Salma Paralluelo won’t have chosen soccer. It was not her solely possibility, definitely. A 19-year-old Spain striker, Paralluelo was a brilliant prospect in observe and discipline, too, such a gifted runner that she may even have represented her nation on the Tokyo Olympics two years in the past. Her chosen self-discipline was the 400 meters. She nonetheless holds the nationwide under-20 file on the distance.
She can also be, it seems, simply the particular person her nation wanted on the finish of a marathon.
Spain’s assembly with the Netherlands on Friday within the quarterfinals of this Ladies’s World Cup was all the time more likely to be shut. As Spain’s draining, slim, 2-1 victory proved, shut might have been an understatement. There’s barely a hair’s breadth between these groups: the Spanish, Europe’s nice power-in-waiting, and the Dutch, famed for his or her expertise however noteworthy for his or her resilience.
4 years in the past, that combination was sufficient to hold the Netherlands to the World Cup last in opposition to the US. This yr, it was beginning to look as if a repeat journey is perhaps within the playing cards. Andries Jonker’s workforce had superior from the group part in a mode extra spectacular than spectacular. It had completed, most importantly, forward of the US. Due to the reflexes and focus of Daphne van Domselaar, its goalkeeper, it had held South Africa at bay within the spherical of 16.
The Netherlands may need been lacking its innovative — the star striker Vivianne Miedema is without doubt one of the many gamers absent from this World Cup due to a severe knee damage — but it surely had discovered a method to make up for that by dulling everybody else’s. The squad’s confidence was rising sufficiently that ahead Lineth Beerensteyn might even afford to take a little bit swipe at the US workforce when she met with reporters earlier than the sport. There had, Beerensteyn stated, been an excessive amount of discuss from the Individuals, who misplaced to Sweden within the spherical of 16. “You must do it on the pitch,” she stated.
For some time, it appeared as if she could be good to her phrase. Within the brilliant winter sunshine of Wellington, New Zealand, Spain dominated possession, as a result of Spain all the time dominates possession. Spain created possibilities, too, as a result of Spain all the time creates possibilities.
However it couldn’t breach the Dutch. At any time when it picked its means by the massed ranks of the protection, Spain discovered van Domselaar, as indomitable as ever, repelling no matter it might muster.
And when van Domselaar was overwhelmed, Spain discovered that the bodily infrastructure of the stadium was selecting sides: Halfway by the primary half, Alba Redondo hit the publish twice in a matter of seconds. A couple of minutes later, Esther González had a objective dominated out for offside, although solely after the referee, Stéphanie Frappart, had consulted a video replay.
It was that form of sport: certainly one of slender variations and appreciable what-ifs. For Spain — what if Redondo had scored, or if Frappart had seen that Stefanie van der Gragt had dealt with the ball within the scramble to clear it; or if González had delayed her run a fraction of a second? However, greater than something, it was for the Netherlands.
What if the penalty gained by Beerensteyn for what appeared a transparent push from Spain defender Irene Paredes had not been overturned? The Netherlands may need led, moderately than discovering itself, barely a heartbeat later, falling behind after Mariona Caldentey transformed the one penalty of three that ought to, or might, have been awarded.
And what if Beerensteyn had scored any one of many three clear-cut alternatives that fell her means as the sport entered its dying embers? The Dutch had at the least taken the sport the gap, van der Gragt salving her conscience after her hand ball led to Caldentey’s penalty by unceremoniously drilling home an equalizing goal as the sport ticked into damage time.
Beerensteyn twice may need gained it, may need stored the Dutch within the match, however she might convert neither probability.
Paralluelo was extra environment friendly. She picked up the ball from Jenni Hermoso, shimmied her hip and dropped her shoulder and burst clear into the Dutch penalty space, transferring too rapidly and too simply for the straining Dutch protection. She steadied herself and swept a shot, low and left-footed, previous van Domselaar.
The Netherlands’ race is run. Spain’s may simply be choosing up velocity.
