Costa Rica vs Zambia
Women’s World Cup
Group C
Monday
31st July 2023
FMG Stadium
Preview, analysis and predictions for the Group C Women’s World Cup fixture between Costa Rica and Zambia.
Costa Rica form analysis
Costa Rica’s journey in the Caribbean Games saw them exhibit their tenacity and resilience in securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Guatemala. Despite conceding an early goal, they bounced back admirably, with M. Monterroso and A. Álvarez finding the net to clinch the win.
Their form continued in the same competition, where they displayed confidence and skill to earn a convincing 2-0 triumph against Haiti. A. Herrera and a crucial own goal by M. Saint-Cyr contributed to their well-deserved victory.
However, in an international friendly match against South Africa, Costa Rica faced a challenging opponent and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t find a breakthrough, and South Africa emerged victorious.
In the ongoing Women’s World Cup, Costa Rica encountered formidable challenges. In their match against Spain, they faced a tough opponent and were outclassed, resulting in a 3-0 loss. Goals from V. del Campo (own goal), Aitana Bonmatí, and Esther González secured Spain’s triumph.
In another Women’s World Cup encounter, this time against Japan, Costa Rica suffered another defeat. Japan displayed their attacking prowess early in the match, scoring two goals through H. Naomoto and A. Fujino.
The team is certainly on the rise and will benefit a lot from the exposure of this tournament to try harder the next time around.
Zambia form analysis
In a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland, Zambia showcased their attacking prowess and secured a thrilling 3-2 victory.
In another friendly encounter against Switzerland, Zambia played out an exciting 3-3 draw. Despite falling behind on multiple occasions, they displayed determination and resilience to earn a well-deserved draw.
In a challenging friendly match against Germany, Zambia showed their competitiveness but ultimately suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat. Barbara Banda was a standout performer for Zambia, scoring two goals, but Germany’s late comeback secured the win.
In the Women’s World Cup, Zambia faced strong opposition in Japan and experienced a tough 5-0 loss. Japan’s clinical finishing and solid defense proved to be too much for Zambia to handle.
In another Women’s World Cup match against Spain, Zambia faced another heavy defeat, losing 5-0. Spain dominated the game with their attacking prowess, and Zambia struggled to contain their opponents.
The results against strong teams like Germany, Japan, and Spain demonstrate the progress and potential of women’s football in Zambia.
Costa Rica vs Zambia: Prediction
Both these teams suffered defeats against Spain and Japan in their previous games. Both failed to score and conceded goals. Costa Rica are likely to win by a considerable margin as they are clearly the better side and showed a better fight in this tournament.
Furthermore, with the defensive display of both teams in the tournament, I expect neither to register a clean sheet.
