Spanish phenom's feat not seen since Pele

1 year ago 56

Not since Pele successful 1958 had idiosyncratic arsenic young arsenic Gavi scored a extremity astatine the World Cup.

The 18-year-old midfielder led the mode connected Thursday greeting arsenic Spain pulled disconnected the biggest World Cup triumph successful its history, routing Costa Rica 7-0.

"I could ne'er person imagined it," said Gavi, who was named the game's astir invaluable player.

"I cognize I'm the youngest successful the squad and I respect everyone, but connected the tract it's antithetic and I bring retired my best."

Pele scored 2 goals successful the 1958 final, erstwhile Brazil won its archetypal World Cup by beating Sweden 5-2.

Gavi lone managed to people 1 goal, but his teammates added plentifulness of others.

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Not agelong aft Japan amazed Germany 2-1 successful the different Group E match, Spain's young squad avoided immoderate accidental of an upset with Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres scoring a extremity each successful the archetypal half.

Torres, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata added to the pb successful the 2nd half.

Olmo's extremity was the 100th astatine World Cups for Spain, which became the sixth federation to people much than 100 times successful the tournament.

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It was the archetypal clip Spain scored 7 goals successful a World Cup match, and the archetypal clip a squad completed 1000 passes successful a 90 infinitesimal crippled astatine the tournament.

With Gavi and 19-year-old Pedri starting, Spain besides became the archetypal European federation with 2 teenagers successful the starting lineup of a World Cup lucifer successful 60 years, according to statistic level Opta.

Gavi and Pedri were among the galore youngsters picked by Spain manager Luis Enrique successful a revamped squad successful Qatar — the third-youngest squad among the 32 nations, aft the United States and Ghana.

The young duo helped Spain power the gait of the lucifer from the commencement astatine Al Thumama Stadium.

The 22-year-old Torres, who is dating the girl of manager Luis Enrique, scored his archetypal World Cup extremity from the punishment spot successful the 31st minute.

The others came during the tally of play.

Costa Rica looked overwhelmed passim the crippled successful its 3rd consecutive World Cup campaign, failing to adjacent get a azygous effort connected goal.

The squad came to Qatar hoping to repetition its astonishment tally to the quarterfinals successful 2014 successful Brazil, and debar a repetition of its winless showing 4 years agone successful Russia.

"We didn't clasp connected to the possession arsenic we should person done it," Costa Rica manager Luis Fernando Suarez said.

"We couldn't implicit 3 oregon 4 passes."

Spain, which didn't get past the circular of 16 successful Russia, is trying to interruption done with a large rubric aft making it to the last of the Nations League and the semifinals of past year's European Championship.

This twelvemonth the squad besides qualified for the last 4 of the Nations League for a 2nd consecutive time.

Spain's past large triumph came astatine Euro 2012, 2 years aft it won its lone World Cup rubric successful South Africa.

Only 5 countries person scored much goals than Spain astatine the World Cup — Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and France.

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