Own goal, Spanish attack, takes away Costa Rican focus in loss at Women’s World Cup

By: Joe Lister, The Associated Press Posted: 7:10 AM CDT Friday, Jul. 21, 2023

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — They were outscored 3-0. They were outshot 12-1. And for a nightmarish first half a the Women's World Cup, every ball seemed to find the wrong foot.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — They were outscored 3-0. They were outshot 12-1. And for a nightmarish first half a the Women's World Cup, every ball seemed to find the wrong foot.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — They were outscored 3-0. They were outshot 12-1. And for a nightmarish first half a the Women’s World Cup, every ball seemed to find the wrong foot.

Costa Rica had a difficult showing to start its Women’s World Cup effort, losing 3-0 to Spain on a cold and rainy Friday night. About the best thing to take away for Las Ticas was they didn’t quit.

In the 22nd minute, a Spanish cross bounced off the leg of Costa Rica’s Valeria Del Campo and into her own net.

Costa Rica's Maria Paula Sala, top, and Spain's Irene Paredes collide during the Group C Women's World Cup soccer match between Spain and Costa Rica in Wellington, New Zealand, Friday, July 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alysa Rubin)

Within six minutes of Del Campo’s error, Spain’s Atiana Bonmati and Esther González each scored. The match was out of reach before the half-hour mark.

“We lost a bit of concentration because of (the own goal) for about 12 minutes,” head coach Amelia Valverde said after the game. “The whole team lost concentration.”

Las Ticas defense looked simply overwhelmed, while star forward Raquel Rodriguez spent the match on the bench.

Rodriguez, who has scored 55 goals in 100 appearances for her nation, missed the match with an unspecified injury. Valverdes said that she hopes Rodriguez can return for the next match against Japan.

Costa Rica was supported by Subite al Chunche, a fan group that has traveled to four men’s World Cups, and have now ventured to New Zealand for their first Women’s World Cup.

“Today we are going to beat Spain and change history,” Carme Salleras, a Spanish-born soccer fan who immigrated to Costa Rica predicted before the game. Salleras and the growing crowd around her remained positive about their team, despite trailing by three goals at halftime. “There’s still 45 minutes left, so everything can happen.”

No such luck.

Costa Rica played with more grit in the second half, faced-down a Spanish attack that kept pressing until the end and goalkeeper Daniela Solera came up with 10 saves. But getting out of Group C, which also includes Japan and Zambia, now looks a lot tougher.

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Joe Lister is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports