The tiqui-taca has returned

Fourteen years ago, then in a Eurocup, there was a match that made the fans fall in love with the National Team. It was 3-0 in the semifinal against Russia, the beginning of everything that came after, which was something like playing soccer playing the violin. Maybe it’s just an illusion, this has only just begun, but the 7-0 defeat of Costa Rica in their World Cup debut leaves us with that aroma of good football. A style to be proud of. If we asked this group for one thing, that they not betray themselves, that they play in the World Cup with the impudence of their youth and talent, the first game was enough to make it clear to us.

Because the recital went far beyond what the goals from Olmo, Asensio, Gavi, Soler, Morata and Ferran say, this one twice. It was gestated from the initial lineup in which Luis Enrique returned to steal our wallet. From the false central to the false nine, this is how Spain was born in the game, with Rodrigo and Asensio in territories where they usually do not move. The City player was especially surprising, since his ownership only creates a shadow of doubt about pure center-backs like Eric Garcia or Pau Torres.

Guaranteeing a better ball output justified the coach’s decision, who in attack also chose to leave Morata on the bench instead of Asensio. You know, the trompe l’oeil, that optical illusion with which a person is fooled into believing that they see something different from what they really see. Something that translated into football meant that the central defenders Calvo, Duarte and Fuller did not know if Asensio was coming or going, if he was going up or down. That instead of shooting him he would seem Galician, although for that there is no one better than Iago Aspas, who is more Galician than the octopus.

In minute 4 came Pedri’s first pearl. He received and crossed with his right foot, rather than centering, he rocked a ball that came free to Olmo with his boot, whose first shot went too cross. It was a flash, a connection in the blink of an eye with which to tear apart the defense of five ordered by Luis Fernando Suárez. That was the way, there was no doubt. The thing about Pedri is not my filia fallen from heaven. Two minutes later, the Barça player served another sweet ball to Alba, now on the left, and two minutes later another to Asensio, then through the center. The low shot from the Spaniard came inches from the left post defended by who until four seasons ago was his teammate at Real Madrid, Keylor Navas.

Ten minutes later, a wonder goal one of those that by themselves serve to summarize the idea that a team has of football. Busquets, Alba, Olmo and Gavi triangulated so that the ball finally reached Olmo who, in a turn on a tile, he settled the ball on his right leg to finish off at will against Keylor. There is someone who at this time tries to emulate that goal on the PlayStation… and it doesn’t work out.

But the best example of that virtue to speed up what until then seems like a lullaby came at minute 20. The Spanish attack walked back to the trantran until Busquets opened Alba; just at that moment, the blaugrana accelerated the danger with an early bounce pass that Asensio, in the same way, that is, finishing off first, led to the net. And ten minutes later came the third after a penalty to Alba that was converted by Ferran. It was 3-0, the fruit of a game of carats, the best way to make easy what is always enormously difficult, the debut in a World Cup. An overwhelming domain that translates into a figure made in Mister Chip: the National Team completed 549 passes in those first 45 minutes, the most at any time in any game in World Cup history. Big words.

Costa Rica ran after the ball

At this point in the chronicle I have not talked about Costa Rica, the only thing certain is that the Central American team suffered unspeakably and did enough to run after the ball. He couldn’t even glimpse the shore with a long pass to Contreras, nor with a Campbell tackle; His coach, Suárez, was desperate on the wing, his gesture seemed to assume that at this point in the afternoon there was nothing left but to take the blow in the best way and think about how to heal his wounds with a view to Sunday’s match against Japan. Hence, the five extra minutes with which referee Abdulla decided to extend the punishment hurt him greatly. At the end of the game, with eight minutes of extension, the tear would increase.

So would the long and heavy fifteen minutes of the break, because the die, even with the caution of knowing that what we have on our hands is a World Cup, was cast. Even more so when Spain’s fourth goal came in the early stages of that second half, perhaps the most confusing, the most suffered, but also for that, for fighting for it despite already having the victory in their pocket, worthy of praise. Ferran tried it first but, having no luck, he insisted and recovered the ball to turn and beat Keylor again. The Valencian was rewarded with the goal and with the break that was won just three minutes later, being replaced by Morata.

From there to the end, Luis Enrique brought in Soler, Balde, Koke and Nico Williams in an attempt to add everyone to the cause, to invite them to the party crowned with the fifth, sixth and seventh goal by Gavi, Soler and Morata; to make them catch that game and sensations with which to gain inertia towards that miura that awaits on Sunday, which is none other than Germany injured after its misstep against Japan. There will be time to talk about it. For now, let’s finish the glass of cava and sweep all the confetti off the floor.