Aitana Bonmati netted two well-crafted goals as Spain thrashed Switzerland 5-1 at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday to clinch a quarter-final berth for the first time in their history.
Switzerland kept three clean sheets to top Group A, but it took a mere five minutes for midfielder Bonmati to breach their defence for the first goal for La Roja.
“A 5-1 (victory) in the round of 16 is not easy,” Bonmati said in a post-match interview. “I have a lot of confidence in this team and now we are going for the quarter-finals.”
Additional goals from Bonmati, Alba Redondo, Laia Codina and Jenny Hermoso completed the rout to the delight of the crowd of 43,217 – a record for a soccer game in New Zealand, women or men.
“We have shown what we can do and without having the best version,” coach Jorge Vilda said. “So, in the end we have arrived, we have pressed well, we have made history, we have shown that we are a team of 23 players. Today, yes, they are not words, they are deeds and we are happy, to be honest.”
Codina’s 45th-minute effort was a moment of redemption for the defender, who had earlier scored a calamitous own goal with a pass back from 40 yards that sailed past shocked keeper Cata Coll.
The Spaniards will now play the winner of Sunday’s round of 16 game between the Netherlands and South Africa.
The 20th-ranked Swiss matched their best World Cup finish. They also bowed out in the round of 16 in their only other World Cup appearance in 2015.
“It was a heavy defeat for us and a well deserved win for our opponents,” said Swiss coach Inka Grings. “We tried to keep the Spanish away from our goal but it is hard when they have so much possession.”
Spain finished second in Group C, beating Costa Rica and Zambia by a combined 8-0 before being run ragged in a surprise 4-0 loss to Japan on Monday.
“We needed to recover sensations, me personally too after the tough defeat the other day,” Bonmati said. “I think we came out to the game very well, being ourselves, taking off all the pressure and all the things we had in our heads from the past and we came here to win and that’s how it was.”
Vilda made five changes to his team from that loss for Saturday, including dropping goalkeeper Maria Rodriguez in favour of Coll.
Bonmati got Spain on the scoreboard when she took a terrific turn with the ball to finish from close range but the Swiss equalised five minutes later when Codina put the ball through her own net.
It took La Roja – the Red One – six minutes to regain the lead when Ona Batlle swung in a cross that Redondo met with a header from the back post into the far corner.
Bonmati netted her second in the 36th minute with some exquisite footwork that sent two defenders and keeper Gaelle Thalman the wrong way. She knocked the ball to her left foot and calmly curled a shot into the empty net.
Codina stabbed the ball home during a goalmouth scramble before streaking away with outstretched arms and a wide smile of relief to celebrate a goal that sent Spain into halftime with a 4-1 lead.
Hermoso scored the only goal of the second half in the 70th minute, pouncing on a poor clearance by the Swiss that left her one-on-one with keeper Gaelle Thalmann.
Bonmati, Redondo and Hermoso all now have three goals in the tournament.