admin
London. — Spain 7-0 Costa Rica: Luis Enrique’s side lay down a SERIOUS World Cup marker with a sizzling performance in Qatar… with Ferran Torres netting twice and Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata also on target in blitz
After the shock came the awe. While Japan’s stunning victory over Germany may have been the earthquake, Spain’s beautiful, brutal dismantling of Costa Rica will have sent tremors through Group E – and potentially beyond.
They scored a magnificent seven. It could have been 14. After barely half an hour had been played Luis Enrique’s brilliant young maestros were 3-0 up. The game was out and the Mexican Waves were in.
This is a dynamic young side mixed with a sprinkling of experience, the emphasis placed on the team rather than the individual. A flowing 4-3-3 made in Barcelona was far, far too much for opponents whose presence here itself is a completed mission impossible, having secured their place via a play-off win after winning just one of their opening seven qualifying matches.
The problem with the early stages of the World Cup – which will get worse when we are burdened with ludicrous expansion – is that it is often difficult to judge based on the quality of some of the sides in the tournament. Just as we should not be readying Trafalgar Square for a victory parade because England battered Iran, Enrique will not yet be digging out the bunting from 2010’s success on the back of a walk in the palk.
But this was good. Seriously good. Enough to leave Germany — next up to face the Spaniards — contemplating an early Auf Weidersehen..
This is a team of soon-to-be stars. Pedri, of Barcelona, is 19. He has the moves of a shifty, swerving veteran. Enrique already thinks he is the most talented player in the world.
He will have seen nothing here to have moved him from that view. Gavi, another off the Barca conveyor belt, is 18 and became Spain’s youngest participant at a World Cup here, taking Cesc Fabregas’ record.
He too had a field day in a match that resembled a training ground exercise between a Premier League attack and a Dog and Duck defence.
Olmo started the rout on 11 minutes when he calmly dinked over Keylor Navas at the conclusion of the first of many fluid, gorgeous moves. A goal worthy of marking Spain’s century at World Cups.
The 101st was another treat. Another dreamy tiki-taka exchange dragged Costa Rica from left to right and ended when false nine Asensio clipped Jordi Alba’s cross first-time at Navas, who could only push it into the corner of his own net.
With 25 minutes gone the possession counter read north of 80 per cent.
Spain had already completed 250 passes. Breathless, exhilarating stuff.
Barcelona’s former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres rolled a delicious, deceptive penalty past Navas following a stuttering run up for the third after a desperate Oscar Duarte had felled Alba in the area and that was that.
Beyond half-time the relentless pattern continued to be painted by the artists in red shirts and shorts.
Had Costa Rica retreated any further they would have been in the airport over the road. They may be there soon anyway. Their fans, silenced almost from the kick-off, may well have left deflated. — Dailymailsport.
Online Reporter