On the back of a huge win in their opening game at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Japan Women will be looking to carry forward the momentum when the Asian giants clash with Costa Rica Women on Wednesday.
Futoshi Ikeda's team registered a 5-0 victory over Zambia, while Amelia Valverde's side suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Spain in their respective openers in Group C.
Japan would eye to make it into the knockouts of the tournament for the fourth consecutive time, including possibly lifting the trophy for the second time after their 2011 triumph.
On the other hand, Las Ticas are in the quest for their first World Cup win as their second appearance in the finals is under threat of an early exit.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Japan Women vs Costa Rica Women kick-off time & stadium
| Date: | July 26, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 6 am BST |
| Venue: | Forsyth Barr Stadium |
The FIFA Women's World Cup game between Japan and Costa Rica is scheduled for July 26, 2023, at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand.
It will kick off at 6 am BST in the United Kingdom (UK).
How to watch Japan Women vs Costa Rica Women online - TV channels & live streams
The game will be broadcasted live on TV on ITV1 and STV, and is available to stream online live through ITVX and STV Player.
GOAL will also have live updates of the game on its Live Match Center page.
Team news & squads
Japan Women team news
Apart from a brace by Hinata Miyazawa, Mina Tanaka, Jun Endo and Riko Ueki were among the scorers against Zambia, but the latter may still start on the bench again as Ikeda is likely to name an unchanged XI.
Carrying forth with three at the back, hence, Rion Ishikawa, Saki Kumagai and Moeka Minami would want to book another clean sheet.
Meanwhile, among the front three, 19-year-old Aoba Fujina will want to score her first World Cup goal.
Japan Women possible XI: Yamashita; Ishikawa, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Nagano, Hasegawa, Endo; Fujino, Miyazawa, Tanaka.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Yamashita, Tanaka, Hirao |
| Defenders: | Shimizu, Minami, Kumagai, Miyake, Takahashi, Seike, Moriya, Ishikawa |
| Midfielders: | Sugita, Miyazawa, Naomoto, Endo, Hasegawa, Fujino, Hayashi |
| Forwards: | Ueki, Nagano, Tanaka, Hamano, Chiba |
Costa Rica Women team news
Valverde also uses three at the back as Fabiola Villalobos, Mariana Benavides and Valeria del Campo are set to continue in defence, but Daniela Solera will have to stay alert in between the sticks.
With Maria Coto and Cristin Granados deployed in the wide areas, Melissa Herrera, Priscila Chinchilla and Maria Salas should be leading the line of attack for Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Women possible XI: Solera; F. Villalobos, Benavides, Del Campo; Coto, G. Villalobos, Alvarado, Granados; Herrera, Chinchilla, Salas.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Perez, Tapia, Solera |
| Defenders: | Guillen, Coto, Benavides, Del Campo, Sanchez, Elizondo, F. Villalobos |
| Midfielders: | Herrera, Campos, G. Villalobos, Rodriguez, Valenciano, Chinchilla, Granados, Alvarado, Pinell, Scott |
| Forwards: | Salas, Varela, Estrada |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| April 9, 2017 | Japan Women 3-0 Costa Rica Women | Women's international friendly |