Soccer World Cup
Paralleluelo and James: Focus on top strikers in the final
The Spaniards rely on Salma Paralluelo. photo
© Andrew Cornaga/AP/dpa
England can again use the suspended Lauren James – but Spain have Salma Paralluelo: The two top strikers could decide the World Cup final in Sydney.
Soccer star Salma Paralluelo could have competed at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest these days, but the young Spaniard has better plans for Sunday. At the World Cup final in Sydney (12:00 p.m. CEST/ZDF), the 19-year-old winger has many hopes for Furia Roja against England.
When asked in a TV interview at 14 what her dream was, Paralluelo said: “I want to win a World Cup in football, play for Spain’s senior team and sign a contract with Barcelona.”
The former track and field athlete is only one step away from that. Only when Paralluelo switched from FC Villareal to FC Barcelona last year did she let go of her second great talent and passion, athletics, with a heavy heart. She had won the World Cup titles in soccer with the U17 and U20 – and suffered a cruciate ligament rupture.
Former 400 meter runner
At the age of 15, the 400-meter sprinter ran at the European Indoor Championships for adults in Glasgow and set several national records at youth level. She was a “Gazelle”, said her ex-coach Felix Laguna in an interview with “The Athletic”. “If she had chosen athletics, she would have made it to an Olympic final for sure. And she would have won a medal there.”
Now the top talent with the long braided pigtails is waiting for the golden World Cup. She has already won the Champions League with Barça. At the World Cup, Paralluelo, as a substitute, scored the winning goal in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands (2-1 after extra time) and the lead in the semi-finals against Sweden (2-1). “It was another magical moment, a moment of happiness,” she said after her new coup. “I thought that was something unique. It’s amazing to do it again. I’m so grateful and very proud of it.”
With a goal in the final, Paralluelo, daughter of a Spanish father and Equatorial Guinean mother and the youngest in coach Jorge Vilda’s Spain team, could even be a contender for World Player of the Year. And at the World Cup there are other awards besides the trophy – such as the best young player.
Sorry from James
The title of top scorer will be difficult for Paralluelo despite her two important goals: The Japanese Hinata Miyazawa (5) leads the list, including ahead of the long-departed DFB captain Alexandra Popp (4). But here someone comes into play again on Sunday who recently had to watch twice. England’s Lauren James (3) suffered for her red card against Nigeria in the round of 16 when she stepped on a downed Michelle Alozie. James’ apology followed immediately.
In any case, the 21-year-old from Arsenal WFC still has something to make up for with her colleagues and coach Sarina Wiegman. “Lauren has a better technique than some Premier League players,” says her brother Reece James from Chelsea, also an international. In any case, James and Paralluelo could be the decisive players for their teams in the World Cup final.