Preview of Spain vs. Costa Rica Match
Spain has lost seven of its opening World Cup games, more than any other country. Head coach Luis Enrique will be hoping his team does not make the same mistake against Costa Rica in Group E on Wednesday.
Since winning two European Championships and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012, Spain has not reached in another major event final.
However, a new batch of intriguing young people is igniting expectations of a comeback to previous golden days, with players like Pedri and Ansu Fati adding a fresh spark.
At the 2006 World Cup, 22-year-old Fernando Torres of Spain was the youngest player to score a goal, although a number of players may do it in Qatar.
Between 1994 and 2002, Luis Enrique played 12 times for Spain at the World Cup, although he never made it past the quarterfinals.
Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Carvajal, Laporte, P Torres, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; F Torres, Morata, Fati
Costa Rica possible starting lineup:
Navas; C Martinez, Calvo, Duarte, Oviedo; Tejeda, Bennette, G Torres; Borges, Contreras, Campbell
As their head coach, he intends to go farther than that, telling reporters: "Our goal is to play seven games in Qatar."
After a strong performance in a friendly win against Jordan, Marco Asensio may be in the lineup. Enrique said of Asensio: "He [Asensio] has been at another level, amazing.
"He can play anywhere with that mentality and the skills he possesses."
Though three of those victories came in their World Cup debut, Costa Rica's opponents on Wednesday have only won five games overall.
Although Luis Fernando Suárez, the head coach of Costa Rica, was full of admiration for his Spain counterpart's style of play, he also believes that his team is prepared to put up a competitive performance.
Suarez declared, "He [Luis Enrique] is a wonderful coach." "No matter what, Spain will always play in the same manner.
"For a very long time, we've been in World Cup mode. The gang is in excellent spirits and ready to sacrifice everything.
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Players to Watch in Spain vs Costa Rica
Spain: Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres scored at least twice as many goals for Spain during the tournament's qualification in Qatar—four—as any other player, and Luis Enrique will be hoping the Barcelona forward keeps up this goal-scoring trend in their opening game.
Costa Rica: Bryan Ruiz
With eight World Cup appearances for Costa Rica, Ruiz is second only to Christian Bolanos' nine appearances in all-time World Cup participation. The 37-year-old former Fulham player would become the oldest player to play for Costa Rica in a World Cup if he competes in this competition.
Prediction of Spain vs. Costa Rica
Spain may not have a great track record in World Cup opening games, but they should have more than enough talent to defeat Costa Rica on Wednesday at Al Thumama Stadium.
Our supercomputer projects that Luis Enrique's team will win the match with an 82.7% probability as opposed to Costa Rica's 5.4%. The 11.9% likelihood of the teams drawing is not out of the question since Spain may have some early nervousness because several of their players are playing in their first World Cup.
We declare: Costa Rica 0–1 Spain.
Spain might find this to be a very unpleasant encounter, and it would not come as a surprise if the final score was tied. We are betting for La Roja to win by a slim margin because of their recent good defensive play and ability to score at least once in the final third.