World Cup fever has come to a tumultuous end this weekend as the Spanish women’s national football team conquered the 2023 FIFA World Cup on Sunday, nipping England, 1-0, in Sydney.

Left back Olga Carmona was clutch for Spain for the second straight game, went up to the final third in the counterattack, and kicked in the winning goal in the 29th minute with a splendid strike from the top left of the box off a short pass by Mariona Caldentey.

In the semifinals against Sweden, it was Carmona who scored the winning goal in the 89th minute.

The championship winning goal was only the third international goal of the young captain from Real Madrid.

La Roja was compact in the midfield and the back third for the rest of the game as the Lionesses could not buy a shot on goal in the entire second half, with only three good chances from Lauren Hemp in the first half, including the first shot on goal that hit the crossbar in the 16th minute.

Spain could have doubled the lead in the 70th minute but the spot kick of Jennifer Hermoso, awarded due to a handball by Keira Walsh inside the penalty box, was saved by Mary Earps.

In the end, wing back Ona Batlle blocked two straight crosses from Hemp while goalkeeper Cata Coll saved Chloe Kelly’s left corner inswing as Spain dodged all of England’s attempts to equalize in the second half injury time.

With the win, Spain has won its second World Cup and joins Germany as the only countries to have won World Cup trophies in both sexes.

On Saturday, Sweden got the bronze medal with a 2-0 win against host Australia in the battle for third place.

Veteran midfielder Kosovare Asllani sank a long shot from top of the box in the 62nd minute while Fridolina Rolfo earlier scored on a penalty in the 30th minute.

Spanish central midfielder Aitana Bonmati was named best player of the tournament with the Golden Ball while Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa won the Golden Boot with five goals.

Earps won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper while Spanish forward Salma Paralluelo was named Best Young Player.

Mangaoang’s butter fingers

Over in Rayong, the Philippines under-23 men’s national football team wasted a win as a late equalizing goal by Souphan Khambaion went past the fingers of goalkeeper Enrico Mangaoang in 90+5 minute as Laos salvaged a draw in the opener of the 2023 AFF Under-23 Championship last Friday.

Khambaion’s strike from front right came three minutes after the go-ahead goal of Filipino-German Dennis Chung.

High school standout Selwyn Mamon of Far Eastern University-Diliman opened the young Azkals’ account in the 23rd minute, minutes after his first crack at the net was judged to be narrowly offside, but Khamsa Phimmasone replied in the 39th minute with a tap-in off a rebound from a Mangaoang spill.

The Philippines is up to a monumental task on Tuesday against defending champion Vietnam in the battle for a semis spot.

Cebu defends turf

In Copa Paulino Alcantara action, current PFL runner-up Dynamic Herb Cebu F.C. defended their home turf in Talisay City, debuting with a 2-0 win against group B leader University of the Philippines on Sunday.

Filipino-Nigerian Chima Uzoka scored a brace with an early header from a right corner kick in the fourth minute and a counterattacking strike in the 71st minute to deal State U its first loss in three games.

In Manila, Tyler John and Ibrahima Ndour scored the goals of Maharlika Manila to vanquish Pilipinas Dragons, 2-0, for Maharlika’s first win.

On Saturday, Kaya Iloilo FC eliminated Don Bosco Garelli in an 11-0 massacre.

Marwin Angeles led the reigning PFL champions with a hat-trick for his club’s second straight win.

In the first game, Adamson University captain Arjay Buenaobra undid his heroics, awarding Mendiola FC 1991 a 1-1 draw by fouling Junior Sam in the 88th minute inside the penalty box.

Sam scored on the rebound after a spilled save by goalkeeper Andrew Nalog, which came three minutes after Buenaobra’s strike off a right wing free kick by Roque Empleo, Jr.

The result unfortunately eliminated the Falcons in the Copa Paulino Alcantara Group C while Mendiola is still alive with two draws.

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