Spain’s Balsamic Victory Over Costa Rica With Unknown Sergio Lozano | Relief
Spain got their good feelings back with a pleasant 4-0 win over Costa Rica. After an unfortunate 2-2 draw with France in their last match on home soil, the national team played more decisively against Costa Rica.
The big absentee was Sergio Lozano again, with the Barça captain becoming an unknown quantity for the national team. El Bufalo’s impressive performance against Hungarian side Ferrol excited the coaching staff and fans, but the coldness of the numbers suggests that the Madrid versatile has only played in one of the five friendlies currently scheduled.
Since July 25 last year, when preparations began, every step taken by Sergio Lozano has been measured. He warmed up against Morocco, but did not take to the pitch on August 13 or 14 and only played in Malate on the 22nd against France last Monday and today against Costa Rica. The RFEF press service reported that his absence was due to a wound infection.
At 35, with 110 games and 89 goals to his name, Sergio Lozano is expected to lead the national team, but his goalscoring record is unknown. The presence of the Barça captain in the final list for the World Cup in Uzbekistan should be confirmed or excluded in the next few hours. In fact, the Spanish expedition will have three days off before heading to Tajikistan on Sunday to complete their World Cup preparations with two friendlies against the hosts and the Netherlands, with Miguel Andres on the bench.
It is worth recalling that Javi Minguez (Movistar Inter) arrived at the training camp last Monday, August 5, and his performance convinced the coaching staff. The Madrid right winger can be considered as a hypothetical replacement for Sergio Lozano. The RFEF is due to inform FIFA of the final list of 14 players on Wednesday, September 4. who will perform under the command of Fede Vidal in their debut match against Kazakhstan on September 15 at 14:30 in Andijan.
Spain could announce an injury change before Saturday, September 14, so 15 players are expected to make the trip. to Uzbekistan. There are 16 of them now and it is time to make decisions. The initial idea was that Dani Gabriel would be the dropped player or his replacement, Jesus Gordillo. Fede Vidal could do without his main man and give up at 4-0.
However, in the last two games Toledo striker from Palma scored a goal and opened another internal discussion in the national team about the need for a specialist as he is at the World Cup. Many players are asking for Jesus Gordillo to be present, but this is another equation that the coach must solve.
Currently against Costa Rica Spain presented three differentiated and balanced quartets with Chemi in goal, who left his mark with his footwork. Boyi-Cortes-Melado and Raul Campos, who reappeared after some discomfort, in the starting quintet. Immediately after that Antonio-Adolfo-Catela-Raul Gomez, and then the classic 3:1 with Tomás-Mínguez-César and Gordillo.
The strategy paid off again for Spain, with Raul Gomez opening the scoring from a Cortes corner in the second minute. Seven minutes later, a parallel between Minguez and Cesar ended with a cross from the left flank by El Pozo Murcia, and Gordillo scored 2-0 with a perfect header.
After the break, Katela and Cortes could be seen on the court, and the little ones were smiling in the stands of the Las Rozas Football City pavilion. The Cadiz man created the game and, after an assist from Raul Campos, scored to make it 3-0 five minutes after the restart. Despite Didac Plana’s sending off, Spain kept a clean sheet (the first game of five preparations to keep a clean sheet) and finished the match with a left-footed strike from Mellado in the final minute.