In a practically empty Nuevo Arcángel and with Jorge Vilda being whistled from the stands – despite the fact that the public address system tried to alleviate it by raising the volume of the music – the 'new' Spain of the Madrid coach tied at one goal against Sweden in a match marked by the absence of the 15 internationals who have resigned from the national team, immersed in a fight against the Spanish Federation that is inflexible in defending the coach.
“It is not a matter of positions, it is a matter of defending a country. Of players who smile, who train one hundred percent, who are like sponges wanting to team up”, the coach declared after the match. A Vilda who highlighted the "unity" of the group and who assured that "eleven Spanish players can compete against any rival". "There are still possibilities, including players who have not been called up," he warned.
The Spanish coach did not want to value the whistles from the stands: "I am left with the fact that the public has vibrated with the team and has applauded the goal and the players," he said before referring to the support he receives from the Spanish Federation: " I have always worked with a lot of peace and with the tranquility of having a Federation that supports you and provides you with resources for these players to develop professionally and a methodology that has given its results. I feel well supported by my entire coaching staff and the players are well cared for. I have been calm since 2015”, he stated.
In sports, Vilda assured that Spain deserved more and recalled that they were facing a great team: “At times, Spain deserved the victory and I am very happy with what the players have done. We played against the number 3 in the world”. The truth is that the Sweden of the azulgrana Fridolina Rölfo was much superior in the first stages of the game and even went ahead on the scoreboard in the first quarter of an hour of play. “It was difficult for us to get into the game, we don't have automatic movements, but when they scored a goal we went further and the second half was ours”, valued the Spanish coach.
Spain's next challenge will be nothing more and nothing less than the United States, "the best team in the world", which they will face on Tuesday (8:30 p.m.) in El Sadar (Pamplona). The team returns to Madrid this Saturday afternoon to continue with one of the most armored concentrations in memory. Since they concentrated last Monday, the Federation has not allowed any soccer player to be interviewed individually by the press. A total shield in which the only two players who have been able to speak with the journalists have been Esther González and Marta Cardona, during the press conferences before and after the match against Sweden.
