BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Being the most skillful and technically best team at the Women’s European Championship wasn’t enough to get Spain the title on Sunday.
The 2023 World Cup winner and 2024 UEFA Nations League title holder still does not have a European title for its stellar generation after a penalty shootout loss to England in the final after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Spain trailed for just four minutes’ play across six games in the entire tournament. England led for barely five minutes’ play in its three knockout rounds games – and none against Spain.
“We were the best team of the tournament, but sometimes that’s not enough,” Spain star Aitana Bonmatí said.
Bonmatí cut a sad figure walking to the trophy ceremony platform to collect her trophy as the best player of the tournament, which she began days after being hospitalized with a bout of viral meningitis.
Bonmatí’s spot kick in the shootout was one of two saved by England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. Mariona Caldentey, whose 25th-minute headed goal seemed to set Spain on track for victory, also had her penalty saved.
Caldentey also went close to scoring a second time in the first half, in which tournament top scorer Esther Gonzalez had three chances to score.
Early in the second half, Caldentey’s Arsenal teammates Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo combined to level the score on Russo’s header.
“I’m a bit in shock,” Bonmatí said. “It was cruel. We played better, created more scoring chances, but in soccer sometimes that’s not enough. It all came down to the penalties.”
“I’m sorry for my miss,” said two-time Ballon d’Or winner Bonmatí, whose teammates Caldentey and Alexia Putellas also failed from the spot in a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Switzerland.
“I think this team deserved more. At least not living with this bitter feeling,” Spain coach Montse Tomé said in translated comments.
Spain captain Irene Paredes said it was “hard to look for the positives so soon. Right now, it’s a very tough moment.”
“England were happy just to reach penalties but, in the shootout, we didn’t perform well,” said Paredes, whose Barcelona team also lost the Women’s Champions League final in May to an English opponent, Arsenal. “To be a champion you need some luck, and I believe they had it.”
Spain still is a world champion and will soon prepare to start qualifying for the defense of its title. The 2027 World Cup is being played in Brazil.
“We will be back,” Bonmatí said. “There will be a World Cup in a couple of years, and that’s our goal now. This is a golden generation, with a lot of young players.”
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