Happy Monday, everyone!
Let’s get right to it.
🏆 Good morning to everyone but especially …
THE SPAIN WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM …
They reached the top of the mountain, and yet, it may only be the beginning. Spain defeated England, 1-0, on the strength of a wonderful 29th-minute strike by Olga Carmona to win the nation its first Women’s World Cup. Sadly, after the match, she was informed that her father died before the start of the match.
For Spain, it’s a marvelous accomplishment when you consider that the federation has yet to truly invest in women’s soccer … which means there could be even better days ahead.
- Spain didn’t even make its own women’s league professional until 2021, and according to reports, the Royal Spanish Football Federation spent just 1% of its budget on the women’s game as recently as 2014.
- Spain first qualified for the World Cup in 2015 and had never been past the round of 16 before this year.
- In September 2022, 15 players asked not to be called up to the national team due to several issues, including some regarding the coaching staff. While concessions were made and the environment seemingly improved to some degre, several top players still declined to make themselves eligible.
- That…
