Aitana Bonmati performed a starring function with a brace and two assists as Spain crushed Switzerland 5-1 at Eden Park on Saturday to march into the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the primary time of their historical past.
Bonmati’s early opener within the last-16 tie in Auckland was cancelled out by a spectacular personal purpose from Laia Codina, however Alba Redondo restored Spain’s lead and Bonmati scored once more to make it 3-1.
Codina then made up for her error by getting her staff’s fourth earlier than the interval, and Jennifer Hermoso made it 5-1 within the second half in entrance of 43,217 followers, a brand new report crowd for a soccer match in New Zealand.
And it was one of many Barcelona contingent who opened the scoring inside 5 minutes as Bonmati slotted in after taking a stunning contact to set herself up.
That got here after Redondo’s effort from a Salma Paralluelo cross had been touched onto the publish by goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann, and Switzerland had conceded for the primary time at this World Cup.
They have been gifted an equaliser on 11 minutes as Codina, not far inside her personal half, performed a ball again in the direction of her personal field with out wanting up, and beat Coll for a farcical personal purpose.
“Oh my goodness me, that’s an absolute catastrophe,” one commentator proclaimed.
The effort sees her be a part of an undesirable listing of gamers to attain at each ends in a World Cup match.
Joining Brandi Chastain (United States v Germany, 1999), Eva González (Argentina v England, 2007) and Angie Ponce (Ecuador v Switzerland, 2015).
Despite the error Spain have been again in entrance quickly after as Bonmati glanced on a cross from the left by Ona Batlle and Redondo arrived to go dwelling.
Bonmati was working riot and was denied one other by a very good Thalmann save earlier than she made it 3-1 in fashion within the thirty sixth minute.
Redondo’s header from Paralluelo’s cross was blocked however the ball fell to Bonmati who wrong-footed the Swiss defence with a flip paying homage to Johan Cruyff earlier than ending.
Codina then poked in one other in a goalmouth scramble at a nook, and it was 4-1 at half-time with out Switzerland having had an try on purpose.
The fifth arrived 20 minutes from time as Bonmati pounced on a slack move out by Switzerland and performed in Hermoso to attain.
Bonmati was eliminated shortly after and Putellas was despatched on for the ultimate quarter of an hour, by which period Spain’s ideas had turned to the subsequent spherical.
The end result was an enormous increase to Spain following their 4-0 defeat by Japan of their final group recreation, and the efficiency justified coach Jorge Vilda’s determination to go away Alexia Putellas out of his beginning line-up.
The reigning Ballon d’Or winner remains to be recovering health following a critical knee harm and will but play a key function later within the match, however made only a cameo right here off the bench.
Spain can now stay up for enjoying within the final eight of the World Cup for the primary time once they face the Netherlands or South Africa in Wellington subsequent Friday.
They have been merely a category above a Swiss staff who had reached the final 16 with out conceding a purpose however whose exit means they’ve nonetheless by no means gained a significant match knockout recreation.
Putellas was dropped as Vilda responded to the chastening Japan defeat by making 5 modifications to his line-up.
Most notably, Misa Rodriguez made method in purpose for Cata Coll, a back-up at her membership Barcelona. Codina additionally got here into central defence for her first look on the World Cup.
Source: www.news.com.au
