DOHA – The young Spain players at the heart of coach Luis Enrique’s new-look side make their global debut on Wednesday when they face the experienced veterans of Costa Rica in their Qatar World Cup opening match.
With captain Sergio Busquets the lone survivor of the Spain team who won the 2010 tournament in South Africa under then-coach Vicente del Bosque, Enrique has blooded a new generation of players in preparation for Qatar.
Three years into the restructuring of the national side after dismal showings in Brazil in 2014 and Russia four years later, there are signs that he is building something that will be a force for years to come.
Barcelona midfielders Pedri, 19, and Gavi, 18, plus their Catalan club teammate Ferran Torres, 22, are three of the young faces in the squad.
Enrique – who led the Spaniards to the semi-finals of the delayed Euro in 2021 when they were eliminated by Italy on penalties – has picked 14 players aged 25 or under, and the average age of the squad is the sixth youngest among the 32 teams in Qatar.
“They are young, and therefore they have energy and enthusiasm. I expect the best from them and (we hope to) play seven games in this World Cup,” said the 52-year-old on Tuesday.
“I am very calm and looking forward to giving people something to celebrate. But I am sure Costa Rica are going to be competitive, and we have to be attentive and get it right because we want to go to the final.”
Torres added that Spain are a team with “a lot ahead of us” because of their young age.
“We will simply play the best we can to get results and keep going. If we don’t get the results, we will go out with our heads held high and keep working. We are young,” he added.
For Costa Rica, playing at their sixth World Cup, the picture is almost the complete opposite.
Six of their squad members were part of the 2014 campaign, when Costa Rica qualified from a “Group of Death” at the expense of Italy and England, and they are all now aged 30 or over, including striker Bryan Ruiz who is 37.
Colombian coach Luis Fernando Suarez’s team are known for their solidity – they conceded only eight goals in 14 qualifiers – and for their ability to counter-attack, potentially posing a threat to Spain’s 33-year-old defender Cesar Azpilicueta if he starts.
“We’ve been in World Cup mode for a long time,” Suarez said.
“The difference now that we are here (in Qatar) is that we are preparing in a more concrete way and we’re going to continue like this. The group is feeling pretty good and is willing to give everything.”
Spain and Costa Rica are playing in Group E along with Germany and Japan. REUTERS
