Salma Paralluelo, who came off the bench after 71 minutes of the actual match, scored a 111th-minute winner as Spain beat the Netherlands to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Paralluelo scored a magic extra-time winner, 2-1 in Wellington, New Zealand, in the most entertaining game of the tournament so far. Her strike created history because it was the first time a player in her teens had scored in extra time since the tournament began in 1991.
The 19-year-old, who plays her club soccer for Barcelona, was introduced to replace Alba Redondo after 71 minutes and did not take long to make a difference.
Spain’s Mariona Caldentey had also appeared with hopes to give her team a win, especially in normal match time after she slammed home an 80th-minute penalty via the post after Stefanie Van der Gragt handled in the box.
Van der Gragt of the Netherlands went from villain to hero by smashing home a stoppage-time equalizer but Paralluelo found space in the area in the extra time, to put Spain into their first major semi-final for 26 years.
The Netherlands who were bulldozed by the United States of America (USA) in the 2019 Women’s World Cup finals, were outplayed for long periods regardless of the beautiful football they played.
However, teenage winger, Paralluelo received the ball from Jenni Hermoso, kept her calm in the box, and struck a fly-in off the left post to become Spain’s youngest scorer at a Women’s World Cup and their newest star.
Spain will play Japan or Sweden, who meet in Auckland at 08:30 BST on Friday, in the semi-finals on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
