Canada were on the losing end of a chastening, if slightly unfair, 5-0 scoreline against Spain in their opening game of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The scoring was opened in the second minute by Maria Caldentey. Spain doubled their lead through Lucia Garcia in the 30th minute. Canada looked a better team in the second half, but Spain kept scoring, the third coming through Aitana Bonmati in the 58th minute. There were two late goals to finish the game off, Patricia Gruijarro scoring a long range drive in the 87th minute, and Lucia Garcia scoring her second from in close in the 95th minute.

FIRST HALF:

The scoring started early with Maria Caldentey scoring in the second minute. A long ball from the back was well controlled by the Spanish forward who had slipped in between the two Canadian centre-backs. Her first touch was good enough to give her time and space in the penalty area, and her poked finish underneath the keeper nestled in the bottom corner of the goal.

Canada fought to get back into the game, but the possession game of Spain meant it was difficult to get a real foot on the ball, and any opportunities that came their way were met with stiff resistance from the Spanish back-line. For their part, the Canadian defence were doing well to cut out any more dangerous moves, largely through the work of captain Bianca St. Georges.

St. Georges was called upon again in the 16^th minute when Lucia Garcia sneaked around to the touchline and attempted to pull the ball back to the advancing Caldentey in the centre of the area. St. Georges was able to get across and put in a vital challenge to snuff out the chance.

Deanne Rose found some space to run into in the 17^th minute, driving towards the heart of the Spanish defence. The space wasn't there for long, however, as her attempted shot from the top of the penalty area was charged down by a retreating midfielder.

Spain looked certain to extend the lead in the 24^th minute when Caldentey stole possession in the midfield. Her pass down the right to Nahikari Garcia put the winger in a lot of space inside the box who wasn't selfish and cut the ball back to the advancing Caldentey at the top of the box. She played a very clever pass to Lucia Garcia who was all alone on the back post, but the Spanish winger seemed to have been taken by surprise to the ball and reacted too slowly, scuffing her shot wide.

Deanne Rose had the net rippling in the 29^th minute when St. Georges slipped a pass to her in behind the defence on the right side of the penalty area. She looked up and didn't see any team-mates joining her in the area, so took on the shot from an acute angle. The shot was just wide of the near post, but Canada were starting to threaten.

Spain, however, had other plans, doubling their lead in the 30^th minute. Canada looked to have repelled another Spanish attack by forcing the ball back out to the Spanish left back. Beatriz Beltran sent a beautiful pass into the heart of the penalty area where Lucia Garcia had gotten in between the centre-backs and improvised a classy flicked finish to beat the advancing Foster making the score 2-0 at the first water break.

Spain came close in the 42^nd minute when they worked a short corner back to Beltran who was just out from the top left corner of the penalty area. She lined up a shot and it flashed across the face of goal, just missing the right post. They were even closer in the 43^rd minute. Andrea Falcon got into a great position on the left touchline and dinked a cross back onto the head of the waiting Lucia Garcia. She attempted to glance it in off the right post, but it just drifted wide.

SECOND HALF:

Canada started the second half brightly, putting together a passing move that put Deanne Rose into a good position in the eighteen yard box. The play was defended out for a throw-in on the left that was given back to Rose. The winger was able to get around some defenders and get to a good position in the box. Her shot was hit well and forced a good save out of Maria Quinones, her first involvement with the game.

Marike Mousset did well in the 56^th minute, skipping away from one challenge and running with the ball into the penalty area. She was just about tackled inside the area and Canada won a corner. The corner was sent in and met by an unmarked Bianca St. Georges whose header was hit hard and on target. The keeper was beaten but the ball was headed off the line by Beatriz Beltran.

Spain quickly went down the other end and scored their third, in the 58^th minute. Lucia Garcia did well to chase down a ball on the left flank and keep it in, passing it back to Andrea Falcon who was in support. The cross was high and looping, and the lone Spanish forward looked to be well marked. Aitana Bonmati was able to make a run from outside the box whilst everyone was focused on the ball and met it well, powering her header into the left side of the net and putting Spain up 3-0.

Canada didn't give up after that blow. Deanne Rose came back in the 61^st minute, her direct run getting her past the defence and into a shooting position in the box. The angle on the shot, however, was tight, and the shot was deflected out for a corner that came to nothing.

Substitute Alexandria Lamontagne looked lively after her introduction. In the 66^th minute she was able to bring the ball down and beat two Spanish defenders, sliding the ball between the legs of one of them. Her shot was deflected high into the air and fell to Marie Levasseur, but the Canadian winger was deemed offside by the assistant referee.

Quinones was involved in the 68^th minute when she dashed 30 yards out of her goal to prevent Deanne Rose from getting onto a long ball that Gabrielle Carle had sent over the Spanish defenders. The Spanish keeper was just about able to keep the Canadian attacker from getting past her, but it was scruffily done, and the Canadians would have been pleased about the amount of space behind the back-line.

Alexandria Lamontange had the ball in the net in the 83^rd minute but the goal didn't stand. Levasseur had been released down the right wing and sent a cross to the forward in the middle of the area. It was just behind the substitute, but she was able to trap it and turn on the ball to put a shot into the back of the net. Unfortunately she was just offside when the initial cross was delivered, so the goal was struck off and the score remained 3-0 to Spain.

The score was changed in the 87^th minute, but it was a fourth Spanish goal. Falcon sent in a cross from the left flank that looked to have been cleared by subsitute Sarah Taylor. It only went as far as Patricia Guijarro who was about 25 yards from goal on the right side. She drilled her shot right into the bottom left corner, leaving Rylee Foster stranded in the Canadian net.

The scoring was finished off in the 95th minute by Lucia Garcia. Guijarro found space on the left side of the midfield and played a wonderful diagonal ball into the path of the advancing Garcia coming in off the right wing. She was just about able to control the ball and flicked it past the onrushing Foster. Spain went 5-0 up and the referee blew the final whistle just moments later.

LINEUPS & NOTES:

Canada's starting XI featured Lysianne Proulx in goal, Emma Regan at right back, Bianca St-Georges and Mika Richards at centre back, Marike Mousset at left back, and Ashley Moreira, Deanne Rose, Marie Levasseur, Sarah Stratigakis, Lauren Raimondo, and Gabrielle Carle from midfield up through to the attack.

In the second half, coach Daniel Worthington replaced Stratigakis with Sarah Taylor (63'), Raimondo with Alex Lamontagne (63'), and Rose with Victoria Pickett (73').

Spain's starting XI featured Maria Quinones (goal), Beatriz Beltran, Aitana Bonmati, Rocio Galvez, Nahikari Garcia, Maria Caldentey, Andrea Falcon, Carmen Menayo, Patricia Guijarro, Maria Bores, and Lucia Garcia.

In the second half, coach Pedro Lopez replaced Caldentey with Sandra Hernandez (65'), Nahikari Garcia with Maite Oroz (78'), and Beltran with Andrea Sierra (88').

The match was played in front of 1,187 fans at Bava Park. Spain's Aitana Bonmati earned the FIFA Live Your Goals Player of the Match honours.