Spain vs Costa Rica live score, updates, highlights, lineups, and result from Women’s World Cup 2023 clash

By | July 21, 2023
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Spain will be aiming to boost their status as one of the 2023 Women’s World Cup favourites as they take on Costa Rica in Wellington.

La Roja are tipped to challenge for the trophy and they begin a difficult-looking Group C campaign up against an unfancied Costa Rica side.

Jorge Vilda’s team have been dogged by off-field issues in the build-up to the tournament with a player strike at the start of 2023 threatening to derail their tournament chances.

Despite missing certain players as a result of the unresolved stand-off, Spain still have one of the strongest squads in the competition as they look to at least reach a first-ever quarterfinal.

MORE: Spain vs Costa Rica prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets

Spain vs Costa Rica live score

  First Half Goalscorers
Spain 3 Del Campo (OG) 21′, Bonmati 23′, Gonzalez 27′
Costa Rica 0 —

Starting lineups:

Spain (4-2-3-1, right to left): Rodriguez (GK) — Batlle, Andres, Parades, Carmona — Bonmati, Abelleira — Castillo, Hermoso, Parralluelo — Gonzalez

Costa Rica (5-4-1, right to left): Solera (GK) — Coto, Benavides, F. Villalobos, Del Campo, Elizondo — Herrera, Alvarado, G. Villalobos, Chinchila — Salas

MORE: Women’s World Cup schedule 2023: Fixtures, matches, dates, times

Spain vs Costa Rica live updates, highlights from 2023 World Cup

HALF TIME: Spain have scored three goals in six minutes to completely blow their opposition away. Costa Rica were stout in defence for 20 minutes, but could do nothing to stop the onslaught, and the score could have been worse if Hermoso hadn’t missed her penalty.

45th minute: There will be four minutes of added time to end the half.

44th minute: Another good cross from Carmona finds Gonzalez, but her header is just over the bar.

40th minute: A nervous moment from Spain as Herrera almost closes down Spain keeper Rodriguez from playing out the back, but the Spaniards get away with their causal play and nothing comes of it.

34th minute: SOLERA SAVES THE PENALTY! Spain’s record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso takes the spot kick, but Solera holds her ground and makes the save. A disappointing penalty and another penalty miss at the World Cup!

33rd minute: It goes from bad to worse for Costa Rica, Castillo’s feet were too tricky for the defence, and she goes down under a slide tackle, leading to the referee pointing to the spot.

27th minute: GOOOAAALLL!!!!! IT’S THREE FOR SPAIN!!!!! Calamitous defending from Costa Rica, Hermoso’s header cannons off the crossbar but Esther Gonzalez reacts quickest and volleys home into an open net. Spain are running rampant in Wellington!

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26th minute: Gonzalez gets free in the box and gets a good header away, but Solera this time is able to parry the effort away.

23rd minute: AND JUST LIKE THAT IT’S 2-0!!!!!!!! Some neat work by Spain down the right allows Bonmati an avenue to goal, and the strike with her weaker left foot curls past Solera and into the goal. Spain have taken the game away from Costa Rica in the blink of an eye!

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21st minute: GOOOOOAAALLLL!!!!! Spain take the lead but it’s an own goal! Esther Gonzalez’s cross was played at by Valeria Del Campo, but she can only put it straight into her own net. Can’t say that it’s undeserved on the balance of play though.

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18th minute: Spain are camped on the Costa Rica penalty area, but Costa Rica’s resillient defence and some poor decision making from Spain means the scores are still level for now.

12th minute: Solera pulls off a great reflex from Spain’s captain Ivana Andres, Costa Rica are already under a mountain of pressure.

10th minute: Costa Rica almost hit Spain on the break as Melissa Herrera breaks free from the defence, but she drags her shot wide.

9th minute: Esther Gonzalez almost scores with a brilliant flick from close to the goal, but it bobbles just wide of the goal.

7th minute: Good play down the left this time, Parralluelo the distributor this time as her cross finds Bonmati in the box, but the shot is wayward.

4th minute: Spain have tried to find Parralluello a couple of times early with aerial balls so far, both times it hasn’t come off, but Spain dominating with the ball as many expected.

KICK OFF: The action begins in Wellington, will Spain get off to a winning start in their World Cup campaign?

6 minutes to KO: The teams are out on the pitch and we are about to hear the anthems, kick off not far away.

10 minutes to KO: A Maori ceremony is taking place on the field in Wellington, a healthy looking crowd on a wet night in the capital!

25 minutes from KO: Despite Spain being one of the strongest sides at the tournament, their World Cup record is very underwhelming, with just one win in seven games at the competition, that will surely change in New Zealand though.

35 minutes from KO: In Group A, Switzerland have claimed a 2-0 win over World Cup debutants Philippines, with goals in each half being enough for the Swiss to climb to the top of the group.

1hr from KO: The lineups are in! No Putellas for Spain as she is only deemed fit enough for a spot on the bench, with Jennifer Hermoso entrusted with the job of being the creative spark for Spain. Costa Rica line up with a back five, with danger woman Melissa Herrera on the right wing.

Spain (4-2-3, right to left): Rodriguez (GK) — Batlle, Andres, Parades, Carmona — Bonmati, Abelleira — Castillo, Hermoso, Parralluelo — Gonzalez

Costa Rica (5-4-1, right to left): Solera (GK) — Coto, Benavides, F. Villalobos, Campo, Elizondo — Herrera, Alvarado, G. Villalobos, Chinchila — Salas

1 hr 30 mins from KO: Today’s earlier match finished 0-0 between Nigeria and Canada, with Christine Sinclair missing a penalty. It was also goalless between the Philippines and Switzerland until right at the end of the first half. Will we see more attacking action in this late match? Spain have scored 18 goals in their previous three matches, so you’d certainly hope so…

2 hrs from KO: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of this crunch Women’s World Cup match between Spain and Costa Rica! 

On the back of co-hosts New Zealand and Australia winning their opening games yesterday with respective 1-0 scorelines against Norway and the Republic of Ireland, Spain will be looking to make a strong start to the tournament.

Spain vs. Costa Rica lineups, team news

Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas gave Spain a scare in their final training session, and is only fit enough for the bench, with Barcelona teammates Ona Batlle, Irene Parades and Aitana Bonmanti all starting.

Spain (4-2-3, right to left): Rodriguez (GK) — Batlle, Andres, Parades, Carmona — Bonmati, Abelleira — Castillo, Hermoso, Parralluelo — Gonzalez

Costa Rica’s squad is made up of primarily domestic-based players but Bordeaux star Melissa Herrera will be a key figure in midfield.

Costa Rica (5-4-1, right to left): Solera (GK) — Coto, Benavides, F. Villalobos, Campo, Elizondo — Herrera, Alvarado, G. Villalobos, Chinchila — Salas

What time is Spain vs. Costa Rica?

Spain’s opening match of the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicks off at 7:30 p.m. local time at Wellington Regional Stadium, in Wellington, New Zealand

Timezone Time
Australia (AEST) 5:30 p.m.
New Zealand (NZT) 7:30 p.m.
USA (ET) 3:30 a.m.
UK (BST) 08:30 a.m.
Singapore (SGT) 3:30 p.m.
Malaysia (MYT) 3:30 p.m.
Hong Kong (HKT) 3:30 p.m.
India (IST) 1:00 p.m.

Spain vs. Costa Rica live stream, TV channel

Country Television Streaming
Australia Optus Sport, RCN Nuestra Tele (Spanish) Optus Sport website/app
New Zealand Sky Sports 1 NZ, Prime TV, RCN Nuestra Tele (Spanish) Sky Go NZ, Sky Sport NOW
USA FOX Sports 1, NBC Universo (Spanish), RCN Nuestra Tele (Spanish), Telemundo Fox Sports website/app, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada TSN 1, TSN 4, TSN 5 TSN+, RDS App (French)
UK BBC 2 BBC iPlayer
Singapore Singtel FIFA Plus, MeWatch
Hong Kong — —
Malaysia — —
India — —

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