DOHA, Qatar
Former champions Spain got
their World Cup off to a pulsating start on Wednesday through a record 7-0 win
over a shell-shocked Costa Rica, with an early Dani Olmo strike taking his
country past the 100 goal mark in soccer's showpiece event.Dani Olmo scores the first of Spain's seven goals at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha
The European giants sought to
make their mark in Group E with an unrelenting pursuit of goals against a Costa
Rican side that posed no threat, taking the points with ease thanks to Olmo,
Gavi, Marco Asensio, Carlos Soler, Alvaro Morata and a brace from Ferran
Torres.
Spain were in control from the
first kick, with Costa Rica dizzied by their early onslaught at the Al Thumama
Stadium in Doha and unable to find any rhythm in a game where Pedri,
Olmo and Asensio dazzled.
Spain almost went ahead after
five minutes, when Pedri's deep cross from the left found Olmo in space, whose
shot went wide of the post.
Asensio squandered a clear
chance moments later, connecting awkwardly with the ball and sending it wide
after being picked out by the pivotal Pedri, who had a role in seemingly every
Spain attack.
They went ahead 11 minutes
into the game when Gavi, who became Spain's youngest ever World
Cup player at the age of 18, put the ball into the path of Olmo, who
turned and deftly lifted it over the advancing keeper Keylor Navas.
Spain pressed hard for a
second and got it on 21 minutes when Jordi Alba's neat pass across the box
found Asensio who fired low past Navas.
Spain searched eagerly for a
third and won a penalty on 31 minutes when Oscar Duarte tripped Alba, with
Ferran Torres coolly stroking the ball down the middle past the helpless Navas.
Spain returned from the break
hungry for more, with Asensio firing over the bar as Olmo's dangerous runs
tested a Costa Rica defence that was all at sea.
Torres gave Spain a fourth and
himself a brace on 53 minutes, finding Gavi on the right, who played it back
into the area for the Barcelona forward to turn and fire home his second.
Gavi found the net himself in
the 16 minutes from time with a sumptuous volley in off the post after from a
floating cross from Alvaro Morata, then Carlos Soler and Morata completed the
demolition with two goals in the dying minutes. - AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment