Women’s World Cup: Bonmati helps Spain storm into maiden quarters; Japan in last eight

Aitana Bonmati starred in a 5-1 demolition of Switzerland on Saturday to send Spain into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals for the first time

Women's World Cup: Bonmati helps Spain storm into maiden quarters; Japan in last eight

Aitana Bonmati

Jorge Vilda said he had “the 23 best players in the world” after Aitana Bonmati starred in a 5-1 demolition of Switzerland on Saturday to send Spain into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Bonmati scored twice and got two assists in front of 43,217 at Auckland’s Eden Park—a record for a football match in New Zealand—with Spain playing the Netherlands or South Africa in the last eight.

Bonmati’s early opener in the last-16 tie was cancelled out by a spectacular Laia Codina own goal, but Alba Redondo restored Spain’s lead and Bonmati scored again to make it 3-1.

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Codina then made up for her error by getting a fourth before the interval and Jennifer Hermoso made it 5-1 in the second half.

Meanwhile, Japan’s surprise title charge at the Women’s World Cup gathered pace with a clinical 3-1 win over Norway to reach the last eight.

The 2011 champions Japan will face either holders the United States or Sweden in the quarter-finals and on this evidence they will take some stopping.

Hinata Miyazawa is also quickly becoming one of the breakout stars of a World Cup which has been full of shocks. The 23-year-old got the third nine minutes from time to seal Norway’s fate in front of 33,000 in Wellington. She is now the tournament’s top scorer.

The teams went to the break level at 1-1, but Japan turned the screw on Norway in the second period through goals by Risa Shimizu and Miyazawa.

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