Putellas key to Spain's Women's World Cup hopes after injury - ESPN

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — On July 26, for the first time in 431 days, Alexia Putellas started a competitive football match. The back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner completed 45 minutes as Spain dismantled Zambia 5-0 at Eden Park after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this year.

Putellas, 29, had come off the bench to a warm reception in Wellington five days earlier as La Roja beat Costa Rica 3-0 in their Women's World Cup opener. Against Zambia, the midfielder was named in the starting XI and provided a couple of moments to suggest she could have an impact at this tournament, including setting up the second goal for Jennifer Hermoso with a perfectly arched cross.

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But the brakes were put on those hopes as Spain succumbed 4-0 to a clinical Japan side on Monday. Putellas completed an hour but, like many of her teammates, was unable to break through a well-drilled Japan backline and proved incapable of stopping their efficient transitions. Futoshi Ikeda's side scored with all three of their first-half attacks, in the final third for just 27 seconds. By comparison, Spain spent over five minutes passing the ball around in Japan's final third in the same time frame.

Spain will hope the minutes accrued during the group stage will help their star player rediscover her best form as they prepare for Saturday's round-of-16 tie with Switzerland back at Eden Park on Saturday.

Putellas is a midfielder who can do it all. She links play but she also creates and, above all, has a knack for scoring goals. For Barcelona in 2021-22, she netted 34 times in 42 games, including 11 in 10 in the Champions