This young, brave and supportive Spain that plays without ties, fresh and coral, is already in the semifinals of the World Cup. The team led by Miguel Méndez beat Australia in the quarterfinals in Berlin and this Saturday (8:00 p.m.) they have won a high-profile event, nothing less than a clash against the powerful United States in search of the final (France and Germany will collide at the other intersection; 4:30 p.m.). They all added up in Spain to beat an Australian team shaved due to injuries in the inside game and with only nine players available. That sense of solidarity in the game was reflected by Alicia Flórez, chosen as the best of the game with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
A three-point contest opened the night. Three for Reid, three for Iyana Martín, the base that does not know the word fear. The team wanted to delve inside given the internal bleeding of the Australians and Méndez opted for the high-voltage Gustafson-Awa Fam couple, while Raquel Carrera waited for her turn. Spain was interested in a high pace of the match to exploit its greater freshness of legs against a rival that a day before had spent a lot of gasoline in the previous tie against Italy. Méndez made use of the range of rotations that Australia had cut out and gave a hint to captain Alba Torrens, unprecedented since the debut against Germany. The boss added from the perimeter while Awa Fam distributed play from her lighthouse position. The Spanish center is a luxury player due to her catalog of resources. With that second unit rounded out by Alicia Flórez, Ortiz and Ginzo, Spain took a good bite (17-31).
Australia took refuge in the outside shot, the trump card on which they built an 8-2 run to return to the ring. Méndez stopped the game and ordered a return to the essence: defense and high ball circulation. It took the team a blink of an eye to be themselves, firm at the back, fast and supportive in attack. The aim of Flórez and Cazorla left things as they were, and even better for the women in red: 28-46 after a stretch of 3-15. Gustafson was finally enjoying himself in the area after a few miserable days due to sores on his feet and María Conde emerged in the two paintings. In the selection all the pieces fit together and the spotlight was shared. Australia struggled to contain an overwhelming rival who gave the impression of having a great time (37-58).
Iyana and Awa understand each other without looking at each other. In the morning they have fun recording a little dance for the networks and at night they are two fierce competitors who are only 20 years old. The connection between the point guard and the center fueled Spain after the break as much as the strong arms of Alicia Flórez and Gustafson. The team has raw material for the fine and the thick, capable of handling the moments of the game in which points are abundant as well as when they are scarce, in the case of a third quarter with a lot of iron ball in both teams (51-70).
Australia burned their ships and cut the lead because the team had a hard time turning on the light and finding good shooting positions based on fluidity. The possessions lasted longer than usual and sometimes ended in a dead end or with time running out, a bad sign. The income was still generous and the clock was ticking, but Spain had to recover its sensations to avoid a bad experience. The match had become dense, surely a product of tension, a delicate matter in a young team like the Spanish one. Australia wasn't anything to write home about either, very short of strength due to its list of casualties, although it would die killing with a couple of triples. Spain tempered its nerves and closed the door on its rival. Along the way, he opened one that leads him to his greatest challenge, a World Cup semifinals against the United States.
