Cardona equalized Blomqvist’s opening goal in the friendly against Sweden at the Nuevo Arcángel
Some whistles were heard in the reading of the line-ups and Vilda’s exit to the field
‘The new stage’ of the national team started with a draw against Sweden thanks to a goal from Cardona that equalized Blomqvist’s goal. The first game without the 15 soccer players who gave up Jorge Vilda’s call ended with a bittersweet taste. The match had the sign of a friendly, but the turbulence that accompanies the team gave another dimension to the match. For weeks the focus has been the staged division with the refusal of some players to participate and the statements of the coach. Proof of this were some whistles during the reading of the line-ups and the coach’s exit to the field of play.
ESP
SUE
LINEUPS
Spain
Misa Rodriguez; Ivana Andrés, Rocío Gálvez, Olga Carmona (Núria Rábano, min. 75), Oihane Hernández; Teresa Abelleira (Maite Oroz, min. 62), Irene Guerrero, Claudia Zornoza: Athenea del Castillo, Alba Redondo (Marta Cardona, min. 75) and Esther González.
Sweden
Musović; Ilestedt, Sembrant, Eriksson; Rytting Kaneryd, Benninson (Björn, min. 90), Rubensson (Zigiotti, min. 73), Nildén (Andersson, min. 62); Asllani (Hurtig, min. 73), Blomqvist (Blackstenius, min. 62) and Rolfö (Jakobsson, min. 62).
goals
0-1, Blomqvist (min. 14). 1-1, Marta Cardona (min. 83).
Referee
Sandra Bastos (Portugal). She didn’t show any card.
Incidents
Friendly match held at the Nuevo El Arcángel stadium in Córdoba before 5,658 spectators. A minute’s silence was observed before the match in memory of the victims of the tragic events at the Kanjuruhan stadium in Indonesia.
The ball did not bring the best news either in the friendly start played at the Nuevo Arcángel against Sweden, a demanding team that finished the group stage first and without defeat. Opposite they had a Spain that sought to be the protagonist but soon found themselves with both of the Swedes. Blomqvist scored with a low shot, with the right and from inside the area, beating Misa below the legs. The assist was from Asllani in a very fast play that the team was unable to counteract.
Spain tried to recover from the goal and it was from the left wing where they misaligned the Swedish team the most. Alba Redondo, with her left foot and from inside the area, gave the first warning. The second attempt came through Esther, who capped off a counter by her with a right-footed shot from outside the area over Musovic’s crossbar. The meeting left a curious fact in the first part: there were more Barça players in Sweden than in Spain. The only Barça representative was Rolfö. On the bench, Laia Codina and Nuria Rábano awaited their opportunity.
Vilda’s team was hovering around the tie for the first 45 minutes. Alba Redondo, with a header, after a corner taken by Zornoza, sent a poisoned ball that ended up over the goal. It was difficult for Spain to get into the game but as the minutes went by they began to recover. He lacked forcefulness in the area to tie the game before the break.
Spain puts another march
The second part started with a different rhythm. Spain was to blame because they went out for the game and turned to look for the tieand. It was a more ambitious selection with a renewed intensity. In just four minutes, Alba Redondo headed in Musovic’s right post after a cross from Athenea. The Spanish team had the tie there.
The first few minutes were a precise portrait of a team, Vilda’s, convinced of being able to equalize the game with one more point of intensity. An Athenea thread found the answer in Musovic’s ‘popcorn’. The Swedish goalkeeper put on a real display of fundamentals and reflexes. Her actions inside the goal were an insurmountable obstacle for the Spanish players.
One of the news that left the game was the debut of the azulgrana Nuria Rábano in the second half. Her entrance coincided with the most harassing minutes of the selection in the second half. The equalizing goal came in minute 83 thanks to a corner that ended with Marta Cardona’s goal, with his left foot, from inside the area, after an assist from Irene Guerrero. A goal, that of the Atlético player, who put the final tie on the scoreboard.