JESSICA Park’s first-half purpose secured a memorable victory for England in opposition to reigning world champions Spain.
After struggling a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Spain within the 2023 FIFA Ladies’s World Cup last, England reversed the scoreline in a spirited efficiency at Wembley.
The 2 groups hadn’t confronted one another since that fateful assembly, making final evening’s victory even sweeter.
Park’s decisive purpose got here within the thirty third minute, following sensible play from Alessia Russo, who skillfully navigated previous Spanish defenders earlier than organising a simple tap-in.
To start with, Spain utilized early stress and Lucia Garcia even hit the bar within the twelfth minute.
The Spanish ahead additionally did not capitalise on a one-on-one probability with England goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, simply after halftime.
This second got here to outline the match, by which English defensive heroics saved out a Spanish facet who proved to be wasteful.
Salma Paralluelo and Aitana Bonmatí, two of Spain’s most harmful gamers, continuously examined England’s protection however typically opted for long-range efforts relatively than attempting to interrupt by means of contained in the field.
The Three Lions, in flip, seemed harmful on the assault, with Lauren James coming shut a number of occasions, together with a strike that was cleared off the road within the 87th minute.
Spain had alternatives to equalise in stoppage time, however England’s willpower and defensive resilience sealed a well-earned win.
In addition to Park, James, and Hampton, defenders Millie Shiny and Lucy Bronze had been excellent, they usually had been relentless in preserving out the Spanish forwards.
After the sport, members of the victorious facet spoke of a ‘correct’ English efficiency, together with Shiny and Sarah Wiegman, the workforce’s supervisor.
“We fought for each yard,” mentioned Wiegman, and Shiny referenced ‘that combat and that want to defend for one another, to work laborious for one another and to be laborious to beat’.
Shiny’s feedback had been accompanied moments later by the long-lasting ‘Candy Caroline’ blasting by means of the stadium, whereas Spanish gamers seemed deflated.
This was the second spherical of Nations League matches, with England, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium in the identical group.
The end result leaves England joint-top with Portugal on 4 factors, Spain in third with three, and Belgium final with none.
The 2 groups will face off once more in June, simply earlier than Euro 2025 in Switzerland, the place England will goal to defend their title and maintain Spain at bay.
