Five-star Spain cruise into World Cup knockouts with thumping win over Zambia
Spain underlined their credentials as pre-tournament favourites when they became one of the first teams to seal qualification for the Women's World Cup knockouts with a 5-0 win over debutants Zambia in their Group C encounter on Wednesday.
Teresa Abelleira opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort while Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo scored twice to give Spain their second victory, which also assured Japan of last-16 qualification after they beat Costa Rica 2-0.
Both Spain and Japan have six points and will play each other on Monday for top spot in the group while Zambia and Costa Rica - both eliminated and with no points - vie for third.
"Even though we scored five, we looked for a sixth. That's the ambition I like to see in the team," Spain coach Jorge Vilda told reporters.
Spain were given a boost ahead of the game when Vilda named midfielder Alexia Putellas in the starting lineup and the twice Ballon d'Or winner, having fully recovered from injury, was actively involved in buildup play from the start.
Abelleira settled any opening nerves with the fastest goal of the tournament when she picked up the ball after an intricate passing move in the ninth minute and fired a shot from long range that rocketed into the top corner.
Four minutes later, Hermoso marked her 100th appearance for Spain with an easy header at the far post after Zambia failed to defend a cross from Putellas.
Vilda substituted Putellas, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo at halftime but Spain continued to dominate.
Zambia goalkeeper Eunice Sakala, in the team after Catherine Musonda was sent off in their group opener, made several saves but she was left stranded when Redondo was put through on goal as the forward rounded the 21-year-old keeper to make it 3-0.
VAR CONFUSION
Hermoso, playing in her third World Cup, then grabbed her second -- and 50th for Spain -- when she pounced on a rebound off the post to fire home.
The goal was awarded after a VAR review and following some confusion over the referee's initial announcement that it was ruled out for offside.
"No goal! No offside," referee Jeong Oh-Hyeon said before correcting herself as a bewildered Spain looked on before realising it had been awarded.
"Mentally and physically I'm in a very good spot," Hermoso, 33, said. "I'm enjoying football, I feel lucky to defend this shirt and my country."
Redondo then beat the offside trap late in the game to score Spain's fifth, also awarded after a VAR review when the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Zambia had their chances on the counter-attack but failed to test Misa Rodriguez in Spain's goal with a number of wayward shots.
Japan down Costa Rica to put one foot in last 16
Two goals in two first-half minutes gave Japan a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at Dunedin Stadium on Wednesday to all but secure the 2011 champions a spot in the knockout rounds of the Women's World Cup.
The Nadeshiko reprised the effervescent passing game of their opening 5-0 win over Zambia and will progress to the last 16 for the fourth straight World Cup if Spain, as expected, beat the African side in Wednesday's later Group C game in Auckland.
Playing through Mina Tanaka in an advanced midfield role rather than playmaker Yui Hasegawa as they had against Zambia, Japan were already well in the ascendant before the double blow that knocked the stuffing out of the Central Americans.
Left winger Hikaru Naomoto struck first in the 25th minute, pouncing on a slip from Maria Paula Coto and storming into the area before stroking the ball into the net past the dive of goalkeeper Daniela Solera.
Two minutes later, teenager Aoba Fujino turned a defender on the right wing, ran directly at goal and beat Solera at her near post from a tight angle.
Costa Rica, who were beaten 3-0 by Spain in their opener, were barely able to land a blow on their opponents and it looked from then on only a matter of how many goals Japan would rack up.
Despite having 25 attempts on goal, however, Japan were unable to add to their tally - a shortcoming that might concern Ikeda with tougher challenges lying ahead.
Japan face Spain in Wellington on Monday in a match that will almost certainly decide which of the two sides top the group, while Costa Rica - still seeking their first World Cup win - will take on Zambia in Hamilton at the same time.
Costa Rica coach Amelia Valverde, who blamed lapses of concentration for the two goals, was asked whether it was time to bring an end to her eight-year reign.
Canada find their feet in 2-1 win over gutsy Ireland
An accurate toe-poke by forward Adriana Leon coupled with a touch of fortune allowed Canada to secure a 2-1 victory against Ireland on Wednesday, their first of this year's Women's World Cup, in wet and windy conditions at Perth Oval.
Fresh off a scoreless draw with Nigeria, Canada put themselves ahead in the match when Leon found the back of the net in the 53rd minute as her side increasingly exerted their dominance over a plucky Irish outfit.
Canada face Australia on Monday where both teams will be aiming to finish top of Group B. Ireland, however, cannot reach the knockout stage having also lost to co-hosts Australia and will head home after playing Nigeria in Brisbane.
In an exciting first half that had attacking play at both ends, Ireland captain Katie McCabe opened the scoring with a fourth minute corner that curled through the air and into the net, giving the girls in green their first-ever World Cup goal.
Canada worked diligently but failed to convert their first genuine chance in the 30th minute when Vanessa Gilles put too much on a chip within the six-yard box.
Some luck fell the way of the Olympic champions, though, when they equalised on the cusp of halftime, a powerful cross from midfielder Julia Grosso deflecting off Ireland's Megan Connolly for an own goal in driving rain.
The second half grew into an arm-wrestle, but McCabe battled hard and created two opportunities late in the game which missed the target.
Champions United States held 1-1 by Dutch in thriller
A second-half goal from co-captain Lindsey Horan allowed the United States to battle back for a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in a thrilling Women's World Cup Group E match on Thursday.
The fiercely fought re-run of the 2019 final lived up to its billing as the Dutch enjoyed the ascendancy in the first half before hanging on when the Americans found their groove in the second.
The Dutch struck first through a fine shot from midfielder Jill Roord in the 17th minute and the U.S. went in at halftime trailing in a World Cup match for the first time since 2011.
Horan answered for the four-times champions from a Rose Lavelle corner in 62nd minute, making a great run to the near post to power an unstoppable header past Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.
The Americans had not drawn a World Cup match since 2015 and will rue a slow start to the game as well as an inability to take their chances at the end.
"Even though it didn't finish the way we wanted (it) to finish I thought it was a good match for our team," said U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski.
"What you saw in the second half is what you're going to see going forward as a baseline."
The U.S. remain top of Group E on goal difference from the Dutch heading into their final match against Portugal next Tuesday, but the Netherlands will be confident of erasing that advantage when they take on Vietnam at the same time.
"These games are battles from the first second to the last ... the only thing you can say is women's football has evolved a lot," said Netherlands coach Andries Jonker.
"Before the match I didn't want a draw - we wanted to win. But after the second half, that's what we wanted because the U.S. were really strong."
The Netherlands broke the early impasse when Lieke Martens pierced the U.S. defence to get the Dutch into the attacking third, and Victoria Pelova cut the ball back for Roord to drill it past goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher from the edge of the box.
The Americans reacted immediately with attempts by Trinity Rodman and Horan that Van Domselaar was able to save, but were given another fright in the 29th minute when Dominique Janssen fired a sizzling shot just over the bar.
The U.S. team, who are in the hunt for an unprecedented third consecutive title, came out in the second half with renewed resolve and got their reward when midfielder Horan equalised just after the hour mark.
Striker Morgan thought she had put them in front a couple of minutes later when she fired the ball into the net from Rodman's pass only to be ruled offside.
Ertz prevented disaster for the Americans in the 80th minute when she got her foot in front of the ball to block forward Esmee Brugts's shot after a well-worked move by the Dutch.
As the US piled forward in search of a winner, Rodman screwed a shot wide of the far post and Sophia Smith had an effort headed off the line by Martens, but the Dutch held firm to secure a point.
