WOMEN'S WORLD CUP | SPAIN 3-1 SOUTH AFRICA
Jenni Hermoso: "I imagined I was taking a penalty at home in the garden"
Jenni Hermoso kept a cool head to score twice from the penalty spot as Spain came from behind to beat South Africa 3-1 in their Women's World Cup opener.
Jenni Hermoso kept a cool head to score twice from the penalty spot as Spain came from behind to beat South Africa 3-1 in this evening's Women's World Cup match in Le Havre. The results puts Jorge Vilda's Spain top of Group B and make Jenni the tournament's top scorer and the first player to score twice from 12 yards at the Women's World Cup. Today's 3-1 result was Spain's first ever win at a Women's World Cup - their second appearance at the tournament.
South Africa take the lead
Bouncing back: “South Africa made things very difficult for us right from the start. We didn't expect that. Even though our goals came from penalties, we managed to turn the score around. We didn't play well during the first half of the game”.
The team responds: “In the dressing room at half-time we were convinced that we could push the game forward. Right from the first minute in the second half we gave everything we had. In the end it paid off”.
Spain's first win at a World Cup
Two goals: “If I'm the top scorer and all my goals have been penalties, I've got no problem with that. If I score, it's so that the team can win. If the team doesn't win my goals mean nothing. We deserved to get our first World Cup victory and we achieved it”.
Cool finish
Nerves before stepping up to take the penalty: "Of course you feel a little nervous taking a penalty at a World Cup. I tried to imagine I was just taking one at home in my back garden. I didn't have anything else on my mind other than putting the ball in the back of the net".
Spain's performance: "We know that we didn't have a good first half. We didn't play as we usually do. We suffered a dip in our game and that's something we have to get over. We have to work harder and make sure we don't enter games like we did today. I was happy with how we played in the second half. [Coach Jorge] Vilda was very clear with us - he told us, "It's now or never, we're here at the World Cup". We weren't playing in the way we had prepared. We've made history even though we didn't play well. We are aware that this is the World Cup - now we have our feet firmly on the ground".