Spain defeated Sweden to advance to FIFA Women's World Cup final
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Auckland: Olga Carmona, a left-back for Real Madrid, scored Spain's winning goal against Sweden in the 89th minute of their semifinal match, ending a wild last 10 minutes in Auckland and sending Spain to their first Women's World Cup final.
At Sydney's Stadium Australia, Jorge Vilda's team will now play either co-hosts Australia or European champions England on Sunday. The two teams will first square off in the second semi-final on Wednesday, the Telegraph reported.
Spain, who were playing in their first worldwide semi-final in just their third Women's World Cup, out-possessed the seasoned Swedes in the first half but lacked a finish. Chances increased as the game continued on, and it appeared like extra time would be necessary when 19-year-old Barcelona attacker Salma Paralluelo's low shot ultimately broke tenacious Sweden's defence with 9 minutes remaining.
Prior to Rebecka Blomqvist of Wolfsburg tying the score with two minutes left to go, it appeared to be the game's winner. However, Spain recovered once more and went up the other end almost immediately to win the match when Carmona's strong shot bounced in off the underside of the bar.
Sweden, who eliminated the defending champions the United States and advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in their history, hasn't won a significant women's trophy since winning the first-ever European Championships in 1984.
