Spain hitman Diego Costa left to wonder what could have been after his controversial snub to hosts Brazil

The tiny town of Lagarto is 173miles from the Arena Fonte Nova. It's just over a two-hour drive, which in this country the size of a continent is the equivalent of popping down the road for bread and milk.
It's where Diego Costa was born and you'd imagine, where he kicked his first football. So this should have been a homecoming of sorts for the man leading the line for the world and European champions.
When his face came up on the big screen in Salvador with about 30 minutes to go, the 25-year-old probably got the sense that he wasn't going to be welcomed home with open arms. Boos and jeers pierced the afternoon air. It was only going to get worse.

Silenced: Diego Costa was booed by fans in Brazil as Spain were thrashed by Holland on Friday night

 

Costa was playing his first competitive international and winning his fifth cap here. The problem is that the previous four were split evenly between Spain and Brazil.  As recently as March last year he was wearing canary yellow and looked like he could be the future of the Brazilian frontline.
But that all changed in September when he got himself a Spanish passport and jumped ship to his adopted country. It sent Brazil into a rage. Luis Felipe Scolari fumed, accusing him of 'turning his back on the dreams of millions - to represent the national team in a World Cup in Brazil'.
The reaction may not have been so fierce though if Brazil didn't have a lack of attacking options the like of which they haven't known in recent times. As Fred laboured at times during Thursday's opener against the Croatians, Scolari had only Jo as an alternative. The presence of Costa might steel the hosts for a serious tilt at the sixth world crown.
There have been many other Brazilians who stood for another country's national anthem - Deco in Portugal and Eduardo in Croatia more recent examples - but none sparked as much vitriol as Costa's. That's undoubtedly because they weren't as badly needed as he is.

Crucial: Costa earned his side a penalty as Spain opened the scoring in the World Cup game

Costa will become another Chelsea mega-signing once the tournament ends after Jose Mourinho got clearance to trigger the £32million escape clause in his contract with the La Liga winners. He was to keep two other huge Blues buys - the £50m Fernando Torres and £26m Cesc Fabregas confined to the Spanish bench as Del Bosque asked him to lead the line.
He had his first opening on 13 minutes when David Silva sent him scurrying clear but Ron Vlaar, the Aston Villa man as impressive for his country here as he had been awful for Aston Villa this term, snuffed out the chance. Costa skewed another chance horribly wide five minutes later but he was soon to have his first major moment.
Again fed by Silva he invited Stefan de Vrij to overstretch and won a penalty that gave Spain the lead. All was briefly well in his world. But as the half closed out and at the other end Robin Van Persie soared through the Salvador skies to level, the service started to dry up. Things were beginning to take a turn for the worse - both for the striker and Spain.
By the time he was brought off, weary and sodden on 61 minutes, Spain trailed 2-1. He was to have a front row seat to the horror that followed. The team that only conceded two goals on the way to the 2010 World Cup had shipped five in 90 minutes.