It was a tight victory for the Brazilians. The lone goal on the match was scored by Andressa Alves in the 44th minute. Spain’s Boquette and Parades had chances in the second half, but they were unable to convert; Parades, a little heartbreakingly, hit the post in stoppage time. All of us Madridistas should have immense sympathy for this. It’s a tough loss for Spain, who played well and surely wanted more to show for it, but it continues an impressive unbeaten streak (14 group stage matches) for the Brazilians.
It’s a tough loss for Spain, who played well and surely wanted more to show for it, but it continues an impressive unbeaten streak (14 group stage matches) for the Brazilians.
Alves picked up player of the match honors. The goal was her ninth internationally, and it should be noted that she’s only 22 years old. Her coach, Vadao, said, “Today we won due to the perseverance of Andressa Alves, who showed great belief when she scored the goal that won us the match, and more importantly, qualified us for the next round.”
Match highlights
Later, Costa Rica battled to a 2-2 draw against South Korea.
18-year-old Melissa Herrera (who was first capped as a 15-year-old… WOW!) opened the scoring for Las Ticas in the 17th minute. South Korea responded with two goals by Ji Soyun and Jeon Gaeul in the 21st and 25th minutes, respectively.
They seemed likely to maintain or improve upon their lead, dominating both possession and shots on target. But then, in the 88th minute, Karla Villalobos scored a stunning equalizer.
Once again, this team that was expected to get blanked came away with a point; they currently sit second in the group rankings. I said it in my last write up and I’ll say it again here: Cinderellas.
Match highlights
– Katie Ann
Of Headbands and Heartbreak... 
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