Spain takes on a rising Costa Rican team on Wednesday afternoon’s opening match of the 2022 World Cup. The 2022 FIFA World Cup opener between Costa Rica and Spain will take place on November 23. Costa Rica and Spain have met three times before, with Spain winning twice and drawing the third.
Spain has an opportunity to put years of frustration behind them at the World Cup in 2022. La Roja, the defending champions, lost in a humiliating group stage at the 2014 championships before losing to hosts Russia in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16 four years earlier. Luis Enrique will have to stop Spain from getting a subpar result for the third time in a row.
They were drawn into the “Group of Death” this year alongside Germany, Japan, and their current opponents, Costa Rica, so the challenge is tough.
The CONCACAF nation has previously shocked the world by reaching the quarterfinals in 2014 despite finishing atop a brutally difficult group.
Spain had little trouble qualifying for Qatar. That will mark the former champions’ 12th consecutive World Cup appearance. Spain are playing great as they kept six successes and two draws in the past eight matches. Spain defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 at home in the previous match.
Spain typically has an excellent defense. In the last four games, they have only let in three goals. Additionally, under 2.5 goals were scored in three of those four games.
Costa Rica did not do well in the CONCACAF zone qualifications, but they finished fourth in the table, giving them a chance to get to Qatar if they beat New Zealand in a playoff game.
Their strong defense is Costa Rica’s greatest strength. In the last nine games, they have only given up three goals. Under 2.5 goals were scored in eight of those nine games.
Spain’s World Cup campaign gets underway at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. They will be a part of a tricky group that also includes powerful Germany and Japan, which is always dangerous.
Spain is fortunate to have one of the tournament’s most balanced squads entering this tournament. The redesign that occurred after continuous dissatisfactions in the 2014 and 2018 releases is by all accounts in its last stages, with Las Furias Rojas dazzling in the 2021 European Championship, barely losing to possible holders Italy in the semi-finals.
To advance, Costa Rica needed a huge win over New Zealand in the playoffs, but it looks like they won’t be able to replicate their 2014 success, especially with their overreliance on veteran players and lack of exciting young players to back them up.
Since the Johannesburg final, the 2010 champions have not won a World Cup knockout match. However, Luis Enrique’s youth-infused team enters the contest buoyed by recent semi-final appearances in the Nations League and European Championships.
Costa Rica has risen 14 places in the FIFA World Rankings in 2022, more than any other nation competing in this year’s championships. However, they are still 24 rungs below Spain, which is in seventh place.
After reaching the Nations League semifinals in a dramatic manner, the Spaniards are high on confidence. They are immediately under pressure, to begin with a victory over Costa Rica because they will have to be wary of Germany, which is in the same group as them.
In the Nations League, Luis Enrique’s team defeated Portugal, a team that had previously won the Euro, 0-1, also on the road, to finish first in their group. As a result, they were invited to the competition’s knockout rounds, which will take place in the middle of 2023.
It is essential to note that the Portuguese were unable to withstand the pressure exerted by the Spanish armada, and all they needed to become toppers was a draw at home.
The fact that Germany, four-time world champions, is in the same group should also be taken seriously. However, Enrique’s team has a fantastic record against Die Mannschaft in recent matches. An excellent illustration is the 6-0 defeat a year earlier.
It’s likely that La Roja only want to finish first in the group. In recent times, they have utterly failed to attain glory on numerous occasions.
They lost in the Euros semis despite being the better team, they lost in the Olympic Gold Medal match despite being favorites, and they lost in the Nations League final despite having a 1-0 lead in the 65th minute.
They finally believe that it is their turn. This time, they should be successful. Their youthful and energetic core has matured and has the experience to handle pressure.
Most importantly, they have an excellent h2h record over the years against the Costa Ricans. This Wednesday at the Al Thumama, Spain is certain to win easily.
Spain are one of the five major favorites, but they haven’t won a game yet; this will be their first World Cup game in 2022. Spain’s sharing of Group E with Germany is the worst thing that can happen to them.
Under Luis Enrique as a coach and captain Sergio Busquets as captain in Qatar in 2022, Spain appears poised to improve. Even though they were strong contenders for the top prize, their participation in the most recent competition in Russia was brief. The Spaniards battled hard against Russia to earn a 1-1 draw at halftime, but they were eliminated by the penalty kick.
In comparison to their previous World Cup opener against Portugal, this matchup with Costa Rica ought to be relatively straightforward. Even though all of the matches were friendly, Spain has beaten Costa Rica twice and drew once in previous encounters. In 2017, the Spaniards defeated the Costa Ricans 5-0 at home in a friendly match.
Spain ought to be one of the most likely candidates to finish in the top four at the World Cup. Despite this, the Spanish team’s most talented players are still too young to compete in the World Cup until two or three years from now. Despite the fact that they are only 19 and 18 years old, Ansu Fati and Gavi are probably the most talented members of the team.
Spain had a terrible World Cup in 2018 when they lost to hosts Russia in a penalty shootout and were eliminated. This marked the end of a string of disappointing tournaments for Spain.
The Spaniards are one of the favorites to win the title in Qatar, and Luis Enrique will be confident that his team can be serious contenders with the help of talented Barcelona youngsters like Pedri and Gavi.
Costa Rica, as underdogs, have a lot to offer and high expectations, but they are aware that it will be hard to beat two favorites to take second place in the standings.
The Costa Ricans suffered humiliation in the last World Campaign, which they lost in the group stages. They only scored three goals in their three group-stage games, so this matchup with Spain, a team they have never beaten, should be tough to start another World Cup tournament. Coast Rica, on the other hand, should be a force to be reckoned with at position 31 on the FIFA rankings because they have recently shown signs of better performance in both their attacking and defending. They have played in a cordial against Nigeria in front of the World Cup in Qatar. In the friendly match, Nigeria was defeated by Costa Rica 2-0.
With Germany, Spain, and Japan in this group, Costa Rica should be the weakest team, so it’s hard to expect them to win. Keylor Navas, the Costa Rican goalkeeper, is without a doubt the best player. Juan Pablo Vargas and Francisco Calvo, both center-backs, are also very good. The rest of the team is merely average.
At the 2018 FWC, Costa Rica only managed a point in their final match against Switzerland, which was their only victory. They will be eager to improve on that performance in Qatar.
The Costa Ricans are in good form right now, having won one of their last 13 games. However, they are in a very tough group, so their lack of depth could be a problem.
These two teams have only met three times in friendlies, with Spain winning twice and drawing once. Nine goals have been scored by Spain, and three have been conceded.
The Spaniards prevailed 5-0 in the most recent matchup. They have won 100% of their games over the past ten years, with only one draw. Since 2010, they have won every game and scored at least two goals. In fact, the three previous meetings were taken together, including nine goals.
The match between Spain and Costa Rica will take place on November 23, 2022, at 16:00 (UK time).
ET: 11:00 AM
CT: 10:00 AM
MT: 9:00 AM
PT: 8:00 AM
Spain vs Costa Rica will happen at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
ITV will stream the live match between Spain and Costa Rica.
The ITV Hub offers live streaming of Spain vs Costa Rica.
The Group Stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, FuboTV (with a 7-day free trial), and Peacock will broadcast the game in the United States. Other options for watching the game in the United States include Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UFORIA App, SiriusXM FC, Peacock, Sling, Foxsports.com, FOX Sports App, Telemundo, and FOX Network. If you want to watch the game on your smartphone, don’t forget to download the app.
Spain has a good chance of reaching the tournament’s finals, but they’ll want to get off to a strong start against Costa Rica. They have only lost one match in their last 11 in all competitions, and while the Costa Ricans have a better record with just one loss in 13, the Spaniards have faced tougher opponents in both of their runs. Costa Rica will likely try to stop Spain from scoring, but that will hurt them in the long run. With that in mind, Spain should be able to win this game without giving up.
The majority of Spain’s matches against supposedly weaker opponents under Enrique follow the same tiresome pattern; Spain is credited with possessing the monopoly, poking, and prodding without receiving much in return. In World Cup qualifying, La Roja scored the fewest non-penalty goals of any European team that advanced to the finals (15).
Costa Rica tend to give up a lot of shots and give up possession, regardless of the opposition. Suarez’s team rarely threatens, scoring just 13 goals in 14 qualifiers, but they frequently limit the quality of these efforts.
Although it will be difficult, Spain should be able to begin their campaign with a victory despite the fact that they will need to be wary of Costa Rica’s speed in transition.
More than a decade after their golden run, the World Champions of 2010 are determined to go all the way. They will make it a priority to start with a decisive victory because they still remember how disastrously they started their 2014 campaign as defending champions.
They are in great form and have the momentum they need to take on the Costa Ricans, who are not very experienced.
Additionally, Costa Rica must be concerned about a glaring flaw. They haven’t faced a decent team in a while, much less a team that won the world championship before like Spain. When the referee blows the whistle this Wednesday at the Thumama, they will be like deer in headlights.
In addition, over the years, they have an embarrassing h2h record against this rival.
Spain will undoubtedly emerge victorious in their opening match.
Furthermore, throughout this campaign, Enrique will rely heavily on his trump card. This is finally Ansu Fati’s chance to establish himself as one of the best players in the world. The newest number 10 from Barcelona has been raising roofs with his flawless finishing.
For this game, you can rely on the youngster from Spain to bring his golden scoring boots.
When Spain is up against the likely losers in Costa Rica, it’s hard to look past them.
Even though Spain’s defense may be a little fragile, the midfield and attack look fantastic, and Luis Enrique has a lot of talent to choose from.
Spain won’t have any problems with Costa Rica’s defense, and it seems like the question is how many goals Enrique’s team will score.
The final squad may have undergone a few minor adjustments, but the players are all talented and highly skilled. The final selection will take place in the middle of February or the end of January.
Goalkeeper: David de Gea, Robert Sanchez, Unai Simon
Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Pau Torres, Diego Llorente, Jose Gaya, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba, Dani Carvajal, Inigo Martinez
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Koke, Gavi, Carlos Soler, Brais Mendez, Rodri, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo, Pablo Fornals
Forwards: Brahim Diaz, Alvaro Morata, Raul de Tomas, Rodrigo, Pablo Sarabia
Captain: Sergio Busquets
Coach: Luis Enrique
There may be a few changes to this team for the upcoming Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches on the Final List.
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas, Esteban Alvarado, Patrick Sequeira.
Defenders: Juan Pablo Vargas, Keysher Fuller, Óscar Duarte, Bryan Oviedo, Carlos Martínez, Francisco Calvo, Kendall Waston, Rónald Matarrita.
Midfielders: Daniel Chacón, Celso Borges, Jewison Bennette, Bryan Ruiz, Gerson Torres, Youstin Salas, Yeltsin Tejeda, Brandon Aguilera, Roan Wilson, Douglas López, Anthony Hernández, Álvaro Zamora.
Forwards: Anthony Contreras, Johan Venegas, Joel Campbell.
Captain: Bryan Ruiz
Coach: Luis Fernando Suárez
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, P. Torres, Laporte, Alba; Gavi, Busquets, Pedri; F. Torres, Morata, Sarabia
PREDICTED XI (5-4-1): Navas; Martinez, Vargas, Calvo, Duarte, Oviedo; Campbell, Borges, Tejeda, Bennette; Contreras
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