Nothing like starting a World Cup celebrating goals. Spain has scored up to seven against Costa Rica, in one extraordinary staging in Qatar. Never before has such a comprehensive victory been signed in the tournament.
If there were any doubts about his options, the selection has washed them away in one fell swoop: it’s a team capable of everything, full of enthusiasm and freshness, supportive and talented. He has shown all his virtues in his first match of the World Cup and has presented his candidacy to win the tournament. Or at least fight it. Few teams have performed at such a level in Qatar.
In half an hour, the score already reflected one 3-0 in favor of Spainsymbol of the insulting superiority of La Roja against a weak Costa Rica, unable to win the individual duels or at least to put in difficulties in unai simon.
In the stadium of Al Thumama, which has not been filled despite the official FIFA attendance figure, the ‘ticos’ and their supporters have become small before the gale from Spain.
True to their style, Spain has become master and lord of the ball. Each player played his role perfectly: the central players were alert, the full-backs were deep (especially Jordi Alba), the midfielders were dominant and the forwards were sharp. All three scored: Olmo, Asensio and Ferran, before the clock struck the 30th minute.
Luis Enrique has not surprised with the drawing, but with the line-up: Rodri has started from central, with Azpilicueta on the right side, a predictable midfield (Busquets, Pedri and Gavi) and a striker without a ‘new’ born.
Morata has remained on the bench and Asensio has taken his position, flanked by two of the coach’s most loyal soldiers, Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo. The selector’s bet has turned out flawless.
From the opening whistle, Spain went to work. There was no voice or vote for Costa Rica, absolutely deforested by the football of the national team. Busquets, Pedri and Gavi ruled the match with authority and Spain began to carburate from the start, with Olmo about to score in the 4th minute, after a great filtered pass from Pedri.
The 100th goal to open the scoring
The first goal came minutes later, when Gavithe youngest player in the game, hit a ball in the area: Dani Olmo fought him, Duarte failed to mark and the Lepizig striker deftly beat the start of Keylor Navas. Spain celebrated it with excitement: an unbeatable way to start a World Cup game.
It was also Spain’s hundredth goal in the tournament.
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with Pedri in the baton, Spain liked it: the game flowed, the forwards came into action and the team was comfortable. The second goal has confirmed it, work d’Asensio in the 21st minute: the Balearic perfectly read Alba’s movement on the left side and connected a shot that ended up in the net with the help of Keylor Navas, too soft in the rejection, an improper error ‘a goalkeeper in his category.
With room for maneuver
Two goals lead goes a long way, and Spain has managed to digest this advantage with maturity. He has neither backed down nor slowed down. In Luis Enrique’s plan there is no room for relaxation or speculation.
Spain continued in the match, opening the field with Olmo and Ferran, with Asensio coming down to play with Pedri, a extraordinary collective functioning.
Alba, particularly active in attack, forced the penalty which generated the 3-0. Duarte hit his left ankle and the referee didn’t hesitate. Ferran Torres converted from 11 meters: it was the 29th minute and Spain’s three forwards had already scored.
The national team came close to scoring the fourth goal in the added minutes of the first half, when Pedri set up Asensio: the Madrid striker lined up to shoot with his left leg, but he shot too late and his shot hit the outside of the net.
The premiere of Balde
Luis Enrique kept the plan in the restart. Spain has continued to play with one non-negotiable intensityuntil reducing to the minimum expression in Costa Rica, a selection that has ended up resigned to conceding goals even from rebounds, like the one scored by Ferran Torres in the 54th minute, fighting a dead ball between two defenders to only one Keylor meter.
After the 4-0, Luis Enrique refreshed the team: Morata and Soler came in to give Ferran Torres and Pedri some air. There has also been time because Bucket debuted in the absolute selection, replacing Alba, at the same time as Koke suplia a Busquetsmissing half an hour.
Spain has enjoyed a placid final stretch of the match, a strange feeling in the middle of the World Cup. While other selections suffer more than the account or directly walk close to the abyss, such as Argentina or Germany, Spain has gifted itself a comforting and vitamin victory.
With the homework done, Luis Enrique has distributed minutes: Nico Williams has also entered, a substitute I agree that he has arrived at the World Cup very inspired; excellent news for a choral Spain, who have run like clockwork in their first match of the tournament. Ansu Fati is the only striker who has not had minutes.
Gavi and Soler, World Cup scorers
The party had already entered that phase that the Americans call the minutes from the garbage when Morata and Gavi signed the move that rounded off the thrashing. The Atlético de Madrid striker stood in front of Keylor, but the goalkeeper was able to stop him. Attentive to the rejection, Morata saw Gavi reach the front and gave him an ideal ball to hook it on the volley. This is how Gavi finished, goalscorer in his first World Cup match, just turned 18. He was also the MVP of the party.
Spain’s thrashing did not end here, determined to squeeze the game until the last second. The substitutes have come out hungry: two of them have made the sixth; with Nico Williams going deep on the right and placing a ball on the penalty spot.
Keylor failed again on the way out: he left the ball dead at the feet of Carlos Soler, arriving from the second line. He just had to finish with pleasure.
A result to frame
Another player off the bench, Morata, has closed a thrashing of scandal. He has signed Spain’s seventh, after taking advantage of a good one interior pass of Olmodiscreet player though essential in Luis Enrique’s plans. Morata, in need of a goal, celebrated it in a big way. It was not for less: the 7-0 is the Spain’s biggest thrashing in the World Cup.
Make way for Spain, seems to say the selection, which has burst into the tournament in Qatar with one perfect combination of talent, youth and ambition to fight for the title. He has signed a thrashing that goes straight into the history of football and that consolidates the hopes of an entire country.
