Salma Paralluelo won’t have chosen soccer. It was not her solely choice, actually. A 19-year-old Spain striker, Paralluelo was a vivid prospect in observe and area, too, such a gifted runner that she would possibly even have represented her nation on the Tokyo Olympics two years in the past. Her chosen self-discipline was the 400 meters. She nonetheless holds the nationwide under-20 report on the distance.

She can be, it seems, simply the individual her nation wanted on the finish of a marathon.

Spain’s assembly with the Netherlands on Friday within the quarterfinals of this Women’s World Cup was all the time more likely to be shut. As Spain’s draining, slender, 2-1 victory proved, shut might have been an understatement. There is barely a hair’s breadth between these groups: the Spanish, Europe’s nice power-in-waiting, and the Dutch, famed for his or her expertise however noteworthy for his or her resilience.

Four years in the past, that combination was sufficient to carry the Netherlands to the World Cup final in opposition to the United States. This 12 months, it was beginning to look as if a repeat journey is likely to be within the playing cards. Andries Jonker’s workforce had superior from the group part in a mode extra spectacular than spectacular. It had completed, most importantly, forward of the United States. Thanks to the reflexes and focus of Daphne van Domselaar, its goalkeeper, it had held South Africa at bay within the spherical of 16.

The Netherlands might need been lacking its innovative — the star striker Vivianne Miedema is one of the many players absent from this World Cup due to a severe knee harm — but it surely had discovered a method to make up for that by dulling everybody else’s. The squad’s confidence was rising sufficiently that ahead Lineth Beerensteyn might even afford to take just a little swipe on the United States workforce when she met with reporters earlier than the sport. There had, Beerensteyn mentioned, been an excessive amount of speak from the Americans, who misplaced to Sweden within the spherical of 16. “You have to do it on the pitch,” she mentioned.

For some time, it appeared as if she could be good to her phrase. In the brilliant winter sunshine of Wellington, New Zealand, Spain dominated possession, as a result of Spain all the time dominates possession. Spain created probabilities, too, as a result of Spain all the time creates probabilities.

But it couldn’t breach the Dutch. Whenever it picked its approach via the massed ranks of the protection, Spain discovered van Domselaar, as indomitable as ever, repelling no matter it might muster.

And when van Domselaar was overwhelmed, Spain discovered that the bodily infrastructure of the stadium was selecting sides: Midway via the primary half, Alba Redondo hit the publish twice in a matter of seconds. A couple of minutes later, Esther González had a objective dominated out for offside, although solely after the referee, Stéphanie Frappart, had consulted a video replay.

It was that type of recreation: one in all slender variations and appreciable what-ifs. For Spain — what if Redondo had scored, or if Frappart had observed that Stefanie van der Gragt had dealt with the ball within the scramble to clear it; or if González had delayed her run a fraction of a second? But, greater than something, it was for the Netherlands.

What if the penalty received by Beerensteyn for what appeared a transparent push from Spain defender Irene Paredes had not been overturned? The Netherlands might need led, quite than discovering itself, barely a heartbeat later, falling behind after Mariona Caldentey transformed the one penalty of three that ought to, or might, have been awarded.

And what if Beerensteyn had scored any one of many three clear-cut alternatives that fell her approach as the sport entered its dying embers? The Dutch had at the very least taken the sport the gap, van der Gragt salving her conscience after her hand ball led to Caldentey’s penalty by unceremoniously drilling home an equalizing goal as the sport ticked into harm time.

Beerensteyn twice might need received it, might need stored the Dutch within the match, however she might convert neither likelihood.

Paralluelo was extra environment friendly. She picked up the ball from Jenni Hermoso, shimmied her hip and dropped her shoulder and burst clear into the Dutch penalty space, transferring too rapidly and too simply for the straining Dutch protection. She steadied herself and swept a shot, low and left-footed, previous van Domselaar.

The Netherlands’ race is run. Spain’s would possibly simply be choosing up velocity.