The die is cast. In an unprecedented final, Spain and England play this Sunday for the women’s world title at the Australia Stadium in Sydney (5 am, with signals from Caracol, RCN and DSports) in a meeting of giants in which they aspire to the most coveted football trophy in the world.
The Spanish and English will meet again a little over a year after the Euro 2022 quarterfinal commitment, which culminated in the elimination of La Roja and cemented the passage of Las Leonas to the highest position on the podium.
Soccer is made of second chances and, this Sunday, Spain hopes to reverse the sour taste left by that defeat, prevail against England and be crowned world champion. In common, in addition to the high technical level of their players, both teams have shown a consistency throughout the tournament that has allowed them to overcome weighty rivals such as Nigeria, Colombia, Sweden or the Netherlands.
Action by Lauren Hemp, from England, in the goal of the Colombian Catalina Pérez,
The Spanish absolute arrives at the most important game in its history in very good shape, with the 23 players available and after a consistent campaign in which it accumulates a balance of five wins and one loss, while the English team is undefeated.
For this World Cup final, the Spanish coach, Jorge Vilda, faces the challenge of assembling the pieces of the puzzle to determine the most difficult eleven of his career, in a date that will be marked by various private battles.
On the one hand, Aitana Bonmatí, one of the most outstanding players of this World Cup and who has shown irreproachable solidity, on the other Keira Walsh, a teammate at Barça, will star in the duel for dictating the game from midfield.
The presence of Aitana, next to Tere Abelleira, the great revelation of the selection, in the midfield is given as certain, just as Cata Coll seems to have confirmed her permanence in the goal after winning the title in the middle of the tournament.
Likewise, it is expected that the veteran Irene Paredes will be in charge of commanding the defensive ranks, while Oihane Hernández, already with his sanction served, and Olga Carmona are playing a position in the last line.
The main question for the Spanish team falls on whether Alexia Putellas could repeat as a starter or start from the bench. Although the double Ballon d’Or winner, barely recovered from a long injury, has not yet shown his best game, his imposing figure on the pitch is intimidating.
![Alexia Putellas](https://www.eltiempo.com/files/article_content_new/uploads/2023/08/19/64e16373874c9.jpeg)
It is also up in the air if the phenomenon Salma Paralluelo, author of decisive goals in key matches, will form the starting eleven or if Vilda will opt for the same strategy as in recent games, when he opted to keep the explosiveness of the left winger to surprise opponents in the final stretch.
On the English side, the award-winning coach Sarina Wiegman will have midfielder Lauren James at her disposal, one of the great surprises of the World Cup and who will be able to return to the pitch after being sent off and sanctioned with two games for violent play against Nigeria .
Likewise, the Las Leonas team should not suffer many changes and the coach is expected to make the most of her winning formula, with strengths such as Keira Walsh, Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly and forward Alessia Russo, as well as the impeccable central trio of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood.
SPORTS
with Efe
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