The second Spain also fails to beat Italy

The second Spain, a team that did not include most of the team’s great figures, had a hard time this afternoon penetrating the accumulation defense that Italy proposed in the friendly held at the Romeo Menti stadium in Vicenza, the same one in that a decade ago La Roja left qualification for the first World Cup in its history on track. The team led by Montse Tomé suffered little in defense against the Italians, but they were not able to mix the game with rhythm to harm their rival with continuity in the static attack. When the curtain was already set, Alba Redondo finally managed to see the goal when her shot hit Linari and she drew a parabola with which she surpassed the goalkeeper, but in the next play the azzurras They caught a corner converted by Becarri and taken by Giugliano. The tie leaves Spain, the world and Nations League champions, without winning for the fourth consecutive game, a streak so bad that it has not been seen for more than five years, when the team was still far from the elite.

With Aitana Bonmatí – awarded her second Ballon d’Or on Monday – not on the list due to rest, Salma Paralluelo injured and Alexia Putellas, Mariona Caldentey and Jenni Hermoso on the bench – they were also at the gala in Paris as they were among the nominees – , Spain was a flat team and not the team that four days ago subdued Canada in Almendralejo with fierce pressure and quick and precise circulation, beyond the tie reflected on the scoreboard.

In the midst of difficulties in dismantling Italy’s defense, the one who emerged was the very young Vicky López, a player with a formidable ability to turn with the ball and eliminate rivals with her dribble. The Madrid native, who is only 18 years old and a few months ago was taking the Selectivity exam, left fantastic sparks. As soon as the match began, she got rid of her marker in the center of the field, drove, created a one-two with Cristina Martín-Prieto and tested the Italian goalkeeper. Giuliani deflected his shot off center.

Spain built the game from the superiority of its midfield, in which Tere Abelleira and Patri Guijarro accompanied Vicky López. Montse Tomé’s team established themselves again and again in the final third, but there no one was able to illuminate the last stretch of the attack. Amaiur Sarriegi, starter on the right wing, only managed to overwhelm Linari on one occasion. She stayed one-on-one with Giuliani, but the Italian rejected her sharp shot. Nor did Lucía García give the team the overflow it needed on the left side. She and Martín-Prieto missed two good chances after two fantastic passes from Guijarro that broke the Italian defense.

The script was the same at the start of the second half. Spain combined and combined without doing any damage. Vicky tried from the front, but her shot went wide. Sheila García also finished high after the young Madrid native drove from the center of the field and gave her the ball in the area after attracting a swarm of rivals. Tomé decided to retire Patri Guijarro and Sarriegi and give minutes to Alexia Putellas, applauded upon entering the field by the 5,000 people in the stadium, and Athenea del Castillo.

The selection sunk the Italians even further in their area. He boxed them in the last few meters while the ball passed in front of the goal several times without anyone managing to find the final touch. With Spain even more focused and more space to counterpunch, Italy finally gave the first big scare of the match with a shot to Boattin’s crossbar and a shot from Giuliano that was saved by Cata Coll, demanded in the stretch.

The Spanish coach gave a reel to Alba Redondo, Ona Batlle, Jana Fernández and Ana Tejada, who came in for Martín-Prieto, Olga Carmona, Laia Codina and Abelleira. Spain came close to scoring again in a combination between Redondo and Athenea. The woman from Albacete finished off a low cross from her Real Madrid teammate inside the small area. The technical gesture was difficult because he had to open his right boot a lot and the ball hit Giuliani’s left post.

La Roja finally got it right in the 86th minute after a combination of Redondo and Alexia, but Italy’s instant goal once again hit an all-time favorite team that, however, has not managed to win since it defeated Colombia on penalties in the quarterfinals. end of the Games. Neither with the first unit nor with the second.