Brazil FIFA World Cup 2014 - Do Spain need a rethink?

Costa has been a revelation this season, thanks to Diego Simeone’s man management and tactical acumen. Playing mostly as an advanced forward ahead of David Villa, Costa’s game is simple, yet effective- pace and brute strength to bully and harass defenders. Costa is a battering ram who does not fear laying siege to well fortified structures, and that has reflected in the number of goals he has bagged this season. Not just on the ball, Costa’s movement and clever understanding off the ball have caused great difficulty to defenders in the past as well, something Radamel Falcao made use of greatly during his time at Atletico.

Compared to Negredo, Costa spent 48% of his time on the pitch against Levante in the attacking third of the pitch, 26% in the opposition box alone. Image Courtesy: Squawka

During a 1-0 win over cross city rivals Real Madrid earlier in the season, Costa showed his tactical versatility as Simeone utilized him in a deeper role as a second forward. As Villa and Costa both started from deep, Madrid’s backline pushed up to negate Costa’s intimidating runs at the defence. The high line allowed Costa to make several runs behind the Madrid defence, and the goal inevitably, came from a Koke pass which put him through on goal.

As a deep lying forward, Costa spent 35% of his time in the final third against Real Madrid, only 16% was in the opposition box (similar to Negredo’s performance against CSKA.) Image courtesy: Squawka

Costa’s characteristics will suit the Spanish side well, should he feature. He presses defenders from up top, allowing little time and space to maneuver the ball into midfield. Also, he drops deep to help the midfield which also allows him to charge at opposing defenders, which puts even organized defences into disarray. Costa’s inclusion offers Spain a more direct route to goal, something that the Spaniards have missed due to their preference to play short passes.

So how do these two forwards fit into the grand scheme of things at Spain? A 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 could both be good options, but Spain could also play a 4-4-1-1 which would be critical in getting the best out of both players. Technical superiority taken into account, the Spanish midfield is built to keep the ball. Hence sacrificing an extra midfielder could be made up by having a genuine goal threat in the side. Costa and Negredo can both interchange roles as the second striker and the advanced forward. Smart decision making and strength are traits which are key to both, which could help them get the best out of Spain’s midfield maestros. Another point to note would be that Costa and Negredo add much needed aerial prowess, yet another attacking dimension that could be made use of.

Whether Spain do utilize this tactic is a different question altogether. The transition from having no recognized forward to having two strikers could be a difficult one to make, should the change be made. Spain could also play with either Costa or Negredo, which really wouldn’t be as effective as playing both of them together. Other glaring questions are if Spain would be willing to give away a style that has won them the last three major international tournaments. And with only a few months to go before the World Cup and hardly any international fixtures left, will the Costa-Negredo pairing get any time to get accustomed to playing with each other?

The most important question though, is do Spain need to rethink their tactics? And with two front men staking strong claims for inclusion, will they finally break away from the False 9 mould? The answers to those questions will give Vicente Del Bosque sleepless nights until the summer, where sides like Brazil and Germany lie in wait for a shot at their crown.