In yet another dismal show, Costa Rica faced their second consecutive defeat in FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup as Spain outclassed the hosts by 5-0 in a Group A match at the weekend.
The hosts upset the home crowd who came out in number to support the team as Spain completely dominated the opponents right from the start and enjoyed possession of the ball for almost 72 per cent of the time.
Sonia Garcia Majarin scored the opening goal of the game in the 26th minute with Ariadna Mingueza hitting the second in the 33rd minute to put Spain ahead before the half time.
Spain came out with a more vigorous attack in the second half and tested Costa Rica’s defence for a few times before earning a penalty in the 62nd minute. Inma Gabarro scored from the spot to make it 3-0 for Spain.
Ane Anorga then guided the ball into the nets in the 72nd minute to take the game away from the hosts’ reach before Salma Ayingono scored in the extra time to further strengthened Spain’s lead.
In the other game, Brazil outpowered Australia 2-0 in Alajuela to secure their first win in FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, in the second fixture of Group A.
The result could have been more convincing in favour of the Brazilians, but the post denied them a goal from Aline and then poor finishing from players such as Dudinha, Luani and Yaya prevented the South American team from scoring against their opponents.
After the last night’s fixtures, Spain jumped on top of Group A standings with four points, followed by Brazil in second with an equal number of points, while, Australia moved to the third with three points and Costa Rica lagged at the bottom with no points.
However, in a group B fixture at the venue, Mexico and Colombia ended in a goalless draw after both the team countered each other’s attack.
Columbia still sits at the top in Group B with four points, while Germany secured the second spot with three points after their win against New Zealand. – A Sports
