Coach Jorge Vilda credits FA’s support during player revolt for Spain’s first semi-final

AUCKLAND – Spain coach Jorge Vilda said his team would not be in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals if their football federation had not backed him during last year’s player revolt.

Spain will battle Sweden in Auckland on Tuesday for a place in the final, nearly a year after 15 players threatened to quit if the long-serving Vilda was not fired.

The Spanish federation’s boss threw his support behind Vilda, who froze out the mutineers from the squad before welcoming just three of them back for the World Cup.

Vilda has since guided the team to their first World Cup semi-final, four years after they made the last 16 in France.

“You’re asking about the past, but first of all, I would like to acknowledge the backing and the support of our president Luis Rubiales from the very first day,” he said in Auckland on Monday.

“Without that we would not be here. I’m quite sure all of this would not have happened.

“We have a president who reacted with courage and put his trust in me and my technical team, and we are very happy about the whole process.”

Emotions were running high in the Spain camp after beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Several players broke down in tears, including veteran forward Jennifer Hermoso, who spoke of playing to a crowd of 300 people early in her international career.

Up to 43,000 are expected for the Eden Park semi-final. The winners will meet England or Australia in Sunday’s final.

Vilda said the team had been working with a psychologist, who had taught them how to manage their emotions.

“He’s also told us that it’s okay to cry. I was very emotional, not only for Jenni but for the situation of other players who have been through this,” he added.

Hermoso said: “If you don’t feel any nerves before a game like this then, something is not right.

“It gives you goosebumps thinking about how close we are to the final... We have worked so hard to get here and I just want to enjoy it.

“I want the whole team to enjoy it and for the whole of Spain to be behind us.”

Vilda said Sweden’s “obvious” strengths were their set pieces and physicality but Spain would not change their game plan, noting: “Tomorrow we will keep to our script.”

Sweden centre-back Amanda Ilestedt looms as an unlikely candidate to win the Golden Boot. She has scored four times, once fewer than Hinata Miyazawa, whose Japan side she helped eliminate in the quarter-finals.

All of Ilestedt’s goals have come from set pieces, while eight out of Sweden’s 11 goals have followed dead-ball set-ups.

“I think set pieces are among our biggest strengths and something we work on,” Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani said on Monday.

“I mean, Amanda is amazing, but we have so many players that are really good in the area... I don’t think anyone cares who’s the leading goalscorer. The only thing we’re thinking about is winning games.”

Winger Fridolina Rolfo, who has two goals, said not many people would have expected Ilestedt to be Sweden’s top scorer.

“She’s an amazing player and she really deserves this. We all know how good she is heading the ball. And yes, set pieces, as Kosa (Asllani) said, it’s one of our strengths, so I’m not surprised,” she said.

Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson said winger Sofia Jakobsson had very “mild symptoms of illness” but he expected all of his squad to be available for the clash at Eden Park.

Since taking over the team in 2017, Gerhardsson has steered Sweden to the semi-finals of both the 2019 World Cup in France and the 2022 European Championship, where they were eliminated by eventual champions England.

Asked if he was now used to coaching in major semi-finals, Gerhardsson shrugged.

“I do feel, however, that it’s a wonderful new experience. We have a good feeling and it’s a completely new semi-final with new emotions, good feelings, about this,” he said. REUTERS, AFP