Imperious Iberians to take on familiar foes England in Palma de Mallorca
Group winners will qualify for FIFA Women’s World Cup
If they fail to take top spot, Spanish will have to battle it out in play-offs
The Spanish women’s national team brought the curtain down on last year by reigning supreme in the UEFA Nations League, lifting the continental crown in early December courtesy of a showstopping 3-0 aggregate success over Germany.
The following month, Sonia Bermudez’s star-studded squad ushered in the new year brimming with lofty aspirations, chief among which was to ensure that they punch their ticket for the .
The swashbuckling Spaniards couldn’t have wished for a much better start to their qualifying campaign, with March’s double-header yielding a 3-0 win over Iceland and a 3-1 triumph in Ukraine. However, the Iberians suffered a setback in April, when they succumbed 1-0 to England at Wembley after failing to recover from Lauren Hemp’s third-minute strike.
Four days later, they rediscovered their scoring boots as they undid the Ukrainians in a 5-0 rout that leaves the two-horse race for top spot finely poised ahead of this month’s make-or-break match-ups.
at Palma de Mallorca’s Son Moix stadium on Friday has been marked in Spanish red in the diaries of those rooting for La Roja for quite some time now. The hosts, who currently sit in second, know that a win would see them trade places with Sarina Wiegman’s continental queens at the summit and take control of their destiny in the tussle to qualify automatically for the tenth edition of FIFA’s flagship women’s event.
Given the nip-and-tuck nature of the battle being waged at the sharp end of the standings, there is a distinct possibility that top spot could be decided on goal difference.
Bermudez spoke to FIFA about the national team’s progress, the recent rivalry between Spain and England and the relentless hunger of her troops, who are hell-bent on gracing the global extravaganza on Brazilian soil.
Sonia Bermudez: Every team we come up against are themselves looking to qualify for the World Cup, so they all put up a fight and have done their homework on us. Iceland set up in a pretty low block that involved a six-player backline at certain stages of the match. To break them down, you have to ensure your passing is really on the money and that you attack the space in behind their defence when the opportunity arises. You also have to take up good positions in the box and have the patience to knock the ball around as you try to grind the opposition down.
In our second match, against Ukraine, in the opening exchanges, they showed more of a willingness to attack, posing a greater threat with their two strikers and in transitions. The match panned out pretty much as expected. We were afforded the space to attack down the flanks and create 2v2 and 2v1 situations. It’s all about being patient, zipping the ball around and trying to make that breakthrough as early as possible.
However, the fact that those two teams aren’t amongst the biggest hitters in the women’s game doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to take an early lead. You have to earn that right. We mustn’t forget that we’re talking about World Cup qualifiers here, in which everyone is desperate for the points.
Our preparations involve putting together a game plan and keeping close tabs on the girls to make sure they head into the match in the best possible shape. We’re taking a relaxed approach to things and are making sure that when the game comes around, we have a clear blueprint and know exactly how we’re going to cause England problems. We’re aware just what a good side they are and that they have some outstanding players, as well as an amazing coach. It promises to be a great spectacle.
The matches between us and England often come down to small margins. Both of us coaches have outstanding squads, and I think that, once again, there’ll be very little to choose between the teams. Whichever side execute their game plan best will come out on top, and I obviously hope that’s us.
I think it’s very positive. Spanish women’s football has come a long way. I think the English top flight is in a very good place right now, which greatly benefits their national team. As I’ve said, the match will come down to small details. Both teams will be going all out because we all know what’s at stake, with only the group winners qualifying directly.
To make it to the World Cup, you have to face some top teams in qualifying. Because we’re Spain, it’s as if we have some sort of God-given right to qualify, but that’s not the case. You have to give every last ounce and be on top of your game in every match. You can’t afford to make any mistakes, which stands you in good stead for the future.
If you get to the World Cup, there’s very little margin for error in the group stage, and the stakes are obviously even higher if you advance to the next round, all of which means that you have to really be at the races in every match, regardless of who you’re up against.
In all honesty, no, I haven’t. In my view, we’re often guilty of thinking about what the future holds, but it’s more important to focus on the here and now and to just take things one game at a time. So much can happen between now and next year that we’re just concentrating on our next match, which is against England, and then on the one after that and so on.
We’ve handled it in a very professional way. We’re all clear about what we want to achieve. We have extremely high standards, and both of them demand an awful lot of themselves. We’re all looking to achieve the same thing: to win football matches. We’re fortunate to have the pair of them. They’re team captains and superb role models. They’re a massive help in and around the group and have that winning mentality that we’re seeking to instil amongst the younger players. We have a very professional relationship, in which we’re all clear on our objectives and roles.
She’s different to the players we’re more used to coming across. She’s very good in the air and with her back to goal, while she’s adept at exploiting the space in behind the opposition’s backline. Her heading ability is one of her greatest strengths, and she comes alive in the danger area. She’s powerful, strong and against teams that sit deep, she really puts herself about in the box.
We have forwards with various profiles who are able to help us out in a variety of scenarios. We couldn’t be happier with Edna’s performances, both for us and for Bayern Munich. Whenever she’s given a chance, be it as a starter or from off the bench, she really makes her mark.
Sources: FIFA Official
