In Chester, Pennsylvania, Spain closed their United States tour with a 2-2 draw and a landmark evening for Alexia Putellas, while coach Sonia Bermúdez left satisfied that her side had used two demanding friendlies to widen the picture of her squad.
Spain led 2-0 at half-time in Tuesday’s match, but the second half exposed the intensity required against the United States. Bermúdez nevertheless described the trip as productive, having been able to test almost every outfield player called into the group across the two fixtures.
“The assessment is positive. We did what we wanted to do,” Bermúdez said after the match.
A valuable examination on American soil
Bermúdez felt Spain controlled the opening 45 minutes in Chester, enjoying more of the ball and finding opportunities as the hosts compressed the central areas. She said there was space behind the American defensive line, although Spain could have varied their approach more effectively between short combinations and longer passes.
The second period was less orderly from the visitors, who were unable to preserve their two-goal advantage. Bermúdez attributed part of that difficulty to the pace of the contest, particularly for players introduced from the bench.
“We were quite disorganised in the second half, but it is not easy to come into a game at that rhythm,” she said. “It is a very high tempo, and coming off the bench and adapting is very difficult.”
Despite the late loss of control, the Madrid-born coach praised both her starters and the players used after the interval. Across the two matches in the United States, every outfield member of the squad received minutes. Third goalkeeper Eunate Astralaga was the only called-up player not to feature.
Putellas reaches 150-cap mark
The evening also belonged to Putellas, who made her 150th appearance for Spain, setting a historic national-team record.
Bermúdez paid tribute to the midfielder’s standing within the game, calling her “a legend and an inspiration for many generations.”
