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Luiz Felipe Scolari may be cursing the Spanish football federation for snatching in-form striker Diego Costa from under the noses of the Brazilian football fraternity yet it has to be admitted that Vicente del Bosque and his countrymen produced a master stroke off the field to restore the confidence in a country that was beginning to think that the bubble has finally burst after winning two European Championships and a World Cup in a span of four years.
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The 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil in the Confederations Cup final in June suggested that the Spanish juggernaut might be stalling in the face of a Brazilian football carnival on the shores of the Copacabana beach until Diego Costa’s willingness to discard his country of birth for his adopted country opened up a fresh wound in international football rivalry that could culminate in the final of next year’s World Cup at the Maracana Stadium come July 2014.
The tall Diego Costa’s involvement with the Spanish squad would give the World and European champions a different dimension, completely different from a style of play that has brought so much success but has become far too predictable in the last few months. Diego Costa’s exclusion from the Brazilian squad for the Confederations Cup might just come back to haunt Scolari in the long term but there’s no doubting the fact playing for Atletico Madrid and scoring goals freely have made the forward a player to watch out for in the World Cup and what a combination David Villa and Costa would make for Spain just as they compliment each other at the Vicente Calderon for Diego Simeone.
When you have players such as Diego Costa, David Villa and Alvaro Negredo in your line-up and given their current form for respective clubs, is there any need to employ a false nine and do away with the traditional football line-up? May be yes given how midfielders of the modern football culture operate giving coaches extra options to experiment but an orthodox approach in an international tournament as big as the World Cup would be welcome at any time. A player of Diego Costa’s ability who is strong in the air and physically intimidating would provide the likes of ageing stars Xavi and Andres Iniesta that bit of extra time to play decisive balls into the danger areas. Operating with a false nine will always be burdensome for the legendary midfielders that are in the twilight of their international careers.
“We have intelligent players who are capable of adapting to the characteristics of any team mate,” Del Bosque was quoted as saying.
“I don’t think that anyone would struggle to fit into our playing system.
“I expect that a player that fights like Diego with such energy, a player with the quality he has on and off the ball, to be a positive addition.
“We have midfielders who understand football perfectly and for sure they will have a player who offers himself constantly and give them a lot of options in attack.
“I think he will fit in without any trouble just like all the other players we have called up.”
What Spain missed in June’s Confederations Cup is freshness. Diego Costa with his vision, pace, physique, lightning touch and a devastating heading ability would be handful for any defense and his inclusion might just extend Spain’s domination of international football to a few more years.
