Spain hasn’t lost momentum since winning its first World Cup title, defeating France 2-0 on Wednesday to also win the inaugural edition of the Women’s Nations League.
Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey scored a goal each for Spain in front of 32,657 fans at La Cartuja Stadium in southern Spain. It was a record crowd for Spain’s women’s team in the country.
Spain also holds the men’s Nations League title, having beaten Croatia in the final in June.
“We have a very good present and a very good future,” women’s team coach Montse Tomé said. “I have a group with very experienced players and with new young players coming up. It’s a very positive mix. They have a winning mentality. France haven’t had a shot on goal and that’s also a credit to all of the players.”
Bonmati, named the player of the match, volleyed in a low cross in the first half and Caldentey doubled the lead shortly after the break in a dominant performance by the hosts.
“Happy to win another title,” Bonmati said. “It may seem that what we have achieved is easy, that we have an obligation to win everything, but this is not something easy. And here we are lifting another trophy.”
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It was Spain’s first victory over France.
“They’ll be the team to beat at the Olympics, it won’t be easy,” France coach Hervé Renard said. “We are going to have to keep improving, learn lessons and keep moving forward. Let’s say we have taken one step but we haven’t taken the second. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
Spain had its breakthrough tournament at the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, winning the title in its third appearance.
The celebrations were marred by one of the country’s worst crises, though, as the then-president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony to spark an outrage in football and Spanish society in general. Rubiales eventually resigned, and prosecutors later accused him of sexual assault.
“Today we get to celebrate again. We deserve it,” Hermoso said. “We try to enjoy ourselves but we also have the responsibility that there are so many people behind us who want to follow in our footsteps. We are so proud that there are so many girls who want to be champions in the future.”
Spain defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in last week’s semifinal, a result that also secured the team a place in the Paris Olympics.
France was already qualified for the Olympics as the host country.
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Germany also qualified for this year’s Paris Olympics after a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the third-place playoff. Klara Buhl’s half-volley from close range in the 66th minute and Lea Schueller’s header in the 78th sealed the win for Germany, Olympic gold medallists in 2016, who will return to compete at the Games after missing Tokyo 2020.
With Japan and Australia claiming Asia’s two Olympic spots on Wednesday, only the two African teams remain to be determined in the 12-team field for the Olympic tournament.
“We didn’t play a good game against a team that are world champions and flying high in women’s football,” Renard said. “You have to be aggressive and keep the ball when you get it, but we lost it again straight away.”
Spain scored a competition-high 28 goals, seven more than any other team. It also had the most total attempts at 131.
Alexia Putellas, the former Ballon d’Or winner, did not enter the match for Spain. She hasn’t played for club or country since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last year.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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