August 05, (THEWILL) – Spain made history at the Women’s World Cup, as they earned a resounding 5-1 victory over Switzerland in the last-16 clash at Eden Park on Saturday.
Aitana Bonmati was the star of the show, leading the charge with a brace and two assists. Her early opener was initially cancelled out by Laia Codina’s unfortunate own goal, but Spain swiftly regained the lead through Alba Redondo. Bonmati then added another goal before the interval. Codina redeemed herself with a crucial fourth goal, and Jennifer Hermoso sealed the dominant victory in the second half, much to the delight of the record-breaking crowd of 43,217 fans in attendance.
The result provided a significant boost for Spain, especially after their 4-0 loss to Japan in the group stage. Coach Jorge Vilda’s decision to leave out the injured Ballon d’Or winner, Alexia Putellas, proved justified as Bonmati and her teammates displayed exceptional form. Spain’s emphatic performance now propels them into the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
In response to their previous defeat, Vilda made five changes to the starting line-up, including the introduction of Cata Coll in goal and Codina in central defense. The team’s dominant display on the field came from their cohesive gameplay and tactical brilliance. Switzerland struggled to mount any significant offensive efforts throughout. While Putellas made a cameo appearance off the bench, it was Bonmati who undoubtedly stole the spotlight.
With a well-deserved place in the last eight booked, they will watch the match against Netherlands and South Africa in Wellington next Friday with an eye out for who will be their opponents in the quarter-finals scheduled for Friday, August 11, at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
