Shortly before the 2017 European Championship in the Netherlands I watched one of the tournament outsiders pass and move their way across a pitch and fell in love. “The way Spain play football is the way it should be played,” I tweeted afterwards.
Fast forward six years and Spain have come a very long way since the rainy Sunday evening in Breda when they lost 2-0 against England in the group stage. Even then, the Lionesses ceded the vast majority of possession but found a way to win thanks to counterattacking goals from Fran Kirby and Jodie Taylor.
On Sunday in Sydney, I genuinely believed England would win again – this time in a World Cup final but, instead, it was a night when everything clicked for Jorge Vilda’s side. With the exception of Jennifer Hermoso’s penalty miss, every single thing went right for Spain.
After beating Australia in the semi-final I had expected Sarina Wiegman’s Euro 2022 winners to have the psychological edge but Spain proved the better team, monopolising possession and controlling large parts of the game.
Some of their one- and two‑touch football was a joy to watch and, in a deeper than usual role, Hermoso maintained an effective tempo courtesy of some really clever touches. Although England initially created more chances they failed to score and their momentum began ebbing away in the face of the super talented Aitana Bonmatí, Salma Paralluelo and co.
Off the pitch Vilda and his players have clearly not always seen eye to eye. The long‑running dispute between the squad and their head coach is well documented but the reality is that background conflict and success can coexist. A lot of people struggle to accept that but, for instance, it really is possible to be a good coach and a terrible person; not that I’m saying this applies to Vilda!
Spain’s coach and his players seemed to have a “reset” after losing 4-0 against Japan in the group stage and, looking in from the outside, he subsequently made some inspired tactical decisions.
What we don’t know is how much of their victory was down to the players; this is such an exceptionally talented and intelligent team that Vilda could, conceivably, have exerted limited impact. Top international players don’t always play for the manager or even their country; they want to win for themselves, their families, their friends.
This explains why sometimes off-field adversity really can make teams stronger. I remember playing for Sky Blue FC in New Jersey in the US when we had three coaches in six months and still won a title.
Moreover most women in sport have had to put up with far from ideal off-field situations at times, sometimes confronting appalling misconduct. Maybe it makes them better at compartmentalisation than some male counterparts; perhaps they are just more used to coping with adversity.
On Sunday, though, Vilda and his players were, for once, in perfect alignment: everyone wanted to win.
Had Lauren Hemp scored rather than hit the crossbar early on it might have been very different but, as time passed, Spain were the team with belief, confidence and balance. Olga Carmona’s winner was fantastic – and, for a full-back, an absolute dream goal.
It’s harsh to say Lucy Bronze made a bad mistake in the buildup. In inverting and carrying the ball forward she was trying to progress England’s game but she took one touch too many and failed to release the ball early enough to an initially well‑placed Ella Toone. I think Lucy was trying to make the play fit a picture she had painted in her mind rather than adapting to the game’s reality.
A clinical Spain capitalised from the ensuing turnover but, overall, England gave the ball away far too many times. All those turnovers left Wiegman’s players spending too long managing space and defending.
Spain had done their homework and succeeded in nullifying Keira Walsh in midfield. Keira hasn’t been at her best during this tournament yet she and England departed Australia as winners, too. They certainly won’t feel like that for quite a while but, after reaching the 2015 and 2019 World Cup semi-finals, the Lionesses finally made a final. More will follow – and, sooner or later, the World Cup will be won.
Let’s hope England get rewarded fairly for their achievements. Everyone talks about gender equality but it sounded a bit hollow as the European champions began this World Cup in a dispute with the Football Association over bonuses. It prompts the question: is women’s football being valued properly commercially?
Australia and New Zealand 2023 has proved beyond doubt that the technical quality is high and rising fast. The challenge now is to ensure that under-resourced stars of the tournament – perhaps most notably, Nigeria and Jamaica – receive the backing they need to challenge for the top prizes.
But it’s been a great World Cup. I hear the organisation off the field was excellent with fans, players and media benefiting from the sort of smoothly efficient logistics not always synonymous with previous women’s tournaments. The co-hosts Australia and New Zealand finished without medals – although the latter did win their first World Cup game – but they captured countless hearts and minds. In my book, that spells victory.
