Unstoppable Spain Dominates Switzerland: Aitana Bonmati's Brace Creates Sensational Women's World Cup Record
Spain dominates Switzerland with a remarkable 5-1 victory, securing a historic spot in the Women's World Cup quarter-finals Aitana Bonmati shines with two brilliantly executed goals Exciting times await as Spain progresses #WWC2023 #SpainQuarterFinals
Spain secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history by overwhelmingly defeating Switzerland 5-1, with Aitana Bonmati impressively scoring two skillfully executed goals. Despite Switzerland's previous achievement of not conceding any goals in Group A, it took only five minutes for Bonmati, playing as a midfielder, to break through their defense and secure the first goal for La Roja.
Alba Redondo, Laia Codina, and Jenni Hermoso added to the score, completing the rout, much to the delight of the record-breaking crowd of 43,217. This attendance marked the highest ever for a soccer game in New Zealand, whether it be a women's or men's match. Currently, Bonmati, Redondo, and Hermoso each hold three goals in the tournament.
Codina's redemption came in the 45th minute when he scored a brilliant goal, making up for his earlier calamitous own goal that took everyone by surprise, including keeper Cata Coll.
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The match saw 43,217 spectators inside the Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland, in what was a record attendance for a women's or men's game in New Zealand
Spain secured second place in Group C after convincingly defeating Costa Rica and Zambia by a total score of 8-0. However, they faced an unexpected and comprehensive 4-0 defeat against Japan on Monday, which left them in a disoriented state.
In an effort to recover and improve their performance, Coach Jorge Vilda decided to make significant changes to his team for the upcoming Saturday match. This included the decision to replace goalkeeper Maria Rodriguez with Coll.
The Spaniards will face either the Netherlands or South Africa in the next game, which is the winner of Sunday's round of 16 match.
The Swiss, currently ranked 20th, achieved their best World Cup finish and matched their previous round of 16 exit in their only other appearance in 2015.
What's next?
Spain proceed to the quarter-finals where they will confront the victors of Netherlands vs South Africa in Wellington on Friday with the game scheduled to commence at 2am.Switzerland's aspirations of winning the World Cup have been shattered following their first loss in the tournament, despite finishing at the top of their group to arrange this last-16 encounter against Spain.
What is the schedule?
The round of 16 will occur from August 5th to August 8th, comprising of eight games that will be played in various locations throughout Australia and New Zealand.Following the round of 16, the quarter-finals are set to take place on August 11th and 12th in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney.
The first semi-final is scheduled to be held on August 15 in Auckland, while the other semi-final will take place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. The final will then be hosted by the Accor Stadium on August 20. In addition, a third-place play-off is planned for August 19 in Brisbane, the day prior to the final.
