Spain vs. Japan: A World Cup Final

Spain's Women's National Team closes the group stage of the World Cup in Berlin on Monday with a clash against Japan that has become a genuine final. Despite their loss to Mali, Spain remains atop the group, but all four teams are level (1-1 record) and therefore still have a chance. The match will be broadcast live (17:50, Teledeporte and Vamos).

Spain's future in the Berlin World Cup is on the line this Monday in the third matchday game against Japan (17:50, Teledeporte and Vamos), which has become a genuine final following the results from the first two games. With all four teams level (1 win and 1 loss) and Spain still leading the group thanks to their +21 point differential, everything is up in the air: qualification for the knockout round and first place in the group, which advances directly to the quarterfinals. In any case, all four teams in the group have a chance to qualify, to finish first, and to be eliminated.

The Spain-Japan match will be played at the Max-Schmeling-Halle; the Germany-Mali game, also decisive for everyone, will take place at the same time at the Berlin Arena.

Spain's best options go through defeating the Japanese; if the Germans also beat Mali, Spain would finish first. However, if Japan and Germany win, the Spanish National Team would be eliminated.

Spain and Japan have faced each other in 6 official matches since the first one in 1998 until the most recent one two years ago. The historical record favors Spain (5-1), which has won two of the last three, but lost the third and most recent: victories at the 2014 World Championship (74-50) and the 2018 World Championship (84-71) and a loss at the 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament (75-86).

Méndez: "We have to play with order"

"Experience often means making mistakes," the head coach explained after Sunday's practice. "We didn't play well against Mali, but we're not going to look for causes or excuses, all we can do is work on the tactical side, on game preparation, correcting the mistakes we made, and that's what we're focusing on, more than on the emotional side, that will come later." Miguel Méndez also noted that "every game is different" and referred to three-pointers as an example. And about Japan, "we have to be clear that they're going to make shots from outside because that's what they always do. We have to punish them in what we can on the offensive end, playing with order. What I missed a bit the other day was order, but it's a bit normal because we've been working for about twenty days and we knew that the arrival of the new players had to be adjusted day by day. Against Germany, the huge accuracy we had helped us cover up issues, and that's what we're working on. We're on the path to improving it."

María Conde: "We understand where we are, it's a very important game"

"We're clear that it's a very important game and that we have to prepare for it in the best way possible," María Conde assures. "We had a day to rest and tomorrow we have to start as prepared as possible and if not, solve it as soon as possible in the game, reacting with speed." She added that "we understand where we are and that a loss is not easy to handle, but we have to move forward. Yesterday we were a bit frustrated, at the hotel and with our families, but today we have to change our mindset. This is a championship, everyone comes to win, nobody is going to give up before it starts."