Spain and Japan became the first two teams to book their spots in the knockout stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday. Japan comfortably beat Costa Rica 2-0 to all but guarantee its qualification before Spain’s dominant 5-0 win over Zambia assured that both teams made it to the last 16. The two sides will each other in the finale of Group C on Monday, July 31, knowing that the winner will face the runner-up of Group A and the loser will face the top team of Group A. Joe Allison – FIFA/Getty Images Japan’s Aoba Fujino celebrates with teammates after scoring her team’s second goal against Costa Rica. Japan won the Women’s World Cup Group C match 2-0. Joe Allison/FIFA/Getty Images Japan’s Hikaru Naomoto is challenged by Melissa Herrera of Costa Rica. Lars Baron/Getty Images Japan’s Mina Tanaka heads toward the goal against Costa Rica. Sanka Vidanagama/AFP/Getty Images Japan’s fans watch the match against Costa Rica at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. Phil Walter/Getty Images Swiss players, in red, defend their box during a match against Norway on July 25. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Fiona Goodall/FIFA/Getty Images Rain pours down during the Norway-Switzerland match. Phil Walter/Getty Images People in Indigenous dress perform during a welcome ceremony that was held before Norway-Switzerland. Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Philippines midfielder Sarina Bolden celebrates scoring during a Women’s World Cup match against New Zealand on Tuesday, July 25. Bolden’s first-half header lifted her country to a 1-0 victory — its first win ever at a Women’s World Cup. Andrew Cornaga/AP New Zealand’s Hannah Wilkinson attempts to head the ball past Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel during their match on July 25. Katelyn Mulcahy/FIFA/Getty Images Sarina Bolden scores on New Zealand keeper Victoria Esson. Hagen Hopkins/FIFA/Getty Images Philippines fans show their support during the team’s first-ever win at a Women’s World Cup. Jaimi Joy/Reuters Colombia’s Catalina Usme celebrates with teammates after scoring her team’s first goal against South Korea on July 25. Colombia won 2-0. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images South Korea’s Cho So-hyun, bottom left, competes for the ball against Colombia’s Jorelyn Carabali and Carolina Arias. Carl Recine/Reuters Colombia fans show their support in Sydney. Carl Recine/Reuters Colombia’s Catalina Usme tries to control the ball in front of South Korea’s Kim Hye-ri. David Gray/AFP/Getty Images Colombia midfielder Manuela Vanegas receives a yellow card from referee Rebecca Welch. Matt Turner/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Brazil’s Marta, left, heads the ball during a match against Panama on Monday, July 24. Brazil won 4-0. James Elsby/AP Brazil’s Ary Borges celebrates her third goal during the Panama. Her hat trick was the first of the tournament. James Elsby/AP Brazilian fans watch the match against Panama, which was held in Adelaide, Australia. Victoria Adkins/AP Moroccan goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi tries to punch the ball away during a match against Germany on July 24. Germany dominated Morocco 6-0 in what was the biggest scoreline of the tournament so far. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Reuters Germany’s Alexandra Popp celebrates scoring a goal against Morocco. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Reuters Germany fans celebrate as their team gets off to a great start. Hamish Blair/AP Morocco’s Fatima Tagnaout runs during the match against Germany. Kim Price/CSM/Shutterstock Italy’s Cristiana Girelli celebrates after scoring a late winner against Argentina on July 24. Italy won 1-0. Abbie Parr/AP Italian goalkeeper Francesca Durante makes a save during the match against Argentina. David Rowland/Reuters Argentina coach German Portanova reacts during the Italy match. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Italy’s Giulia Dragoni is challenged by Estefania Banini of Argentina. At the age of 16, Dragoni became the youngest player to represent Italy in the competition’s history. David Gray/AFP/Getty Images Jamaican players celebrate on Sunday, July 23, after their 0-0 draw against France earned them their country’s first-ever point in the Women’s World Cup. Mark Baker/AP Jamaica’s Atlanta Primus tugs the shirt of France’s Grace Geyoro. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images Jamaican goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer marshals her defense. Mark Baker/AP Jamaica’s Khadija “Bunny” Shaw is sent off for a second bookable offense against France. Mark Baker/AP France’s Estelle Cascarino, left, and Shaw battle for the ball. Lars Baron/Getty Images Portugal’s Ines Pereira dives in vain as the Netherlands’ Stefanie van der Gragt, not pictured, scores the only goal in the match on July 23. Alessandra Tarantino/AP Van der Gragt, left, and Portugal’s Jessica Silva battle for possession. Joe Allison/FIFA/Getty Images Silva signs autographs for fans after the match. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt celebrates after scoring a late winner against South Africa on July 23. Sweden won 2-1. Amanda Perobelli/Reuters South Africa’s Hildah Magaia, who scored the opening goal, runs with the ball alongside Sweden’s Elin Rubensson. Katelyn Mulcahy/FIFA/Getty Images A South Africa fan shows support during the match. Colin Murty/AFP/Getty Images Danish players celebrate Amalie Vangsgaard’s late goal that gave them a 1-0 victory over China on Saturday, July 22. Paul Kane/Getty Images China fans show their support prior to their team’s opening match against Denmark. Gary Day/AP China’s Zhang Linyan competes for the ball with Denmark’s Pernille Harder. Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters China head coach Shui Qingxia gestures during the match. Dan Peled/Reuters England’s Alessia Russo and Haiti’s Tabita Joseph fight for the ball during the two sides’ opening game on July 22. England’s Lionesses, the reigning European champions, earned a scrappy 1-0 victory over the tournament debutants. Dan Peled/Reuters England’s Georgia Stanway converts the winner against Haiti from the penalty spot. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Nicolas Delépine, Haiti’s head coach, instructs his team during the match. Zac Goodwin/PA Images/Getty Images Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus jumps to make one of many impressive saves against England. John Cowpland/AP Japan’s Jun Endo celebrates with her bench after scoring her team’s fourth goal in a 5-0 win against Zambia on July 22. David Rowland/Reuters Japan’s Mina Tanaka battles with Zambia’s Agnes Musase. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Aoba Fujino of Japan is brought down by Zambian goalkeeper Catherine Musonda, resulting in a penalty to Japan. It was later overturned due to offside. John Cowpland/AP Japan supporters react following their team’s emphatic victory over Zambia. Carmen Mandato/USSF/Getty Images US forward Alex Morgan is surrounded by Vietnam defenders during their opening match on July 22. The United States, the two-time defending champs, won 3-0. Fiona Goodall/FIFA via Getty Images Lindsey Horan, left, celebrates with US teammate Megan Rapinoe after Horan scored the third goal against Vietnam. Rafaela Pontes/AP Players collide in the box as Vietnam goalkeeper Trần Thị Kim Thanh looks to clear the ball away. Ane Frosaker/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images US forward Sophia Smith dribbles the ball against Vietnam. She scored the first two goals of the match. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images Fans cheer during the US-Vietnam match in Auckland, New Zealand. Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Spain’s Esther González wins a header against Costa Rica’s Mariana Benavides on Friday, July 21. Spain won 3-0. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images González scores her team’s third goal against Costa Rica. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images A Māori welcoming ceremony is held prior to the Spain-Costa Rica match. Molly Darlington/Reuters Switzerland’s Seraina Piubel scores her team’s second goal during its 2-0 victory against the Philippines on July 21. Molly Darlington/Reuters The Philippines’ Katrina Guillou takes a shot against Switzerland’s Gaëlle Thalmann. The goal was disallowed. Lars Baron/Getty Images A Philippines fan enjoys the pre-match atmosphere. This was the country’s Women’s World Cup debut. William West/AFP/Getty Images Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan punches the ball clear during a 0-0 draw against Nigeria on July 21. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Reuters Nigeria’s Uchenna Kanu takes a selfie with fans after the Canada match. William West/AFP/Getty Images Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie clears the ball after saving a penalty by Canada’s Christine Sinclair. Carl Recine/Reuters Australia’s Steph Catley, third from left, celebrates scoring her team’s only goal against Ireland on Thursday, June 20. Australia won 1-0 in Sydney. Alex Pantling/FIFA via Getty Images Fans in Melbourne celebrate as they watch the match between Australia and Ireland. Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images Ireland’s Heather Payne, left, tries to cross the ball past Australia’s Kyra Cooney-Cross. This was Ireland’s first-ever match in a Women’s World Cup. Jaimi Joy/Reuters Supporters of both Australia and Ireland watch the match in Sydney. The second match of this year’s tournament set a new single-game attendance record for a women’s soccer match in Australia, with 75,784 fans watching. Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold makes a save. David Rowland/Reuters New Zealand’s Ria Percival and Katie Bowen, in black, compete for the ball with Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen on July 20. New Zealand won the opening match 1-0. It was the country’s first-ever win at a Women’s World Cup. Jan Kruger/FIFA via Getty Images Norway star Ada Hegerberg reacts after a missed chance against New Zealand. Abbie Parr/AP New Zealand’s CJ Bott, left, and Norway’s Mathilde Harviken vie for the ball. Andrew Cornaga/AP New Zealand fans react during the match against Norway, which was played in Auckland, New Zealand. Jan Kruger/FIFA/Getty Images Norway players huddle before the match against New Zealand. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Fireworks explode during the tournament’s opening ceremony, which was held before the New Zealand-Norway match. Buda Mendes/Getty Images The roughly 10-minute opening ceremony celebrated both New Zealand and Australia’s indigenous heritage and culture, with Māori and First Nations dancers and singers taking to the center of the field. Abbie Parr/AP Dancers perform during the opening ceremony at Auckland’s Eden Park. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Performers dance during the opening ceremony. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images A performer is pictured during the opening ceremony. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Benee and Mallrat perform “Do It Again,” the official song of this year’s Women’s World Cup, during the opening ceremony. Benee is from New Zealand and Mallrat is from Australia. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Dancers take the field during the opening ceremony. David Rowland/Reuters Children hold flags during the opening ceremony. After its straightforward opening win against Costa Rica and with a plethora of stars at its disposal, many are tipping Spain to make it deep into the Women’s World Cup. And La Roja once again proved its title credentials from the opening exchanges against Zambia at Eden Park health in Auckland, New Zealand. Its slick interchange between its attacking talent – including Jennifer Hermoso, two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and her Barcelona teammates Aitana Bonmatí and Salma Paralluelo – had the Zambia defense lost at sea and was a delight to watch. But it was the team’s holding midfielder, Teresa Abelleira, who broke the deadlock in emphatic fashion. In the ninth minute, Abelleira picked up the ball on the edge of the box before smashing it into the top corner – the fastest goal of the tournament so far. Just five minutes later, the lead was doubled as Hermoso headed home from the far post after an exquisite Putellas cross set the 33-year-old up on her 100th national team appearance. With an early lead, Spain turned on the style, leaving the Zambia defense flummoxed as it attempted to stop the waves of attacks. After the halftime break, Zambia put in a much more impressive display, offering much more of an attacking threat to a Spanish defense that had been rarely tested throughout its first two matches. However, Spain once again put the ball in the back of the net, with halftime substitute Alba Redondo coolly rounding the goalkeeper before tapping home in the 69th minute. The lead ballooned to 4-0 just a minute later when Hermoso slammed home her second of the game – the goal was initially ruled out for offside but later awarded by the video assistant referee (VAR). Despite bringing so much positivity and energy to the World Cup, Spain’s fourth goal seemed to dent Zambian spirits as the realization that their World Cup exit had been all but guaranteed. It didn’t end there though for the African debutant with Hermoso missing out on a chance for a hat-trick by hitting the bar before Redondo got her second of the game with a calm finish from the center of the box. The late flurry capped off an emphatic overall performance from Spain which sees it and Japan through to the next round where both teams could face any of the teams in Group A with all outcomes possible with one game left; all of Switzerland, New Zealand, the Philippines and Norway can make it to the knockout round. Having comfortably beaten Zambia 5-0 in its opening game, Japan continued its impressive showing at the World Cup against Costa Rica. Through its slick passing maneuvers and tactical rigidity, it looked a class above the world No. 36, creating chances at will. The breakthrough finally came in the 25th minute, Naomoto emphatically punishing an ill-timed mistake from a Costa Rican defender, powering the ball into the bottom corner to open the scoring. And just two minutes later, the Asian nation had its second of the game. 19-year-old forward Fujino, showing some tight dribbling skills and explosive speed to evade one defender, burst into the box before smashing the ball past Las Ticas goalkeeper Daniela Solera at her near post. With its lead, Japan never let up, continuing to show its effective combination build up play and hard work off the ball as it stifled any Costa Rican attacks. Although it will face much stiffer tests going forward, Japan has shown its credentials for competing for a second World Cup title. As for Costa Rica, it will be eliminated from the World Cup if Spain avoids defeat against Zambia.
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