Barça closes the course lifting the Copa de la Reina

Barça closed the season with a new title.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
29 May 2022 Sunday 05:06
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Barça closes the course lifting the Copa de la Reina

Barça closed the season with a new title. The Catalan team fulfilled the predictions and thrashed Sporting de Huelva (6-1) in the final of the Copa de la Reina with goals from Mapi León, Crnogorcevic, Pina, Martens, Alexia and Fisher in their own goal, and from Castelló for the Sporting.

A Copa de la Reina that will be remembered for the more than questionable choice of venue. The match was played at the Santo Domingo de Alcorcón stadium, a small-capacity field that was not even filled due to the unfortunate time chosen. 3,400 spectators, most of them Barça fans, cheered on the players at 11:30 in the morning and under a suffocating sun.

The match began with the planned script, a much superior Barça taking control of the ball against a Sporting de Huelva that tried to repel the constant Barça attacks. With Hermoso injured and Oshoala on the bench, the responsibility of leading Barça's attack fell to the young Claudia Pina. The one from Montcada, very active from the first minute, tried to connect again and again with the balls that came to her.

Alexia Putellas also tried her luck, who lowered the ball inside the area with quality, but sent her shot directly into the hands of the Andalusian team's goalkeeper. Dolan was one of the great protagonists of the match, avoiding the goal of the azulgranas time and time again. His was another intervention of merit preventing Mariona's poisoned center from ending up entering the goal. Arriving at the first quarter of an hour, Aitana had in her boots the goal of the azulgranas in a one on one against Dolan who saved the Andalusian defense by throwing himself to the ground.

Sporting was locked up and having a hard time, but it would be Antonio Toledo's team that would enjoy the clearest opportunity in a quick counter in which Kanthe won the race against Torrejón and crossed for Anita Marcos to rise above Paredes and finish off with all the intention, but the ball crashed into the crossbar. The revelation team of the tournament warned and the numerous Catalan fans who had traveled to Santo Domingo fell silent. But it was just a mirage.

Before reaching the half hour mark, Mapi León sent a cross to Torrejón, who finished off the post and in the rebound a misunderstanding between the goalkeeper and Fisher would end up with the ball at the bottom of the net. After the necessary hydration break, Barça would get the win on track thanks to a powerful and tight header from the Aragonese central defender. With 2-0, the break was reached.

Alexia Putellas had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after the start of the second half, and Barça's dominance and chances were interrupted by Sandra Castelló's goal. The captain of Sporting de Huelva, the only survivor of that team that caused the surprise and lifted the Copa de la Reina in 2015, surprised Paños with a good cross kick and added emotion to the final. But again, it would be just a mirage. Crnogorcevic, one of the many changes introduced by Giráldez, scored the third by finishing off a corner over the Andalusian team's goalkeeper.

Already in the final stretch, with Sporting exhausted, Barça completed the win. Claudia Pina finally achieved the award for the much-sought-after goal, making it 4-1. Martens, who was about to make the fifth, but the Andalusian defense avoided it under the sticks, did not forgive in the following action sending a header to the back of the net that he celebrated with all his teammates. The sixth, already in added time, would be the work of Alexia Putellas to the delight of a crowd that chanted: "There is only one queen, Alexia Putellas".

It is not a dream triplet, but Barça says goodbye to the season with a much-needed title to dilute the disappointment of Turin. Undefeated in the League and in the Cup, there are only two spots on the brilliant Barça record, the defeats against Wolfsburg and Lyon. A wound, that of the French, which will cost to heal, but which must serve to grow. After a physically and mentally exhausting season, the team goes on vacation, shorter for the internationals that will play the European Championship in England from July 6.