Denmark vs Spain: Cardona's last-minute heroics send La Roja to the quarter-finals

Denmark was threatening on counter-attacks, but a last-minute counter by Spain and a header by Marta Cardona propelled La Roja to the quarter-finals.

16 July 2022, Brentford Community Stadium, London, Matchday 3 in Group B came down to a head-to-head fight for a place in the quarter-finals. Spain dominated possession as Denmark threatened counter-attacks. While Spain could’ve made it through with a draw, it was a must-win match for Denmark. After a defeat against Germany, La Roja sought to prove they were here to win.

Last Minute Heroics from Marta Cardona

Like the game against Germany, Spain dominated possession and was on the attack from minute one. However, they failed to breach the well-disciplined defense of Denmark. As La Roja settled high up the pitch and attempted to play free-flowing football, Denmark created a continuous threat on the counter-attack, with Pernille Harder bursting free and closing down on goal twice in the first 16 minutes.

Spain pressed on, and when Ona Batlle’s searching delivery found Athenea del Castillo in the Denmark mixer, Spain were so close to scoring the opener. But, the ball went out of reach into Lene Christensen’s arms. Shortly after, the keeper was in action again to deny Mariona Caldentey’s low attempt, then to gather Del Castillo’s curled effort.

The second half started with a triple substitution as Leila Ouahabi, Lucia Garcia, and Sheila Garcia made way for Olga Carmona, Esther Gonzalez and Marta Cardona, respectively. Determined to make an immediate impact, Olga came close twice to scoring the opener. The first attempt trashing into the side net, while the second requires a save from Lene Christensen.

As mentioned earlier, a draw was enough for Spain to see through to the quarter-finals; Denmark needed to win the game. As a result, the Danes made a series of attacking substitutions nearing the game’s last minutes. The best opportunity arrived from a combination play from Pernille Harder and a strike from Nadia Nadim. But, Sandra Panos made the leap and dived high to push the ball away.

Spain finally broke through the Danish defenses as Mariona Caldentey picked the ball in the midfield during a counter-attack. Passing to Olga Carmona, she crossed the ball into the box. Marta Cardona headed the goal home. In the 90th minute, Cardona not only got La Roja the winning goal but also a ticket to the quarter-finals. Spain are all set to play England on Wednesday, 20 July.

OH WHAT A FEELING 🤩
From Carmona to Cardona, @sefutbolfem with some #WEUROMOMENTS to remember! #WEURO2022 @lays_football pic.twitter.com/x8skOuhIbo

— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 16, 2022

Post Match Reaction

Aitana Bonmati won the Visa Player of the Match for brilliant techniques, line-breaking passes and leadership.

Spain has three hard-earned points and will compete in the knockout stages for the fourth time. Marta Cardona’s goal is an emotional occasion for the athlete, who had a difficult club season owing to injury. She even expressed a desire to retire from football. However, her contribution to Spain on the field was nothing short of outstanding.

In January, I even considered quitting football more than once. I told my friends, “I’m going to quit football. It’s not worth it.” – Marta Cardona to Carrusel Deportivo.

🔴📻 DIRECTO | #WEURO2022

🗣️ @MCardona10 en @Carrusel: "En enero me llegué a plantear más de una vez dejar el fútbol. Le dije a mis amigas, 'voy a dejar el fútbol, no me merece la pena" pic.twitter.com/aJXRvafphA

— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) July 16, 2022

On the other hand, Denmark lost out on the spot to the quarter-finals after being runners-up in the 2017 Euros. However, compared to their last two performances in the group stages, their performance against Spain was disciplined and exemplary. They executed their game plan perfectly, giving Spain a hard time and frustrating them.

Even though we lost, I think it was the best performance in years. The future looks promising. We have lifted ourselves defensively, tactically and mentally from game to game in this EURO after a tough start. In a way, I’m satisfied with this performance, but of course, I’m disappointed it ended with defeat. – Lars Søndergaard, Denmark coach

Full Time at Brentford Community Stadium

Denmark 0-1 Spain
90′ M.Cardona

Written by Unnati Naidu.

Thanks for reading.

Check out more Women’s Euro 2022 articles by clicking here.

Follow Sporting Her on social media: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Youtube