Spain earned its first trip to a Women’s World Cup final after a late-game back-and-forth scoring spree with Sweden. Three goals were scored between the 81st and 89th minutes as Spain came out with the 2-1 win.
Salma Paralluelo, the 19-year-old winger who scored the extra-time winner for Spain in its quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands, kicked things off in the 81st minute. She capitalized on a deflected pass in front of the goal and tapped in Spain’s first score of the game. Paralluelo squeezed her shot between two Swedish defenders to put Spain in front with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
Sweden didn’t relent after it gave up the late goal. Seven minutes later, Swedish striker Rebecka Blomqvist notched her third goal of the World Cup to even the match.
Blomqvist collected a header from Lina Hurtig and knocked in a shot to tie up the game and keep Sweden’s hopes of a World Cup final appearance alive.
With stoppage time and possibly extra time looming soon after Sweden’s equalizer, Olga Carmona delivered what ended up being the game-winning goal in the 89th minute.
She took a short corner pass from just outside the box and ripped a shot that sailed just over the outstretched hand of Swedish goalkeeper Zećira Mušović, off the crossbar and down into the goal.
Even with five minutes of stoppage time, Sweden couldn’t find another goal to send the game to extra time. It’s the fourth time Sweden has been eliminated in a Women’s World Cup semifinal since 1991.
Spain will now head to its first Women’s World Cup final in only its third-ever tournament appearance. The Spaniards failed to qualify from 1991-2011 and only advanced as far as the Round of 16 in 2019.
With the second semifinal match between host Australia and England still unplayed, Spain is the favorite to win the World Cup at -125 odds, per BetMGM. Neither Australia’s nor England’s women’s teams have advanced to a World Cup final, either.
