SPAIN: Del Bosque Thinking Attack Options

Either Torres or Costa. With just four days to go to the World Cup debut, the idea of Spain playing a pure nº9 against Holland is growing in strength. All the training session held up to now in Washington and Curitiba certainly point in that direction.

Del Bosque has always separated Fernando Torres and Diego Costa, with all 10 teams that he has set up including a striker. Yesterday was no exception.

The training session, which lasted for an hour and a quarter, ended with the usual mini-game. And, as always, Costa was put in one team and Torres in the other as the two strikers. Much the same has happened in the recent friendly games running up to the World Cup, with Del Bosque always playing a nº9. Against Bolivia, it was Torres' turn, who started.


Against El Salvador, Costa started - his big test before travelling to his country of birth for the tournament.
Del Bosque has always liked to keep his line-ups unclear before the final stages. In the World Cup final against Holland, Villa was Spain's nº9. In the UEFA European Cup final, Cesc was played as a false 9 in what the manager himself has called Spain's best ever game under his command.