WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
Spain set several new Women’s World Cup records in victory over Costa Rica
Alexia Putellas came off the bench in the second half as La Roja soundly defeated Las Ticas in Group C in Wellington.
Spain have got their Women’s World Cup 2023 campaign off to a fine start thanks to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Wellington. Although, bizarrely enough, Las Ticas may have actually come away from the game the happier of the two teams considering how the early stages unfolded.
Quick-fire goals put Spain in cruise control
It took Jorge Vilda’s side 21 minutes to break the deadlock, but after Valeria Del Campo had put the ball into her own net, Aitana Bonamtí and Esther González each scored in the next six minutes and had some of us wondering if the Women’s World Cup’s biggest ever victory - USWNT’s 13-0 thrashing of Thailand in 2019 - could be in danger of being broken. A feeling that intensified a short time later when La Roja were awarded a penalty, but Pachuca striker Jenni Hermoso missed from the spot.
Much to the relief of the Costa Ricans, that proved to be the end of the goalscoring, which appeared unlikely at the time. And although they didn’t come anywhere near threatening the United States’ aforementioned milestone, sports anayltics company Opta have revealed that Spain did set several new Women’s World Cup records (since data started being collected in 2011).
What WWC records did Spain break against Costa Rica?
A few years ago, the Spanish men’s team were known for their ability to pass their opponents to death and the women have the exact same trait, enjoying 80% possession in their victory, the highest ever recorded.
But not only did they keep the ball, they also carried a significant threat along with it. The had 117 touches inside the opposition penalty area and 46 shots on goal, tallies that no team has ever been able to match.