Doha ∙ At the Thumama Stadium in Qatar, goals rained down in the real ascent of the Spanish team. Spain beat Costa Rica by seven goals to nil in what proved to be a completely one-sided game in Group E, considered the group of death. Seven goals have been scored by six members of the Spanish squad. The brace of Ferran Torres (31-penalty, 54), Dani Olmo (11), Marco Asensio (21), Gavi (74), Carlos Soler (90), Alvaro Morata (90+2) and the goals of the Spaniard army made a great victory.
With this, Spain moved up to first place in Group E with three points. The second is Japan who defeated Germany by two goals to one. It is also Spain’s biggest win in World Cup history. Prior to this, Spain had only scored more than five goals in a World Cup match twice. Spain won 5-1 against Denmark in 1986 and 6-1 against Bulgaria in 1998.
Spain’s dominance on the pitch was also reflected on the draw. Spain had 81% of the ball and completed 1043 passes during the match! It ranks in Costa Rica’s 231 paces. Spain’s next game is against Germany.
∙ The way the goals came
Spain 1st Goal: Spain’s first goal followed a series of attacks in the Costa Rican area. Gavi, who holds the distinction of being the youngest player to play in the World Cup for Spain, started the goal clearance. Gavi lifted the ball in the box and hit the Costa Rican defensive wall in front of Dani Olmo. The star’s shot passed Keylor Nawaz and went into the net. Spain’s 100th goal in the world. Score 1–0.
Spain’s second goal: Spain increased their lead within 10 minutes. This time the target was Marco Asensio. The Costa Rican defense remained largely unmoved as Jordi Alba lifted the ball from the left wing just outside the box. Asensio converted the ball into the net without delay. The ball hit Nawaz’s hands, but the ball went into the net. Score 2-0.
Spain’s third goal: Over the next 10 minutes, Spain extended the lead to three. This time it was a penalty for Sepa that paved the way for the goal. This time, Jordi Alba is the architect of the goal. Penalty awarded to Spain for Duarte who pushes Alba inside the Costa Rican area. Ferran Torres took the kick and found the target with ease. Score 3-0.
Spain’s fourth goal: The only question was when Spain would score their fourth goal, attacking non-stop in the second half of the first half. This question was answered in the 54th minute. Once again, the lack of grip of the Costa Rican defense was evident. A defender and goaltender Keylor Navas came to block as Ferran Torres rushed into the Costa Rican box with the ball. Torres, who defends both from behind, immediately cuts the shot and scores into the net: 4-0.
Spain 5th goal: Next was Gavi’s chance to become the youngest Spanish player to play in a World Cup. As usual, the Costa Rican moved towards goal and the ball passed from Alvaro Morata to Gavi. Spain’s youngest ever World Cup goalscorer was born when Gavi received the ball and drove it straight into the net. Score 5-0.
Spain sixth goal: Spain scored their sixth goal in the 90th minute, leaving the Costa Rican defense in shambles as spectators. This time it was the turn of Carlos Soler, who came on as a substitute. Keylor Nawaz was unable to hold Williams’ cross in the box which led to the goal. Soler received the ball in the center of the box and easily curled the ball into the right corner of the post. Score 6-0.
Seventh Spain goal: In the second minute of added time, Spain reached ‘seventh heaven’ of goals. Alvaro Morata was the target this time. Morata received the ball from Dani Olvo and fired the ball into the net, making Keylor Navas a spectator. Score 7-0.
English summary: FIFA World Cup Football, Spain vs Costa Rica
