Spain vs England is a worthy matchup for the Women’s World Cup final

Spain will collide with England in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney.

We finally have the two teams for the most riveting game in women’s football this year. This time, though, this isn’t one of those matchups where the intrigue and curiosity is expected to be found in the contrast. This is no underdog vs giant story.

As Spain take on England in the final on Sunday, the Women’s World Cup final will unfold a new episode in the tale of an old and historic rivalry between two nations where football is not just an active sporting interesting, it is a religion and a way of life.

However, there have been some compelling stories and narratives along the way. The neutrals were in for a treat as hosts Australia mixed and matched with some of the strongest in the game and clawed their way to the semi-finals of the competition.

They were fresh-minded and audacious and when Sam Kerr equalised against England in the second half of the semi-final, she blew the roof off Stadium Australia. However, pathos would eventually seek in as the Three Lionesses restored their advantage with goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo, eventually leading to plenty of tears and dejection inside the stadium.

Before their bout with England, Australia also managed to pull off a spectacular win over France. The game had ended goalless at the end of full time and the hosts steered ahead in the ensuing penalty shootout.

Japan have been making a case for themselves as the team to watch out for in recent FIFA tournaments and the women’s side just added to that strong reputation of the national side. They played some of the most complete and beautiful football tournament before suffering a night off where they were knocked out of the competition by Sweden in the quarters.

The United States, who are the most successful team in the history of the competition with four titles, carried a lot of hype, enthusiasm and fervour going into the competition. However, the defending champions never really got going. Barely managing to qualify from their own group, they were drawn with Sweden in the Round of 16.

The US forwards failed to find the back of the net despite their best attempts. A sturdy defence resulted in a goalless draw. There was further twist and turn during the penalty shootout as three of their most reliable players ended up losing their heads and squandered the chances, resulting in a shocking outcome.

Coming back to the final. Neither Spain nor England had it easy going into the competition.

Spain were arriving on the back of a massive dispute between the players and the federation regarding head coach Jorge Vilda. 15 members of the squad sent a letter last fall refusing to play until issues regarding the environment created by the manager were addressed. The fact that the federation didn’t take any actions in that regard means that the conflict is still ongoing in the camp.

England, meanwhile, were wrecked by a series of injuries to key players. Captain Leah Williamson along with usual stars Fran Kirby and Beth Mead were all ruled out and the backbone of the side that won the European Championship seemed to have suffered major losses.

As women’s football continues to grow and find more mainstream appeal across the globe, two of the game’s oldest competitors come face-to-face amidst turbulent times to contest the sport’s greatest prize. Not only is glory and the trophy at stake, but this time, bragging rights between two football-crazy nations are on the line.

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