As a member of the Spanish national team's playing and coaching staff, I had the privilege of leading the team to the World Cup finals, and I have a deep understanding of the pressure that professional players have to endure. Especially after we won the championship in 2010, the fans and the public had very high expectations of us, and how to turn this pressure into motivation became the biggest challenge for the then manager Anriki.
Fortunately, Spain has successfully realized the strategy of bringing in the new with the old this time, which undoubtedly reduces the pressure on the young players. However, there are many mature stars in the Spanish team who are good at self-adjusting to the pressure. For example, although he is only 19 years old, he has already represented Spain in the final round of the European Cup last year and was Barcelona's preferred player. From technique, passing to psychology, Birdie is at the top level of the world.
As for the veterans, Busquets' name has to be mentioned. Over the years, he has quietly played the role of stealing and controlling the tempo in Spain's midfield, and it is he who has led Birdie, making Spain's midfield the most solid support for the national team.
At the forward position, as I foresaw earlier, Ewalu Morada is expected to shine in this World Cup. Although he may miss some chances, he has great positional sense which makes him an integral part of the national team. As long as he can score goals in the tournament, his confidence will be boosted and he will play better and better the rest of the tournament.
Costa Rica has always been a regular in the World Cup finals, but this time they have to beat New Zealand in the play-offs to qualify, so their strength has dropped compared to the past. I predict that Spain will use their superiority in possession to drain Costa Rica's energy, and if there are any gaps in their defense, Costa Rica will lose three points, and Spain will win the match.
