The selected of Spain had a dream debut this Wednesday in the Qatar 2022 World Cup after beating Costa Rica 7-0, with a high football level that confirms him as one of the candidates for the title. Dani Olmo (11m PT), Marco Asencio (21m PT) and Ferrán Torres, twice (30m penalty and 9m ST) and Gavi (29m ST), Carlos Soler (45m ST) and Álvaro Morata (48m ST) scored the goals for Luis Enrique’s team in the match played at the Al Thumama stadium.
Spain exhibited a high level commanded by the validity of its captain Sergio Busquetsthe only one left from the champion generation in South Africa 2010, plus the freshness of young talents such as Pedri and Gavi, who emerged from La Masía of the Barcelona club. Costa Rica was not enough even with the presence of goalkeeper Keylor Navas, former Real Madrid and Lionel Messi’s teammate at PSG, who could do little to save his team from a heavy defeat.
La “Roja” imposed the conditions of the game from the beginning with a surprising proposal since finally Álvaro Morata started on the substitute bench and in his place Luis Enrique put Marco Asensio in the center plus Dani Olmo and Torres on the flanks. The formula worked out perfectly for the charismatic Spanish coach as the three scored Spain’s first goals of the match.
At minute 11, Dani Olmo, a player from Leipzig, from Germany, received a good pass from Gavi in the area and after good control he finished with quality above Keylor Navas. The great goal from Spain after a great variety of touches meant the number 100 of the team in the World Cup. Spain is the sixth team to reach this figure. Before, only Brazil (229), Germany (227), Argentina (138), Italy (128) and France (124) had achieved it.
Ten minutes later, the Spaniards once again built a marvelous collective play that ended up on the left for Jordi Alba’s cross-pass for Asensio’s first-round shot that went into the left post. With the operation of a clock, Spain returned to uneven after ten minutes when at 30′ Jordi Alba was knocked down in the area by Oscar Duarte and Ferrán Torres, from a penalty, made it 3-0.
Torres, with many facilities from the Costa Rican defense, made his double and Gavi, one of the figures, converted the fifth with a precise first-class shot from outside the area after a cross from the admitted Moratawho was in charge of the seventh.
Carlos Soler, another who shares a dressing room with Messi at PSG, converted the sixth after taking advantage of a rebound from Navas after a cross Nico Williams, the young man from Athletic Bilbao whose brother (Iñaki) will make his World Cup debut tomorrow but representing Ghana.
In through a strong renewal of players -it is the third youngest team in the competition-, with 20 of 26 rookie footballers and heavy casualties like that of defender Sergio Ramos, Spain is emerging as one of the candidates for the title in Qatar 2022.
Now he must reaffirm it in his second game on Sunday the 27th, against Germanywhich they are bound to win after today’s surprise 2-1 loss to Japan, the other top spot in Group E.
–Synthesis–
Spain: Unai Simon; César Azpilicueta, Rodri, Aymeric Laporte and Jordi Alba; Gavi, Sergio Busquets and Pedri; Ferrán Torres, Marco Asensio and Dani Olmo. DT: Luis Enrique.
Costa Rica: Keylor Navas; Carlos Martínez, Oscar Duarte, Francisco and Bryan Oviedo; Keysher Fuller, Celso Bordes, Yeltsin Tejeda, and Jewison Bennette; Joel Campbell and Anthony Contreras. DT: Luis Fernando Suarez.
Goals: in the first half, 11m. Dani Olmo (E); 21m. Marco Ascencio (E); 31m. Ferrán Torres, penalty (E). In the second half, 9m. Ferran Torres (E); 29m. Gavi (E); 45m. Carlos Soler (E); 48m. Alvaro Morata (E)
Changes: In the second half, before the start, Kendall Waston for Martínez (CR); 12m. Álvaro Morata for Torres (E) and Carlos Soler for Pedri (E); 16m. Alvaro Zamora for Contreras (CR) and Bryan Ruiz for Bennette (CR); 19m. Alejandro Balde for Alba (E) and Koke for Busquets (E); 24m. Nico Williams for Asensio (E); 27m. Brandon Aguilera for Borges (CR); 37m. Ronald Matarrita for Oviedo (CR)
Booked: Calvo and Campbell (CR)
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates)
Stadium: Al Thumama.