turmoil Within the Federation
Spain recently sacked its head coach since 2015, Jorge Vilda. Vilda received a lot of criticism during his time as head coach. Months before the World Cup, a group of players named Las 15 stepped away from the national team due to their mental health and demanded a more professional work environment. Their statement detailed Vilda’s aggressive and intrusive coaching style to be a factor in their departure.
Vilda responded by stating that these players would not be called up for national duty if they did not retract their words.
Vilda continued to serve as head coach through the tournament and was recently fired on September 5. He was seen applauding Rubiales when he first stated his refusal to resign after the kiss incident, though he later made a public statement disapproving of Rubiales’ actions.
Rubiales resigned from his position on September 10. Now, the team will look to rebuild. It’ll truly be a challenge for such a successful team to rebound from such a terrible scandal. The leaders of the team will need to continue to step up in order to make sure they do not slip.
Moving Foward Under a New Coach
Spain announced Montse Tomé as the new head coach, and she is Spain’s first-ever female head coach. Additionally, during the scandal, all of the technical staff resigned, so moving forward, the team will be under completely new leadership.
It’s hard to say what the team will look like next year for the Olympics, but many of the star players will likely be on the team, including Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas, Jenni Hermoso, Olga Carmona, and Salma Paralluelo. With the drastic changes within the team’s coaching staff and front office, hopes are high that other players, such as Mapi Leon, will return for national team duty next summer.
Between now and the Olympic Games, Spain will play during a handful of international breaks throughout the end of 2023 and 2024.
Upcoming Matches
Coming up later this month, Spain will play in the UEFA Nation’s League. They’ll rematch Sweden and Switzerland, two teams they soundly beat in the World Cup. They’ll also take on Italy, a team that underperformed in the tournament, and will surely want to prove their status against a team like Spain.
Sweden is ranked above No. 1 by FIFA, but Spain is still coming off their World Cup win and has a good chance of replicating their previous victory if they can get organized under a new coach by the end of the month.
As Olympic qualifying stretches through next spring, there’s no idea who Spain’s opponents will be yet, though a team that jumped from sixth to second in the FIFA rankings will certainly bring trouble for any of the teams they go up against. Overall, through all of the changes, odds are the Spain team will continue to have its possession style game, its star players, and drive to make it to that No. 1 ranking, and we wouldn’t bet against La Roja in the Olympics.
Featured image via @sefutbolfem
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