Spain eased into the last 16 with another performance to suggest that they can be candidates for the title. Zambia’s players, meanwhile, were left lying on the turf in tears, heading home early having conceded 10 goals in the opening two games of their first World Cup.
Jenni Hermoso scored twice on her 100th appearance to take her to 50 international goals, with two more from the substitute Alba Redondo and a belting opener from Teresa Abelleira completing an emphatic victory in Auckland.
The goals took a while to come: after two in the first half, it was not until the final 20 minutes that the scoreline reflected Spain’s dominance, and both Hermoso and Redondo had been made to wait for a VAR review, the announcement of their goals only adding to the confusion. Five was no more than Spain deserved; they had dominated, the depth of their quality again on display. In fact, while there will be far sterner tests, this left the feeling that there is more to come.
So much of the attention, naturally, was on the return of Alexia Putellas, making her first competitive start since the cruciate knee ligament tear that ruled her out of the Euros in 2022 and virtually the whole of last season; she took less than three minutes to fire off her first shot here. But that would reduce a team that have other riches. Here, for example, the inclusion of the dynamic Mariona Caldentey was significant too, Spain easing into a 4-3-3 and beyond Zambia. In those opening minutes especially Putellas, Caldentey and Hermoso were at the heart of everything, the ball moving around their triangle, always kept away from opponents who forever arrived late.
That trio combined to create the first – although Abelleira still needed to hit a smashing shot into the top corner from outside the area. That was on nine minutes; four minutes later, the same combination brought a second, a lovely exchange setting up a simpler finish. Caldentey released Putellas who lifted a perfect cross to the far post for Hermoso to nod in.
Spain, so smooth, were making this look too easy. Which, at times, it was. Defensively Zambia were as poor as they had been against Japan. With Hazel Nali missing the competition through injury and Catherine Musonda sent off at the end of the opening game, the third choice, Eunice Sakala, started in goal. She would settle and, by the end, had made a handful of impressive saves, but to begin with was a shaky, unconvincing presence. The players in front of her were similar: that first Putellas effort was the product of three failed attempts to clear.
With the ball Zambia were largely reduced to going long to Barbra Banda. The good news was that, quick and strong, she was willing to fight on her own; the bad was that it was not enough. A superb solo run brought Zambia’s first shot of the World Cup and another one just before half-time was cut short by an exceptional tackle from Irene Paredes. If the crowd called Zambia forward, that spoke of a desire to make a match of this rather than a reality.
Spain were just too good and, although there were fewer shots than against Costa Rica, there was a greater fluidity, an identity re-emerging. A third goal from Hermoso was ruled out for offside and Aitana Bonmatí hit a close-range shot straight at Sakala after Martha Tembo’s mistake. Her header then slipped away from Sakala soon after the restart. More chances came. Conscious that there will be other, tougher games, Spain made changes. Putellas was withdrawn at half-time, Bonmatí on the hour.
If Spain slowed briefly, they did not stop. Zambia’s threat, while intermittent and still all about the impressive Banda, was a little more apparent too. But space was opening and Spain were pouring into it. Redondo held off the last defender and went round Sakala to make it three before Hermoso added the fourth, returned to her by VAR after it had been ruled out by the assistant’s flag. Not that she knew it at first, the referee, Oh Hyeon-jeong, confusing everyone as she announced: “No goal, no offside, goal, goal.” That scene was repeated soon after for Redondo’s second, with five minutes left, Irene Guerrero waiting, fingers-crossed, for the verdict. When at last it came in, it was unanimous: Spain are a serious side.
