Martha Thomas breaks Leicester hearts to send Spurs into Women’s FA Cup final

The game between Tottenham and their opponent didn't have a standout moment of impressive skill. To be honest, the game lacked overall quality. However, Tottenham was thrilled to have come back from a goal down and make it to their first women's FA Cup final. In the quarter-finals, they faced off against Manchester City and although they started off losing, they managed to equalize just in the nick of time and eventually won on penalties. This match appeared to be similar to their previous game, until Martha Thomas scored the winning goal with just two minutes remaining in extra time.

The match began with excitement, but as the tension built up, the standard of play decreased. Even after playing for an extra 30 minutes, neither team had come close to scoring, except for Jutta Rantala's free-kick which hit the underside of the bar in the 99th minute.

As the possibility of penalties seemed more and more likely, Olga Ahtinen's corner kick was only partially cleared. Matilda Vinberg quickly returned the ball to the box, where it was redirected towards the near post and perfectly headed by Leicester defender Aileen Whelan into Thomas. The ball then sailed above Lize Kop and ultimately landed in the net.

In the end, almost all of the 18,078 supporters stood up. A lot of them were given Tottenham flags as they entered, and a bit earlier they made an amazing sight as they waved them in the bright morning sun when the players came onto the field. Leicester organized six buses to transport their fans to London, including one fan who brought a really big and powerful drum. At the beginning, they only had one area without any flags and it looked sad, but it didn't take long for them to become the loudest supporters of the match.

The Spurs had a strong start and had chances to score twice within the first 10 minutes. However, Celin Bizet, who was set up by Grace Clinton both times, made mistakes with her shooting. Her first shot was too close to the goalkeeper, and her second shot was not close enough to the goal. Unfortunately, in the 12th minute, Leicester took the lead. CJ Bott carried the ball through midfield and passed it to Rantala. Rantala was allowed to cut inside too easily and then blasted a left-foot shot from 20 yards away. Becky Spencer was not able to reach the ball in time to prevent the score.

During the game, Leicester had control right after scoring the goal. They were close to scoring another one but Deanne Rose gave the ball to Sam Tierney who was not able to finish the play properly. The goalie, Spencer, saved it with her feet. Towards the end of the first half, Rose got a chance to run for the ball but when she attempted to take a shot, she slipped. The second half began with Rantala passing the ball to Lena Petermann who delayed her shot and Luana Bühler was able to block it.

Jennifer Foster, the interim head coach of the Leicester team, stated that people see them as a small team, but in reality, they are not. Leicester is starting to make a name for themselves in the soccer world. Foster believes that the team should learn from their mistakes and gain experience from playing in the upcoming FA Cup semi-finals matches. Many team members will be playing in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time, providing them with valuable experience. The focus should be on improving and learning for the next game. The Leicester team is building momentum, and they are excited to continue on their journey towards success.

Tottenham had a rough second half, despite starting off alright. They struggled to create opportunities until very late in the game. It was only during added time that they finally had a chance to score. The team managed to equalize, thanks to Jessica Naz, who had just switched positions from right wing to center-forward. She took advantage of a mistake by former Spurs captain Josie Green and managed to run and finish with composure. After that, Tottenham had a good chance to win in regular time, with both Thomas and Charlotte Grant coming close to scoring.

The coach of the Tottenham Hotspur team, Robert Vilahamn, stated that despite their progress so far, they have not yet won any titles. He acknowledged that they may not be the favorites to win in the final, but that’s not a problem. In order to become a successful and victorious team, they need to continue playing in important games. The team has demonstrated their ability to develop players and play great football this year. However, some players are interested in joining Tottenham because they want to achieve titles, and it's important for the team to prove that they are capable of attaining these achievements as well.