Costa Rica Sports News – As we approach the selection of the groups for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, let’s look back and see the road that Costa Rica took to get there. Costa Rica is heading into their fourth World Cup. They are rather unpredictable, having beat the number one CONCACAF team as well as tied with the last place team. It seems their trouble strikes during away games and when their confidence is low. Still, they ended up as No. 2 and qualified for the World Cup with two games to spare.
They missed out on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This year’s team is cosmopolitan, with players from the U.S., Spain, Germany, Greece, England, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Central America. Their top scorer was Real Salt Lake City’s Alvaro Saborio. If they keep their confidence up, they could reach the round of sixteen, as they did in 1990.
Coach Pinto was reinstated for his second go at leading the team. He was coaching them from 2004-5 and then since 2011. Their key player is on loan from Arsenal. Joel Campbell scored 8 goals in his 28 appearances, since 2011. The team made World Cup appearances in 2002 and 2006, but their best time at a World Cup was in 1990. This year, they hope to be even better than they were in ‘90.
Here’s a look at how they qualified for the World Cup 2014:
2012
June 8 El Salvador H D 2-2 Saborio, Campbell
June 12 Guyana A W 4-0 Saborio (3), Campbell
Sept 7 Mexico H L 0-2
Sept 11 Mexico A L 0-1
Oct 12 El Salvador A W 1-0 Cubero
Oct 16 Guyana H W 7-0 Brenes (2), Gamboa, Saborio (2, pen), Bolanos, Borges
2013
Feb 6 Panama A D 2-2 Saborio, Ruiz
Mar 22 United States A L 0-1
Mar 26 Jamaica H W 2-0 Umana, Calvo
June 7 Honduras H W 1-0 Miller
June 11 Mexico A D 0-0
June 18 Panama H W 2-0 Ruiz, Borges
Sept 6 United States H W 3-1 Acosta, Borges, Campbell
Sept 10 Jamaica A D 1-1 Brenes
Oct 11 Honduras A L 0-1
Oct 15 Mexico H W 2-1 Ruiz, Saborio
