World Cup 2014: Spain will recover from Netherlands thrashing, says Diego Costa

Striker is adamant defending champions can recover from defeat

Tom Sheen
Sunday 15 June 2014 16:14 BST
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Diego Costa says Spain can recover from their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch
Diego Costa says Spain can recover from their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch

Spain striker Diego Costa is confident his team can learn lessons from their 5-1 humiliation at the hands of the Netherlands.

Despite taking the lead, Vicente del Bosque's men were embarrassed by the Dutch, with two goals from each of Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben and another from defender Stefan de Vrij.

But the Brazil-born striker believes Spain can recover from the shock performance and still progress into the knockout stages.

"Nobody likes to lose and even less in this way but people know that we can't give up because we have lots of possibilities," said Costa, whose move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea has still not been completed.

"We must learn from defeats and they can serve us as a lesson so that it doesn't happen again.

"We have options. The good thing in life is that there is always an opportunity, we have to take advantage of this and fight right to the end."

Costa was booed every time he touched the ball by a home crowd still smarting from his decision to snub the nation of his birth in favour of Spain. But the jeers have not affected the 25-year-old.

"I am very happy and content for my first World Cup," said Costa who won just his third international cap in the defeat. "It's not been the start that I wanted but it is necessary to take the good things [from the situation].

"I will give everything for this shirt. If we are all united together we can advance the cause and make people as happy as before."

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