With a messy past and murky future, Spain charges into World Cup final

Spain substitute Salma Paralluelo celebrates after opening the scoring against Sweden in a women's World Cup semifinal. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)Comment on this storyAUCKLAND, New Zealand — Of all the teams that booked the long flight to get here, Spain seemed among the least likely to stick around. The Spanish women’s national team arrived Down Under mired in its own soap opera: A majority of the country’s top stars privately asked the national federation not to be selected for the team, citing emotional health concerns that could arise from playing in the program. Then, the national federation publicly claimed those 15 players demanded the firing of the head coach. And in response, those same players refuted the federation’s version of events, affirming their love for their countrywomen and soccer but again requesting not to be called up to the team until conditions improved.

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