World Champions Spain Lay Down Marker On Olympic Debut At Paris 2024

The reigning world champions Spain opened the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament at Paris 2024 with an entertaining win against former world champions Japan in Nantes.

A goal sixteen minutes from time by new Arsenal signing Mariona Caldentey gave Spain a deserved victory in a match they increasingly monopolised. The winning goal came at the end of an almost two-minute period of sinuous pass and move soccer from Spain that epitomised everything their game represents.

The peerless Aitana Bonmatí – who had already gone down in history as the scorer of Spain’s first-ever goal in the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament – dictated and eventually assisted the move from which Mariona curled the ball into the bottom corner of the Japanese net.

Ahead of the game, Spanish women’s national team head coach Montse Tomé boasted “we have an identity and a capacity that is above any rival,” while acknowledging that “Japan is a strong rival, a good one.”

Japan were the last nation to defeat Spain at a major international tournament, dismantling the eventual World Cup winners 4-0 in a group stage match in Wellington, New Zealand.

On that day, the Asians were devastating on the counter-attack. After a nervous start by Spain today, Japan once more struck first on the break. In the 11th minute, Spain were fortunate to escape in conceding only a free kick outside their penalty area after goalkeeper Coll misjudged a long ball forward by Saki Kumagai and allowed possession Mina Takana possession in a dangerous position.

They were nevertheless made to pay when Aoba Fujino whipped a sensational free kick into the top corner of the Spanish net. It was the first goal of the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament at Paris 2024.

Spain hit back in the way they know best, by dominating possession and imposing a high press. Ten minutes later, Alexia Putellas and Athenea del Castillo combined to thread the ball through the Japanese defences for Aitana to sidestep Ayaka Yamashita and sidefoot home an equaliser.

Beset by injuries and internal disputes at the last two major international tournaments, it was remarkably the first time that Spain were able to start their golden midfield trio of Alexia (Ballon D’Or winner in 2021 and 2022), Aitana (Ballon D’Or winner in 2023) and the much coveted box-to-box player Patri Guijarro in a championship game.

The trio combined to stunning effect throughout the game as the world champions controlled the ball for two-thirds of the game in the remainder of the first half, and enjoyed almost three-quarters of possession in the second.

Eventually, the world champions were able to find a second, winning goal but nevertheless face two more tough matches against nine-time African champions Nigeria and eight-time South American champions Brazil.

No reigning world champion team has won the Gold medal in the subsequent Olympic Games since the Second World War. The feat has never been achieved in the women’s game. However, Spain, the number one team in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, are considered to be so far ahead of their rivals that many see their triumph as inevitable.

Spanish captain Irene Paredes refused to admit that her all-conquering team would be the favorites to win Olympic Gold. “We accept that there are expectations on us but we are going to make our debut in the Games and our only obligation is to give our all.”