More than two months after the fiasco at the Olympic Games, where the world champion team left a very poor football image and did not win a medal after losing to Brazil in the semifinals and against Germany in the fight for bronze, Montse Tomé gave this Thursday their first squad list since then for the friendly matches against Canada (on Friday, October 25 at the Francisco de la Hera stadium in Almendralejo) and Italy (on Tuesday, the 29th at the Romeo Menti in Vicenza). The coach has left out the captain, Irene Paredes, who has just recovered from an injury, and Misa Rodríguez, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, a regular for La Roja for years. “Yes, (the reason) is sports. I have not spoken with her because it is not my procedure to speak with those who are not summoned,” Tomé said about the absence of Paredes, who at the Paris Games performed at a significantly lower level than he usually does.
Aitana Bonmatí, the current Ballon d’Or winner and one of the main candidates to revalidate the award, whose gala is held on Monday, October 28 in Paris, is also not on the list for rest. Tomé has called Adriana Nanclares (Athletic) and Esther Sullastres (Sevilla) in goal, in addition to the usual starter, Cata Coll (Barcelona). Among the new additions are also forwards Amaiur Sarriegi (Real Sociedad), who has four goals in six league games, and Cristina Martín-Prieto, who is having a great campaign at Benfica, and midfielder Ana Tejada (Utah Royals), in the American League.
Due to a technical decision, Ivana Andrés and Esther González, world champions last summer and who have been called up several times without being called up, as well as Oihane Hernández (Real Madrid) are also left out. Sheila García does enter, who has precisely won the game at the start of the season against Oihane on the right side of the white team.
The absence of Misa, 25, comes after the white goalkeeper has made a specific error at the start of the season, such as the third goal she conceded at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. However, the goalkeeper is one of those who has saved the most goals in the F League, according to data from the statistical company Opta. The one who has made the most saves this season in the Spanish championship is Lola Gallardo (Atlético de Madrid), 31 years old, who had a formidable performance last Sunday against Real Madrid – she was chosen MVP of the match – at the Alfredo di Stéfano for that his team scratched a tie. The goalkeeper saved two one-on-ones in the final stretch against Alba Redondo and Linda Caicedo and during the match she excelled with several fantastic saves from shots by the Colombian winger and Tere Abelleira.
After the game, he hinted that his return to the national team was possible. “On an internal level we have talked to who we had to talk to, things are going in the right direction, I hope we can understand each other again, the Federation and Lola Gallardo,” he said. However, Tomé decided this Thursday not to call up the goalkeeper with the best save percentage in the F League – 88.9%, only two goals conceded – so far this season, ahead of the sportswoman Inês Pereira on the podium. (81.4%) and Misa Rodríguez (80%), according to Opta.
Gallardo resigned from La Roja in September 2022 during the so-called 15 o’clock crisis, when 15 players refused to wear the Spain shirt to protest against the methodology of the coach, Jorge Vilda, and the lack of professionalism that they considered there was in the team. selection. Some of those who had rebelled to demand changes in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) backed down after talking with the organization and showed themselves eligible to go to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that La Roja won in the summer of 2023. Until These weeks this had not been the case for the red and white goalkeeper. “(His absence) of course is sporting,” said Tomé at the press conference in the Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas (Community of Madrid).
Before the Olympic Games, the federation resolved several of the pending situations that affected footballers from the 15-hour crisis, such as the return of Patri Guijarro (Barcelona), one of the best midfielders in the world, or Leila Ouahabi (Manchester City ), who was called up in May after Olga Carmona’s injury. Both are part of the list for the friendlies against Canada and Italy. The case of Claudia Pina, the 23-year-old Barça midfielder, was also resolved. Although she has not yet been called up by Tomé, she was already available to wear the Spain shirt again last summer.
However, the RFEF – in a delicate situation due to the lack of a president with all the functions and the chain of scandals – has still not managed to solve the Mapi León situation. The Barcelona centre-back, a left-footed player with great ball output, is one of the best in her position, although she missed almost all of last season due to the injury she suffered to the external meniscus in her right knee. This season she has already returned and is an undisputed starter in Pere Romeu’s eleven, but the federation – which after the resignation in June of Markel Zubizarreta as director of women’s football has not yet named anyone to replace him – continues without achieving the defense be available to play with the national team and close the 15 o’clock crisis once and for all.
This is Tomé’s complete list: for goal, Cata Coll (FC Barcelona), Adriana Nanclares (Athletic Club) and Esther Sullastres (Sevilla); for defense, Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi (Manchester City), Laia Codina (Arsenal), Olga Carmona, Shei García and María Méndez (Real Madrid), Ona Batlle and Jana Fernández (FC Barcelona); for the midfield, Tere Abelleira (Real Madrid), Vicky López, Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro (FC Barcelona), Ana Tejada (Utah Royals) and Jenni Hermoso (Tigres), and for the forward: Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Alba Redondo and Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid), Amaiur Sarriegi (Real Sociedad), Cristina Martín-Prieto (Benfica) and Lucía García (Monterrey).
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