The eight final match between Spain and France ended in the most thrilling way possible, as French team had a penalty shot in favor with the time up. Alexandra Lacrabere set the definitive 21:20 by scoring it and made her team get the ticket for the quarter finals of the 22nd Women’s World Championship. Meanwhile, Spain will go back home and will not continue on their road to the glory. The conducted by Jorge Dueñas ended up this championship sadly as much as angry with German referee’s performance in the second half. After a really tough match between two neighbor countries, the game was conditioned by the big amount of exclusions and especially it was the red card showed to right wing Carmen Martin in the 38th minute what affected the most to Spanish team. Before that, in the first half, the ‘Guerreras’ had been superiors to ‘Les Bleues’ on the court, goalkeeper Silvia Navarro was keeping her team safe and attack was flowing efficiently thanks the most to Nerea Pena and both wings Eli Pinedo and Carmen Martín. France couldn’t shrink the difference before the break more than they did, so after the first half Spain was leading the scoreboard with three goals of advantage (12:9). Second half started being almost the same history, but that was until the only red card Spanish team have seen in the whole championship was shown. This action made Spain to be out of the game for a few minutes, and France, of course, took advantage of the situation. Fantastic Alexandra Lacrabere in attack made her team get closer in the scoreboard, and finally they got a draw. But the match was not ended. Spain reacted and try to set again a little gap between them and their opponent, but again there were a few key exclusions, and this time they were enough importants to condemned them. Spanish last attack ended with a ‘fly’ shot of Macarena Aguilar, but referees said she hit the area, so France would have the definitive ball of the game. Alisson Pineau caused, as referees said, a penalty and it was Alexandra Lacrabere who ended the match beating Silvia Navarro from the 7 meters line.
