The trip to the desert has been wonderful for Spain, sealing the best debut in its history in the World Cup against Costa Rica with an unprecedented win. The time finally came for the red one – this Wednesday redder than ever – to put on a show in Qatar and the party was one of those that leave a mark. Luis Enrique's men completed the most brilliant collective exercise so far in the tournament, showing off against a Costa Rica that proved to be several football steps below. Spain overwhelmed, had a great time and exposed all its virtues on the green without leaving anything. The footballers perfectly embodied the idea of their coach and the result was a well-rounded game and a change of course to dream of that long-awaited second star.
The merit must be double for the national team given the background with which they landed in Qatar. Two defeats and a draw in the last three World Cups did not bode well. A ghost that was firmly scared away at the Al Thumama stadium in Doha, a venue as wonderful as the scoreboard for Spain.
The team in red was once again the triumph of the team, as has been the case since the arrival of Luis Enrique, promoted by himself to the leadership of a team without stars. But it is impossible to deny the evidence and not highlight that one of his footballers seems determined to rebel against this status quo and fight for his pre-eminence. It is none other than a 19-year-old boy born in the Canary Islands and who responds to the name of Pedri, whose recitals are beginning to acquire a football seriousness that is very much to be taken into account. The Ticos can give a good account of them after suffering a nightmare afternoon chasing the ball as if there were no tomorrow.
Spain expressed himself with the ball as well as Von Karajan as a baton or Ronald Reagan with the word. It was the common thread of an afternoon that was dyed red very quickly, lowering the pulse rate of the always restless Luis Enrique in the band, who ended up smiling and hugging all his players. The satisfaction of a job well done.
The prayer to the seven Costa Rican soccer players who got on their knees before the initial whistle was not very helpful because the Spanish machinery started up and did not stop along the way. And that the coach had introduced some new piece, especially in the center of defense, delaying Rodri along with Laporte, an experiment that already worked for him in his last official match in Portugal, where he sealed his passport to the final four of the Nations League.
In less than ten minutes. Dani Olmo and Asensio had touched the goal after two separate passes from Pedri, of course. All the balls passed through it. The red monologue had started and the first laughs came soon after. Gavi filtered a pass inside the area and Dani Olmo got rid of the veteran Duarte with a great maneuver, sweetly beating Keylor Navas chipping the ball. The man from Egar thus signed the hundredth goal in the history of Spain in the World Cups.
Getting ahead on the scoreboard did not make Luis Enrique's men comfortable, who continued to be in love with the ball and striking every time there was an opportunity in a Costa Rican defense as crowded as it was fragile. The superiority in the game was almost insulting and the second was not long in coming. And as would happen with the third, it was made by Jordi Alba, who continues to drink from the chalice of eternal youth like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade. His center, almost without looking, found Asensio, who settled the ball into the net with his usual skill. With no time to digest what was happening, Duarte tripped Alba in the area and Ferran Torres took responsibility, putting the ball into the net for the third time with astonishing ease.
Goals were falling out of Spain's pockets, engrossed in a dream debut in the World Cup. Pedri gave the fourth to Asensio, starting as a false nine ahead of Morata, but the Real Madrid player did not hit the shot this time. The rest did not tarnish the recital, the red was well taught in terms of ambition. Once again Ferran Torres increased his account after a small mistake, solved by himself with skill and with the help of Keylor Navas, who has lived through better times. It was then the moment chosen by Luis Enrique to oxygenate his team and start thinking about Germany , which is not little. Bucket was a breath of fresh air and originated the play of the little hand, which Gavi finished off, making his mark on history even deeper. Carlos Soler, at will, and Morata, with a good shot, rounded off a 7-0 score for the legend, surpassing the 6-1 endorsement against Bulgaria in the 1998 event, up to now the highest score ever.
The red monologue had been a success. Spain also wants to be favourites.
7 - Spain: Unai Simón; Azpilicueta, Rodri, Laporte, Jordi Alba (Balde, m.64); Busquets (Koke, m.64), Gavi, Pedri (Carlos Soler, m.57); Ferran Torres (Morata, m.57), Marco Asensio (Nico Williams, m.69) and Dani Olmo.
0 - Costa Rica: Keylor Navas; Fuller, Duarte, Calvo, Bryan Oviedo (Matarrita, m.82); Borges (Aguilera, m.72), Yeltsin Tejeda; Campbell, Bennette (Bryan Ruiz, m.61), Martínez (Waston, m.46); and Anthony Contreras (Zamora, m.61).
Goals: 1-0, m.11: Dani Olmo. 2-0, m.21: Marco Asensio. 3-0, m.31 Ferran Torres. 4-0, m.54: Ferran Torres. 5-0, m.75: Gavi. 6-0, m.90: Carlos Soler. 7-0, m.92: Morata.
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates). He admonished Calvo (68) and Campbell (95), from Costa Rica.
Incidents: match corresponding to the first day of Group E of the Qatar 2022 World Cup played at the Al Thumama stadium before 40,013 spectators, about 3,500 Spaniards. King Felipe VI witnessed the meeting in the presidential box.
