Spain 4-1 Finland (Paredes ’26, Bonmati ’41, Garcia ’75, Caldentey ’90+5| Sallstrom’1)
MILTON KEYNES — Spain boss Jorge Vilda had one sizable, but not insurmountable, problem before his side kicked off their Euro 2022 campaign against Finland. The absence of Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, widely considered to be the best player in the world, was the biggest test of La Roja’s tag as tournament favourites – but in the end, it was a more unfamiliar problem that threatened to undermine Spain’s chances.
Vilda was content to stick with a remarkably high line despite being punished inside a minute when Linda Sallstrom scored the fastest goal in the history of the Women’s European Championship after just 49 seconds.
Esther Gonzalez, bearing the weight of Spanish expectation in the absence of Putellas and record goalscorer Jenni Hermoso (also missing through ligament damage), had tried to claim that record for herself when she broke through on goal, before Finland’s counter-attack left Sallstrom able to curve her shot past Sandra Panos and in at the far post. The perfect start for the large and noticeably vocal contingent of Finnish fans that flanked the Cowshed End at stadium:mk.
That was far from the only danger, with Spain almost undone again by a cross out to Adelina Engman on the right but she dragged her shot wide.
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When the equaliser did come, though, Finland had been given due warning. Patri Guijarro had seen a goal chalked off for offside just four minutes earlier when Irene Paredes stabbed in at close range from a corner after Finland had switched off.
The Spanish defender was soon in action at the other end with a last-ditch tackle after another Finland breakaway, but she later found herself in the book for hauling down Sallstrom.
Overall, at least, Vilda will be content that his changes did the job. In Putellas’ place, he had turned to Levante’s Irene Guerrero – with just 22 international caps to Putellas’ 100 – in her place on the left of a midfield three.
Insofar as the best playmaker in the world can be replaced at all, Guerrero fared reasonably, lasting an hour before she was replaced by Laia Aleixandri, having done her best to trouble Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela by peppering her from range.
Gonzalez tried the same trick, dropping deeper as she carried a front three of Mariona Caldentey on the left, with Lucia Garcia moved onto the right.
Garcia had done her best to hurry Emma Koivisto, who has just signed for Liverpool as part of their overhaul after winning promotion to the Women’s Super League, but struggled as part of a disjointed attack that saw Gonzalez frustrated in the No 9 role. In the end, Garcia finally got her reward with a headed goal from a free-kick.
The fear is that for all the talent in this Spain squad – there are no fewer than 10 players from Barcelona, the Women’s Champions League finalists – Vilda is not necessarily using them in the right way – even if an injury-time penalty from Caldentey added a fourth and made this, on paper, a comfortable opener. But this is the group of death, and with Germany and Denmark next up, Spain have a little more to do to look like champions.
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