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5-star Spain cruise into World Cup knockouts with thumping win over Zambia
IMAGE: Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso is thrown within the air by teammates to have a good time after the match. {Photograph}: David Rowland/Reuters
Spain underlined their credentials as pre-tournament favourites once they grew to become one of many first groups to seal qualification for the Ladies’s World Cup knockouts with a 5-0 win over debutants Zambia of their Group C encounter on Wednesday.
Teresa Abelleira opened the scoring with a surprising long-range effort whereas Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo scored twice to present Spain their second victory, which additionally assured Japan of last-16 qualification after they beat Costa Rica 2-0.
Each Spain and Japan have six factors and can play one another on Monday for high spot within the group whereas Zambia and Costa Rica – each eradicated and with no factors – vie for third.
“Regardless that we scored 5, we seemed for a sixth. That is the ambition I prefer to see within the workforce,” Spain coach Jorge Vilda instructed reporters.
Spain got a lift forward of the sport when Vilda named midfielder Alexia Putellas within the beginning lineup and the twice Ballon d’Or winner, having absolutely recovered from damage, was actively concerned in buildup play from the beginning.
Abelleira settled any opening nerves with the quickest objective of the match when she picked up the ball after an intricate passing transfer within the ninth minute and fired a shot from lengthy vary that rocketed into the highest nook.
4 minutes later, Hermoso marked her one hundredth look for Spain with a simple header on the far submit after Zambia didn’t defend a cross from Putellas.
Vilda substituted Putellas, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo at halftime however Spain continued to dominate.
Zambia goalkeeper Eunice Sakala, within the workforce after Catherine Musonda was despatched off of their group opener, made a number of saves however she was left stranded when Redondo was put by way of on objective because the ahead rounded the 21-year-old keeper to make it 3-0.
VAR CONFUSION
IMAGE: Spain’s Alba Redondo celebrates scoring their fifth objective with teammates. {Photograph}: David Rowland/Reuters
Hermoso, enjoying in her third World Cup, then grabbed her second — and fiftieth for Spain — when she pounced on a rebound off the submit to fireplace dwelling.
The objective was awarded after a VAR evaluation and following some confusion over the referee’s preliminary announcement that it was dominated out for offside.
“No objective! No offside,” referee Jeong Oh-Hyeon stated earlier than correcting herself as a bewildered Spain seemed on earlier than realising it had been awarded.
“Mentally and bodily I am in an excellent spot,” Hermoso, 33, stated. “I am having fun with soccer, I really feel fortunate to defend this shirt and my nation.”
Redondo then beat the offside entice late within the recreation to attain Spain’s fifth, additionally awarded after a VAR evaluation when the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Zambia had their probabilities on the counter-attack however failed to check Misa Rodriguez in Spain’s objective with numerous wayward photographs.
Japan down Costa Rica to place one foot in final 16
IMAGE: Japan’s Aoba Fujino celebrates scoring their second objective with Yui Hasegawa and teammates. {Photograph}: Molly Darlington/Reuters
Two targets in two first-half minutes gave Japan a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at Dunedin Stadium on Wednesday to all however safe the 2011 champions a spot within the knockout rounds of the Ladies’s World Cup.
The Nadeshiko reprised the bubbling passing recreation of their opening 5-0 win over Zambia and can progress to the final 16 for the fourth straight World Cup if Spain, as anticipated, beat the African aspect in Wednesday’s later Group C recreation in Auckland.
Taking part in by way of Mina Tanaka in a sophisticated midfield function moderately than playmaker Yui Hasegawa as that they had in opposition to Zambia, Japan had been already effectively within the ascendant earlier than the double blow that knocked the stuffing out of the Central Individuals.
Left winger Hikaru Naomoto struck first within the twenty fifth minute, pouncing on a slip from Maria Paula Coto and storming into the realm earlier than stroking the ball into the online previous the dive of goalkeeper Daniela Solera.
Two minutes later, teenager Aoba Fujino turned a defender on the suitable wing, ran immediately at objective and beat Solera at her close to submit from a decent angle.
Costa Rica, who had been crushed 3-0 by Spain of their opener, had been barely capable of land a blow on their opponents and it seemed from then on solely a matter of what number of targets Japan would rack up.
Regardless of having 25 makes an attempt on objective, nevertheless, Japan had been unable so as to add to their tally – a shortcoming which may concern Ikeda with harder challenges mendacity forward.
Japan face Spain in Wellington on Monday in a match that may virtually definitely resolve which of the 2 sides high the group, whereas Costa Rica – nonetheless searching for their first World Cup win – will tackle Zambia in Hamilton on the identical time.
Costa Rica coach Amelia Valverde, who blamed lapses of focus for the 2 targets, was requested whether or not it was time to convey an finish to her eight-year reign.
Canada discover their toes in 2-1 win over gutsy Eire
IMAGE: Canada’s Sophie Schmidt and Vanessa Gilles in motion. {Photograph}: Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters
An correct toe-poke by ahead Adriana Leon coupled with a contact of fortune allowed Canada to safe a 2-1 victory in opposition to Eire on Wednesday, their first of this 12 months’s Ladies’s World Cup, in moist and windy situations at Perth Oval.
Recent off a scoreless draw with Nigeria, Canada put themselves forward within the match when Leon discovered the again of the online within the 53rd minute as her aspect more and more exerted their dominance over a plucky Irish outfit.
Canada face Australia on Monday the place each groups will likely be aiming to complete high of Group B. Eire, nevertheless, can not attain the knockout stage having additionally misplaced to co-hosts Australia and can head dwelling after enjoying Nigeria in Brisbane.
In an thrilling first half that had attacking play at each ends, Eire captain Katie McCabe opened the scoring with a fourth minute nook that curled by way of the air and into the online, giving the ladies in inexperienced their first-ever World Cup objective.
Canada labored diligently however didn’t convert their first real likelihood within the thirtieth minute when Vanessa Gilles put an excessive amount of on a chip inside the six-yard field.
Some luck fell the way in which of the Olympic champions, although, once they equalised on the cusp of halftime, a strong cross from midfielder Julia Grosso deflecting off Eire’s Megan Connolly for an personal objective in driving rain.
The second half grew into an arm-wrestle, however McCabe battled exhausting and created two alternatives late within the recreation which missed the goal.
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