Group C action from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup started on Friday with Spain making a statement with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica.
Spain, led by the seasoned Ivana Andrés, was armed to the teeth. Alexia Putellas, a great midfielder, however, started this game on the bench. The news came as a shock because Putellas is a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, the top-ranked player in the tournament according to FOX Sports, and one of the biggest wild cards at the World Cup.
However, despite their loss, La Roja still had a lot of quality on the pitch, including the 2023 Golden Boot contender and FC Barcelona's all-time leading scorer Jennifer Hermoso. With 80% of the game's possession and 46 shots (12 on target), Spain easily defeated Costa Rica.
Costa Rica, on the other hand, had no shortage of talent but was unable to establish a unified cadence. Raquel Rodriguez, who scored 55 goals for her country, and Katherine Alvarado were two of the most important players in the middle for Las Ticas.
Although Costa Rica did not score any goals in Friday's encounter, they did have a chance to win.
Valeria del Campo's own goal put Spain ahead, and two minutes later, Aitana Bonmati's curling shot gave Spain a commanding 2-0 lead. After Jennifer Hermoso had hit the crossbar with a header, González made it 3-0 by slamming a loose ball into the net.
Spain's Esther Gonzalez nearly made it a four-goal advantage with a header late in the first half, but she was unable to connect, and La Roja took an easy 3-0 lead into halftime. Spain defender Olga Carmona made a hard push for the net early in the second half but just missed.
Solera made many outstanding saves and Olga Carmona struck the post, preventing Spain from extending their lead.
