Spain won the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica-2022 on Sunday by defeating Japan 3-1 in the final, a victory that allows it to obtain its first World Cup and avenge the defeat suffered in the final four years ago.
The goals of the match, played at the National Stadium, in San José, were scored by Inma Gabarro (12), the World Cup’s top scorer, and Salma Paralluelo (22, 27 with penalties), for Spain, while Suzu Amano (47) discounted for Japan. Gabarro, forward for Sevilla, closed her participation in the World Cup with eight goals scored in six games.
With this victory, Spain achieved its first U-20 Women’s World Cup, after losing the final in France-2018 precisely against Japan. In 10 editions of the tournament, the United States and Germany add three titles each, followed by North Korea with two and Japan and Spain with one each.
Spain advanced in the first half….
La Rojita sentenced the duel in 15 minutes, when Gabarro and Paralluelo sealed their overwhelming dominance in the first minutes of play. The Spanish coach, Pedro López, came out with a crowded midfield to avoid spaces that could facilitate the quick attacks of the Blue Samurais.
With the FC Barcelona players, Ariadna Mingueza and Juia Bartel, pulling the strings, the Iberians came out determined to control the times, with high pressure and Gabarro and Paralluelo exchanging positions in attack.
That dominance soon translated into the scoreboard, when Gabarro lowered an aerial ball with her torso and beat the goalkeeper with a subtle touch, in a new proof of the Sevilla player’s state of grace.
Shortly after, Paralluelo, after receiving a long ball from Ane Elexpuru, stood alone in front of the goalkeeper and beat her from below, to the surprise of the opponents, who did not expect such a quick sentence.
Five minutes later, after a scandalous pass to Paralluelo, the ball hit the arm of a Japanese defender. The maximum penalty was scored by the Spanish attacker herself with a left foot shot to the left of the goalkeeper, who limited herself to standing like a statue.
And suffers in the second half….
After the restart, Amano pulled one back for Japan after a defensive error on a set piece. With the goal, the Japanese increased the pressure and sought to attack, to the applause of the public, at great speed and with longer possessions.
The team from the country of the rising sun approached the Spanish area with danger, with several overruns, cleared with difficulty for the defenders. The Japanese abused at times with to many aerial balls, where the Hispanics showed their superiority.
In the final minutes, Spain, physically outmatched by their rival, limited themselves to taking the blows and going on the counterattack with long balls. However, Japan could no longer score and ended up losing by the same scoreline with which they beat Spain in the final four years ago.
