After a month of incredible action in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve finally arrived at the World Cup Final. England and Spain meet to determine the best Women’s team in the sport of soccer. The tournament delivered wonderful performances from day one and the final likely provides much of the same. Before we preview the matchup between England and Spain, shall we take a look at how each squad reached the finals?
Spain Seals First World Cup Final Berth With Late Goal Against Sweden
Through 80 minutes of action, neither Spain nor Sweden managed to find the net of their opponent. The Spanish finally broke the stalemate with Salma Paralluelo’s goal in the 81st minute. However, Sweden didn’t go away quietly.
The Swedes drew level with a goal in the 88th minute. Just one minute later, though, Spain responded to take the lead right back. This time the Swedes found themselves unable to net the game-tying goal. Thanks to Olga Carmona’s strike, Spain now finds themselves in the final.
England Ends Hope Of Australian Hosts
England jumped on Australia in the first half of this contest. The strike temporarily quieted the home crowd. In the second half, Australia found a brief bit of hope when superstar Sam Kerr put one past Mary Earps of England.
Unfortunately for the Matildas, England quickly extinguished that hope. Lauren Hemp tacked on a goal to give the Lionesses the lead back. Alessia Russo scored the late contest goal that put the nail in the coffin. With their 3-1 victory over Australia, England punched their ticket to the World Cup Final.
Stage Set For Spain Vs. England
A relentless Spanish squad against perhaps the most consistent side in the tournament sets up for an incredible final. I expect some mesmerizing back-and-forth action between the two powerhouse soccer nations. While I expect Spain to threaten often, I believe the English side has managed the ups and downs of the tournament a bit better. Football is finally coming home to England, courtesy of the Lionesses 3-2.
Check out the schedule below to make sure you don’t miss any action from the World Cup Final and 3rd Place Match and be sure to let us know who you think will bring home World Cup glory on Twitter.
Saturday 08/19
Australia vs. Sweden (3rd Place Match) – 3:00 a.m. CT on FOX
Sunday 08/20
Spain vs. England (World Cup Final) – 5:00 a.m. CT on FOX