It was heartbreak for England in Sunday's World Cup final, as they fell to an agonising 1-0 defeat against Spain in Sydney.
Ultimately, Olga Carmona's first-half strike was enough to win Spain their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup, a year on from their bitter disappointment at the EUROs against Sunday's opposition.
29" GOAL SPAIN 🇪🇸
Olga Carmona with a pinpoint accurate finish to put Spain into the lead against England #FIFAWWC
📺Watch: https://t.co/JYf06csaIG
💻Updates: https://t.co/QV0zdyqqPp #RTESoccer pic.twitter.com/KF1z1dwQ0F— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 20, 2023
Spain were undoubtedly the better side throughout the 90 minutes, but there was a brief spell in the second half when England looked like they might force their way back into contention, thanks to a penalty save from Mary Earps of Manchester United.
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World Cup final: RTÉ panel criticise officials despite Spain win
A lengthy VAR review took almost four minutes, before Keira Walsh was correctly judged to have handled the ball during a Spanish attack in the penalty area. Further delay came when Lucy Bronze attempted to get in the head of penalty taker Jennifer Hermoso.
Her tactics seemed to work, as Hermoso's spot kick was saved by Earps, low and to her left. Earps, however, had both feet off the line before Hermoso took the kick, meaning the penalty should have been re-taken.
However, RTÉ pundits Emma Byrne and Karen Duggan discussed the incident post-match, and criticised the officials for missing Earps coming a step off her line when making the save.
Spain 🇪🇸 1-0 🏴 England
PENALTY SAVED
Mary Earps guesses right and gets down low to keep Hermoso's shot out, and England in this final #FIFAWWC
📺Watch: https://t.co/JYf06csaIG
💻Updates: https://t.co/QV0zdyqqPp #RTESoccer pic.twitter.com/Z1XhNzqfDV— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 20, 2023
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Karen Duggan and Emma Byrne discussed the incident and whether Earps should have been penalised. Both bemoaned how long it had taken VAR to award the penalty in the first place and argued that, by contrast, they had not spent enough time inspecting Earps for coming off her line.
Former goalkeeper Byrne did also bemaon the existence of such a rule in the first place:
Duggan: I don't really know why VAR took so long to give the decision, that's the law, that is a penalty. As harsh as it seems, it is a penalty.
Byrne: Three minutes and 55 seconds to tell the ref to come and have a look at it. I don't particularly like this rule, but it is a rule, You have to have a foot either behind the line or on the line and, if you actually look carefully, it's actually in the air, it's not on the line before Jenny Hermoso strikes the ball. It should have been a retake. That's why we have VAR, they should be checking that - at the end of the day, a rule is a rule.
Ultimately, the World Cup final officials were lucky the penalty save did not play a more crucial role in the outcome of the match, as Spain were declared world champions for the first time.
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