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Spain needed just a six-minute stretch to crush Costa Rica in their Group C opener. La Roja beat Las Ticas 3-0, thanks to an own goal from Valeria del Campo (21') and two daggers from Aitama Bonmatí (23') and Esther González (27').
Aitama Bonmatí goal vs Costa Rica
The best of the three goals was undoubtedly the one netted by Bonmatí. The FC Barcelona midfielder received the ball inside the box, showcasing a sublime touch, and then destroyed her marker with a move that reminded me of a bullfighter's verónica.
LA ROJA
2-0 SPAIN THANKS TO AITANA BONMATÍ! pic.twitter.com/pShbLqmUic— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 21, 2023
It was pure finesse.
No, I don't like bullfighting; it's cruel. However, there was a hint of cruelty, too, in the way Bonmatí deceived Costa Rica's No. 10 Gloriana Villalobos, tricking her into moving her body forward, and then mocking her with a subtle backheel tap before poking the ball into the net, as if she were the most experienced matadora.
I wish she had a cape.
Here is the goal from other angles.
Despite the victory, Spain was not entirely satisfied with the scoreboard. The complaint? They only scored three times despite attempting 46 shots on goal (30 of them between the posts). Yes, they could have scored more.
As a reference point, when the USWNT destroyed Thailand 13-0 in the 2019 World Cup, they did it with 40 shots on goal, 20 of which were on target.
