The Spanish team started with the relief of knowing that they were still in the World Cup thanks to Montenegro’s victory over Serbia, but also with the responsibility and nervousness that their passage to the quarter-finals depended on their hands, against this Germany … hostess who had not lost a match. And despite the displays of passion and good play in the different parts of the match, Spain encountered its own problems in keeping the ball, with some drops in energy and with an impenetrable Germany that destroyed the dream of the quarter-finals.
Like the game, with brilliant moments and major mistakes, the team played this tournament. With a placid start against Paraguay and a surprising defeat against the Faroe Islands which was already annoying in the locker room. The mistake was corrected with a notable victory against Montenegro, and they went from slowing down against Serbia to euphoria against Iceland and the quarter-finals are still within their reach. But this group continues without finding the path to success which was interrupted during recent international competitions. In Olympic key: since the bronze medal in London 2012, in the quarter-finals in Rio 2016 and eliminated in the group stage in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. In World Cup key: since silver in Japan 2019 and fourth place in Spain 2021, eliminated in the second phase in 2023 and 2025.
The rocky German team, first in the group, had more pride at stake than anything else, and there, the Markus Gaugisch They also showed a lot in these competition days. They were able to bring into play one of their most formidable weapons in the 40×20: an almost inaccessible defense which allowed them to block several consecutive attempts from the Spaniards while going deep towards the goal. Lucie Prades.
There was a good attitude on the part of the Ambros Martinbut also too many losses, sticks, shots outside or in the body of Katharina Filteranother rock under the crossbar. Antje doll The finish was a test, with three goals in the first ten minutes propelling the Germans into a four-goal lead; The rest of the defense prevented the Spanish weapons from reducing the gap during a five-minute drought.
Germany always had the ball in their hands and showed their many years of playing together with an impenetrable relationship on defense. Another partial 0-3 interrupted a phase of discord after 20 minutes and the four-goal lead once again weighed like a weight on the Spanish arms.
Even though there was a surge of pride and a very good match on the eve of half-time, with very good minutes in which there were goals of all colors, with Alicia Fernández from seven meters, with Danila So, Lisa Oppedal, Elba Álvarez, Lysa Tchapchet And Ester Somaza raise morale and bring the score back to a two-goal deficit. There were three of them when the referees whistled their way to the locker room, but with the feeling that they were not that far away.
But the transition to the locker room was terrible for the Spanish team, stuck again in attack, without agility in passing and with a penalty of four goals in a set, and a 1-6 shortly after, which opened a chasm.
Danila So tried to close it, alone in front of the world, so that Spain does not definitively lower the curtain on its World Cup. He fought against everyone and encouraged his team with goals that gave some hope. Nicole Alejandra Morales collaborated from the goal with several outstanding performances.
“The important thing is to be satisfied: to give our best and compete with ambition, whatever the final result,” the coach said in the preview. This is what they did in these minutes of splendor, of attacks without respite, of races with the last drops of energy, of goals to continue to inspire the staff, three goals, but even then, it was not enough for this miracle of victory. There had been too many ups and downs before, too many minutes without scoring, without clear ideas, which ultimately did not allow the miracle to happen.
Germany once again rebuilt its ranks and called on the public’s favor to undo the quarter-final dream of Spain, who said goodbye to this priceless World Cup.