Japan defeated Costa Rica 2-0 on Wednesday, qualifying for the second round after Spain’s 5-0 victory, results that bury the Central American team’s hopes of staying alive in the Women’s Soccer World Cup.
The Japanese took the lead in the 25th minute when Hikauro Naomoto received a pass from Aoba Fujino and shot from the left side to beat goalkeeper Daniela Solera, who had previously stopped several goal-bound shots.
One minute later, the skillful Fujino (19 years old) surpassed two rival defenders in an individual play from the right and scored a cross shot to make it 2-0.
“We knew it was going to be an extremely tough match against a very qualified opponent,” said Costa Rican coach Amelia Valverde after the game. “Two lapses again after the 23rd minute. Four minutes of loss of concentration, and it cost us the match,” she added.
With this match, corresponding to Group C of the tournament, played at the stadium in the New Zealand city of Dunedin, the Japanese secured their place in the round of 16 as long as Spain did not lose to Zambia in Auckland. However, the European team won 5-0, and both became the first teams to reach the second phase.
Spain and Japan will determine the winner of Group C on Monday in Wellington, although the Europeans have the goal difference in their favor.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica ran out of options to stay alive in the Australia and New Zealand World Cup and will have the opportunity to bid farewell with a victory in the final match against Zambia.
Costa Rica made some changes in their lineup compared to the team that lost 3-0 to Spain, the most notable of which was the absence of their creative player, Gloriana Villalobos, in an attempt to play a more direct football between defense and attack.
Japan, on the other hand, showed the same organized and fast-paced play that crushed Zambia, whom they defeated 5-0, one of the big wins in the World Cup.
Throughout the match, the Asian team allowed the Central American players to touch the ball in the midfield at times, but they launched swift counterattacks once they regained possession.
Mistakes are costly
This led to missed opportunities for defenders Saki Kumagai, midfielder Hina Sugita, and forward Mina Tanaka to score.
Costa Rica’s offensive play relied heavily on midfielder Melissa Herrera, who tirelessly fought on the right wing. However, the only attempt at goal by the Central American team in the first half was a shot off target from Herrera.
The Costa Rican team came out with a new disposition in the second half, having more ball control and occasionally trapping their opponents in their own midfield, but the effort did not lead to shots on Ayaka Yamashita’s goal.
“I think mistakes and lapses cost us dearly, as well as not taking advantage of the chances that we may have at certain moments,” Valverde explained.
Towards the end of the match, Raquel Rodríguez, Costa Rica’s main offensive threat, who had been absent due to injury, entered the field but failed to turn her team’s fate around.”
