Spain turned on the style as they began their FIFA Women's World Cup Finals campaign with a compelling 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in front of 22,966 fans at a wet and windy Sky Stadium in Wellington on July 21, a win which would have been far greater but for the exploits of the beaten team's goalkeeper, Daniela Solera, who produced a fine display to mark her 26th birthday. "La Roja" were all over their opponents from the first whistle, making light of the inclement conditions with their enterprising interchanges, off-the-ball movement and all-round quality swiftly confirming them as a genuine contender for the prized trophy. They fashioned their first opening in the seventh minute, Salma Paralluelo and Teresa Abelleira working a one-two before the former picked out the well-timed run of the outstanding Aitana Bonmati, who fired a volley past the near post. Two minutes later, a gorgeous move captured the attention of all present. Ona Batlle, Bonmati and Jennifer Hermosa combined to play in Athenea Del Castillo on the right, from where she fizzed in a low cross to the near post. Arriving on cue was Esther Gonzalez, whose deft flick diverted the ball across goal but just past the far post - the move merited greater reward. "Las Ticas" responded with a route one raid, Solera's raking clearance flicked on by Maria Salas for Melissa Herrera to latch onto and race clear of the chasing Spanish defenders. Sadly for Costa Rica, she angled her low drive across the face of goal and past the far post. 'Twas to be a rare raid for the Central American contenders, who found themselves putting in a mighty defensive shift long before the match had even been going twenty minutes in an effort to stave off Spain's concerted attacks, with Fabiosa Villalobos and Mariana Benevides both putting in terrific shifts for the cause. Jorge Vilda's charges still found a way through, however. In the eleventh minute, only a brilliant save by Solera prevented Ivana Andres from heading home the opener after Paralluelo had headed Abelleira's corner inside. Eight minutes later, the same pairing combined again, Abelleira picking out Paralluelo, who sent an angled header flashing past the near post, two minutes before she sparked the move which led to the deadlock being broken. Hermoso, Abelleira and Bonmati were swiftly involved, the last-mentioned's back-heeled round-the-corner pass inviting Gonzalez to drive a low cross into the goalmouth, where the retreating figure of Valeria Del Campo couldn't avoid turning the ball into her own net - 1-0 after 21 minutes. Within six minutes, Spain had scored twice more. Just two minutes after the "oggie", Batlle and Del Castillo worked an opening on the right before bringing Bonmati into play. Her first touch allowed her to evade the attentions of two opponents; her second sent the sphere sizzling past the diving figure of Solera from fifteen yards. Costa Rica's custodian did well to deny both Gonzalez and Olga Carmona inside the next couple of minutes, but the prolific Gonzalez wasn't to be denied, the striker hooking home the rebound in the 27th minute after Hermoso had headed Del Castillo's cross to the far post against the crossbar - 3-0. "Las Ticas" were shellshocked, understandably, the rapidity with which Spain had taken the game away from them of "blink and you'll miss it" nature. And in the 34th minute, they should have extended their advantage still further after Australian referee Casey Reibelt unhesitatingly pointed to the penalty spot after Villalobos fouled Carmona in the area. Hermoso's bid to join in the goalscoring fun was splendidly saved by Solera, who'll remember her birthday for that denial alone, even though she had plenty more heroics to produce to prevent her team from being embarrassed on the scoreboard by this scintillating Spanish side. In the five minutes before half-time, they fashioned just as many chances, with Paralluelo, Abelleira and Gonzalez all seeing shots blocked, while the last-mentioned directed a header onto the roof of the net before sending another header flashing past the far post - they really were in the mood!

But they were also vulnerable to the odd counter-attack, something Costa Rica twice looked to exploit inside the final five minutes of the half. Herrera's pursuit of a lost cause saw her close down a rather casual Misa Rodriguez in the 41st minute, "La Roja"'s goalkeeper only just getting away with clearing her lines on receipt of an Irene Paredes back-pass. Three minutes later, Herrera was sent hurtling down the right by Katherine Alvarado, from where she directed a low cross towards the tireless Priscilla Chinchilla, who ran herself into the ground for the cause. Andres' intervention thwarted her bid to reduce the deficit, but Spain had been warned. It was a warning they heeded, for they started the second half strongly. Within three minutes of the resumption of play, Paralluelo and Carmona combining on the left for the benefit of Abelleira, whose drive deflected off Gonzalez and was grabbed by Solera. Two minutes later, Hermoso fed Del Castillo, who set off on a driving cross-field run before inviting Carmona to unleash a rasping angled drive which grazed the top of the crossbar. Spain regained possession straight from the resulting goal kick, Bonmati threading the needle with a pass to Del Castillo, whose cross ricocheted off a defender towards Gonzalez. Her shot on the turn deflected past the post. "La Roja" were relentless. A sumptuous move deserved better fate in the 55th minute, with Paralluelo and Bonmati combining with Hermoso on the left, where she cheekily nutmegged Villalobos before crossing to the near post, where Gonzalez was on hand to flick the ball past the upright. Solera tipped a Paralluelo effort over the bar soon afterwards, the teenager having weaved her way through three challenges before shooting. From Abelleira's resulting corner, Carmona hit a screamer which was in for all money until Solera produced a superb save, diving to her left. Cue another Abelleira corner, one which Andres rose to meet. Her header was destined for the top far corner of the net until you-know-who flung herself high to her right to once more prevent the Spanish from adding to their advantage - Solera was immense in this game. It's not exaggerating things to say Spain would have trebled their tally but for her efforts. Once the usual raft of second half substitutions started, Spain lost some of their momentum, but they carved out half-a-dozen opportunities worthy of note before the final whistle sounded, the first of them materialising in the 64th minute. Bonmati's angled cross rewarded the angled run of Paralluelo in off the left flank, but she guided her header past the far post. After Carmona's dipping twenty-five yarder had flashed a foot over the bar, the fullback careered down the left before inviting substitute Alexia Putellas to chance her arm. Carol Sanchez foiled the newcomer, but the ball broke kindly for Bonmati, who battered it past Solera's right-hand post. Seven minutes from time, Costa Rica's custodian kept out a shot on the turn from Putellas, while after she had saved a deflected effort from Bonmati after a neat one-two with Alba Redondo, Solera thwarted the substitute with her feet in stoppage time, fellow newcomer Oihane Hernandez having created the opportunity soon after her introduction to the fray. On this showing, the Spanish will definitely be in the conversation when push comes to shove later in the tournament, and their Group C encounter with Japan promises to be a wonderful exhibition of high quality football. "Las Ticas" will have to hope for better in their remaining group games, in the knowledge that in Solera, they've got a goalkeeper who will spare their blushes more often than not. Spain:          Rodriguez; Batlle (Hernandez, 88), Paredes, Andres, Carmona; Bonmati, Hermoso, Abelleira (Zornoza, 77); Del Castillo (Caldentey, 63), Gonzalez (Redondo, 63), Paralluelo (Putellas, 77) Costa Rica:     Solera; F. Villalobos, Benavides, Del Campo; Coto, Alvarado, G. Villalobos (Pinell, 73), Elizondo (Granados, 58); Herrera, Salas (Scott, 73), Chinchilla Referee:     Casey Reibelt (Australia)