Diego Costa — how good?

He is good. But really how good is Diego Costa?

Diego Costa is already breaking records for his new team Chelsea. Is this just a lucky start start or is he really that good?

The Spain striker has scored seven goals in his first four Premier League games which is more than anyone before him. When he failed to score in the game against Man City this weekend it meant that he just missed equalling the record of eight goals scored in a player’s first five games in England’s top league.

On what we have seen so far few would bet against him on showing us more of what we have already seen. Given his move from the Spanish side, Athletico Madrid this summer for $47 million, it would be easy to say he is is a goal scorer who is just getting started.

Quiz #1

A. Write down the country for which Costa plays?

B. How many goals did he score in his first eight games?

A slow start

Costa has not always been the big goal scorer. Not long ago he was seen to be just an average player who was there to help others with their game and not a player who would be the main goal scorer.

He is now described by the Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, as the “one of the greatest strikers in the world”.

Although Costa has always been hard-working and a strong team player, for a long time scoring goals was by no means his greatest strength — in fact, many said it was his biggest weakness. Watching him play in Spain you would never think this:

Quiz #2

A. How many goals did Costa score in the 2013–14 season??

B. How did the Chelsea manager describe Costa?

The path to success

After leaving his home in Brazil at age 17 in 2006 he moved to Braga in Portugal and then onto the Athletico a few months later. From there he was sent to play for no fewer than five other clubs and failed to set the world on fire with his soccer skills.

Can you spot Costa?

In his first six seasons in Spain Costa scored very few goals. In those early days Costa always looked like he could be great and his strong will was very popular with his managers but he was also extremely young and found it hard to put the ball in the net.

Unlike most players who become better players as a result of good coaching, Costa learned the hard way on the streets of Lagarto in his hometown in Brazil.

Quiz #3

A. What thing did Costa find the hardest when he was a young player?

B. Where did he learn his soccer skills?

Chelsea is now his home

It is clear that Chelsea have found a striker who will give everything to the team so that he can win, he has also improved both his skills and his attitude after finding both very hard in the early part of his life. And for now he cannot stop scoring…

Quiz #1

A. Write down the country for which Costa plays?

B. How many goals did he score in his first eight games?

Originally published at www.yayasoccer.com.