FIFA Women’s World Cup: Japan vs Costa Rica Odds
Japan Going for Fourth Straight Knockout Stage
Costa Rica Fall in Opener
In a first-time Women’s World Cup meeting, Japan takes on Costa Rica in Dunedin, New Zealand. Japan started off on the right foot, with an opening match win over Zambia. Meanwhile, Costa Rica needs a result here following a 3-0 loss to Spain. Notably, Costa Rica has still never won a Women’s World Cup match in four attempts. We’ll see if that can change as we preview Japan vs Costa Rica odds for this Group C matchup.
Japan vs Costa Rica
Day/Time:
Location: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand
Head-to-Head:
This will be the first opportunity for betting on soccer in this fixture in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. In their only previous meeting of all time, Japan defeated Costa Rica 3-0 in the 2017 Kirin Challenge Cup.
Japan Put on Dominant Display
- FIFA Women’s World Ranking: 11
- Last Match: 5-0 W vs. Zambia
- Next Match: July 31st vs. Spain
Japan made things look easy in their FIFA Women’s World Cup opener vs Zambia. With four second-half goals, Japan got a 5-0 win in Hamilton, New Zealand. Hinata Miyazawa got on the scoresheet twice and Japan didn’t concede any shots. The five-goal margin of victory is one of the most impressive World Cup scores so far. In fact, it’s the biggest margin of victory in the tournament through 12 matches.
The 2011 champions now lead the World Cup group standings in Group C through one match. If Japan gets a win here over Costa Rica, their match vs Spain on July 31st will decide the group. Regardless, a win will likely seal their fourth straight knockout stage appearance. Japan has been, by far, the best Asian team in women’s soccer for some time now. They failed to win the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup but are still the highest-ranked team on the continent.
While Japan’s attacking display vs Zambia was impressive, they didn’t allow anything on defense. They managed their first Women’s World Cup shutout in their last four matches at the tournament. That’s undoubtedly the biggest positive takeaway from coach Futoshi Ikeda as they head into their second group stage match.
Costa Rica Outclassed by Spain
- FIFA Women’s World Ranking: 36
- Last Match: 0-3 L vs. Spain
- Next Match: July 31st vs. Zambia
Costa Rica managed to complete just 156 passes in 90 minutes vs. Spain in their FIFA Women’s World Cup opener. That’s a bad sign for a team that has won just one of their 10 matches this year. Costa Rica also managed just one shot and none on target in their 3-0 loss to Spain as they conceded a whopping 45 shots. Given their struggles, it’s no surprise that Japan vs Costa Rica odds price Las Ticas as underdogs for this match.
Now, in their fifth-ever match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Costa Rica are still looking for their first win. In their only other game vs. AFC opponents, Costa Rica drew 2-2 vs. South Korea in 2015. Costa Rica will have to do better than 19 percent possession and the 47 percent pass success rate they put up vs Spain.
In their last five matches vs. top-50 opposition, Costa Rica has gone just 0-1-4. In Japan, Costa Rica is facing another top-15 side and will need to put forth their best effort. In ten matches this year, Costa Rica has scored just six goals and no one on the roster has emerged as a consistent scorer.
Match Analysis & Odds
The oddsmakers are implying Japan could get another big win on Wednesday. Japan comes into the match as three-goal favorites and shows -110 odds to cover. Costa Rica has never lost a Women’s World Cup match by more than three goals. So, Costa Rica +3 comes in at -115 odds for the match.
Goals are certainly expected in this match as Japan vs Costa Rica odds price is over 3.5 at -130. Note that Japan has only scored four or more goals in a match three times in their Women’s World Cup history, though. The moneylines are about as lopsided as expected for Wednesday’s match.
Bettors can take Japan at -1800 odds as they can seal knockout stage qualification with a win and Spain draw or win vs Zambia. Costa Rica are +3000 underdogs and they’ve done nothing to suggest they’ll be competitive in this match.
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