Spain pair left out of World Cup 2022 opener because of air conditioning in Qatar
Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal could only start on the bench for Spain against Costa Rica because their air conditioning units in Qatar gave them colds.
Luis Enrique’s team started off their FIFA World Cup campaign in style on Wednesday night against a team from Central America. They beat them 7-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium for the biggest win in the history of the tournament.
Before the game started, though, there were questions about Spain’s starting lineup. Morata and Carvajal were left off the team in favor of Ferran Torres and Cesar Azpilicueta, even though they seemed to be the first choices going into the tournament.
Now, it’s been found out that the two were sick because of the weather in Qatar. It seems that they caught colds from the air conditioners at the Qatar University Hostel. So far in the tournament, the units have been working hard. During the day, temperatures in the Middle Eastern country reached highs of about 32 degrees and only dropped to about 23 degrees at night.
Morata and Carvajal may have made their rooms a little too cold, though, because talkSPORT said that they were sick with colds before their match with Costa Rica. The fact that they weren’t there didn’t change Enrique’s plans all that much, though.
The 2010 champions were up 3-0 at halftime thanks to goals from Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, and Fernando Torres. After halftime, the player who used to play for Manchester City added another goal, and Gavi and Carlos Soler also scored.
Morata was fit enough to come on as a substitute, and he scored a goal with a well-placed shot in stoppage time. The 30-year-old has now scored 28 goals for Spain in 58 games.
Aitor Karanka, who once played for Spain, has said a lot of nice things about the player, and it seems like he has full faith in manager Enrique. In a column for The Sun, he said,“I have known Alvaro since I coached him at the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria.
“He is the same character now as he was back then. Sometimes his body language suggests that he can be affected by criticism, which he received at last summer’s Euros from some supporters who felt he was wasteful.
“But, trust me, he does not care. So long as he has a manager who believes in him, he will not be disheartened if he misses a chance and will have full faith he will score the next one. And he’s always trying to improve. He’s a great professional and a top striker.”
It’s still not clear if Morata will be back in the starting lineup when Spain plays Germany on Sunday. Hansi Flick’s team lost their first game to Japan.
Spain pair left out of World Cup 2022 opener because of air conditioning in Qatar
