Japan vs Costa Rica
Women’s World Cup
Group C
Wednesday
26th July 2023
Dunedin Stadium
Preview, analysis and predictions for the Group C Women’s World Cup fixture between Japan and Costa Rica.
Japan form analysis
Japan’s Women’s team has recently been involved in a series of matches, showcasing a mix of results. Notably, they secured a significant 2-1 victory against Portugal, proving their capability to perform well against strong European teams. However, in their encounter with Denmark, they faced a narrow 1-0 defeat, revealing the importance of refining their defensive aspects.
Against Panama, Japan exhibited dominance, prevailing with a convincing 5-0 win, underscoring their offensive prowess and effectiveness against relatively weaker opponents.
In their most recent World Cup match against Zambia, the Japanese team delivered an exceptional performance, highlighting their remarkable attacking skills and securing a commanding 5-0 victory. Such an impressive win in a competitive World Cup game can instill confidence within the team and underscore their potential as strong contenders in the tournament.
Costa Rica form analysis
Costa Rica’s Women’s team suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Poland, showcasing some defensive resilience by only conceding two goals to a European team.
However, in their game against Scotland, they faced a heavy 4-0 defeat in Glasgow, indicating potential defensive vulnerabilities and the need to improve their backline.
A significant 4-0 defeat against Venezuela suggests that Costa Rica encountered difficulties both in defense and attack against strong opposition.
On a positive note, they secured a 2-1 victory against Centro Caribe Sports, showcasing their ability to compete against regional opponents. However, it may not be a reliable indicator of their performance against stronger teams.
Costa Rica also defeated Haiti 2-0, demonstrating their capability to secure victories against teams with similar or lower rankings.
In their World Cup group stage game against Spain, Costa Rica faced a tough opponent and lost 3-0. While Spain is a formidable team, the margin of defeat highlights the challenges Costa Rica might face against top-tier opponents in the World Cup. Overall, Costa Rica’s form leading up to the World Cup has been inconsistent, with both positive and negative results.
Japan vs Costa Rica: Prediction
Japan delivered a convincing performance against Zambia. Meanwhile, Costa Rica struggled against Spain. Both teams are likely to repeat their respective results once again. However, this time around it should be a closer contest.
