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Vicente del Bosque will not be a happy man. His all-conquering team has never looked less like champions.
As if to underline the point, the Spanish armada succumbed to a shock 1-0 loss to South Africa, at the scene of their World Cup win in ’10.
The man who scored the winner on that famous night, Andres Iniesta, spent all his time on the pitch against the Bafana Bafana desperately searching for a goal, typically creating a few great chances, even if atypically leaving his shooting boots back home.
And even if the entire Spanish team had a look of disjointed confusion about it, their inability to find a goal against an obviously inferior opponent once again brought into focus that which the team has lacked for some time now – a number nine who deserves his place ahead of a plethora of creative talent.
In this climate of despair, Del Bosque’s eyes may well have lit up because of two brilliantly taken goals; goals that have established the front-runners for the coveted number 9 role in his team.
Alvaro Negredo
First up, we have The Beast himself, who scored an absolute peach of a goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6RkI5kTIpU) in Manchester City’s 6-0 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur. In a way, it completely summed up the forward.
If the turn to befuddle Michael Dawson was breath-taking, then the finish was deadly and perfectly executed.
Defenders in the league have been surprised by the “beauty” in the imposing forward’s play, and found themselves struggling to keep in check “the beast” that is more readily associated with the big man.
His partnership with Sergio Aguero has been lauded in all quarters, with the big man equally comfortable dropping deep, as well as staying up front, to dovetail beautifully with his diminutive team-mate.
However, this is where things go a little awry for Negredo.
He has been wildly inconsistent in his displays for the national team, and the evidence of Spain’s last three games points to the same.
The beast was bullish in being handed a start on the back of his fine club form, and his nickname never looked more appropriate. Hustling and bustling against a defense that was proving a little tough to break down, he managed to score the opener.
A combination of the keeper and the post kept him on 1 goal for the night, but it was in his dominant display that sought to intimidate that had all of Spain mouthing his praise.
Fast forward to a friendly at home to Equatorial Guinea, and a match that had Spain’s midfield almost toy with the opposition saw a radically different Negredo.
He could potentially have even had a hat-trick on the night, but his touch let him down badly, and it was no surprise when he was taken off at half-time.
Of course, the less we talk about the team’s last outing against South Africa, the better.
Still, Negredo has a creditable ten goals from his 21 appearances for the national side, and remains very much a front-runner.
Diego Costa
Diego Costa
This man has turned heads everywhere with just how well he has taken to the challenge of replacing Radamel Falcao as the man Atletico Madrid look to for goals.
So much so that he has relegated to the background their excellent acquisition of Spain’s all-time leading goal-scorer, David Villa.
His emergence led, infamously, to a row between his native Brazil and his home Spain, when Costa made public his desire to play for his adopted country instead.
He certainly hasn’t let the intense scrutiny and criticism of that decision affect his form, maintaining a goal-a-game average in all competitions to go with a couple of assists as well.
Explosive and direct – to say the least – Costa is a force of nature who keeps defenders on their toes. He runs at defenders with typical gusto, shows good strength and skill on the dribble, and has stepped up to show the composure required to slot in the goals on the La Liga circuit.
Have a look at this gem and tell me how you ignore a man capable of such outrageous skill.
Alienating Diego Costa’s negatives, however, is a complicated process.
But they are there – and the most obvious one is his temperament. Costa has a history of incidents that show him to be a thug. Yes, it is that black and white – Costa is a petulant and disrespectful figure out there on the pitch, no doubt about it.
Going into his many indiscretions would be a waste of precious time and space, so I will skip over that part. But for a man who has confessed that the street has taught him all he knows about the game, what else do you expect?
This is a man who has spent a career searching for his identity – and in finding it in Spain, has chosen to represent his adopted country on the international stage.
You sense that this is a man who may even be unique in world football. Certainly, players like Luis Suarez and Carlos Tevez – men who also had a rough upbringing – are susceptible to lapses in judgement on the pitch.
In these charged moments, these men forget everything else, and are transported back to those early days where one fought tooth-and-nail for every little advantage.
Watching Costa, one senses there is something far more intriguing afoot. In his controversial moments, Costa is almost inevitably smiling, taunting opposition players, almost goading them into losing control.
As if he enjoys these moments of confrontation, seeking them out with astonishing regularity.
This is a man who is reveling in the acceptance of his identity on such a global stage – that smile says it all, and more.
This is how he was raised, and this is who he is. The man capable of uncommon skill and strength when in possession of the ball is the same one who is always on the lookout for a fight when he is less preoccupied on the pitch.
Of big risks and big falls
The problem that Del Bosque has, of course, is that his team needs Diego Costa more than it needs Alvaro Negredo.
Even if we have not seen Costa play for Spain thus far, it is a no-brainer that he will give them an added edge up front.
In recent times, Spain has looked boring and predictable – a complaint that neutrals have been aiming at them for ages now. In all the pass and move, they need a certain fire that is capable of getting the job done.
That the fire may well end up burning their own hands is a risk they may have to be prepared to take. I, for one, feel that this Spanish team, minus Diego Costa, will not be able to defend its crown in Brazil next year.
On the flip side, they have a perfectly good player in Negredo who is a familiar face in the national set-up; a crucial factor in Spain’s ascent to the top has been the easy camaraderie that the players share.
But if these players can keep the infamous Barcelona-Real Madrid incidents from affecting the national team, they can certainly give Costa a chance.
Del Bosque has said that Costa’s place in the side is by no means assured – and he will watch his charges closely in the way they take to the new boy.
Big risks lead to big gains. But is Spain prepared to risk it all on the grandest stage of them all?
