Costa Rica road to Russia 2018 World Cup
Sporting a position of 26 in the FIFA rankings, Costa Rica has qualified for a total of 5 appearances counting the current one for Russia 2018. It was in their most recent appearance in 2014 that they cannon-balled their way into quarter finals, which is their best achievement yet. Their first FIFA World Cup appearance was in 1990, on Italian soil. Check Costa Rica Betting Odds here.
It was during the November qualifier, in the clash against USA (which was also the second match of the hexagonal stage for the Ticos) that Joel Campbell served the North American team a 4-0 platter of defeat; the Costa Rica team slid through to the coveted spot with two games to spare. Nonetheless, the win has always seemed or appeared to have a side of payback since it was no secret the northern contender taunted the Ticos for past losses against them. Well then, it just goes to show that revenge is definitely a dish best served cold. Joel deftly booked the coveted slot for Russia 2018, and led the team into Group E along with Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia. They are scheduled to kick-off on June 17th, 2018.
Costa Rica Key Players
Skipper Bryan Ruiz is an attacking midfielder, second striker and key player who can score. He was key in the quarter-finals in 2014 and scored three goals in the run towards Russia 2018. On the other hand, injuries and loss of condition have taken their toll on part of the 3 European-based star players, namely Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell. Coach Oscar “El Machillo” Ramirez was appointed in October 2015, after former coach Paulo Wanchope resigned. Ramirez was part of the outfit that made its appearance at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. He retired and went on to be technical assistant for Saprissa, Santos de Guápiles and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, all locals and only at club level. Regarding other stalwarts, some of the surprise lynchpins that popped up in the last 2014 FWC are still part of the Tico ensemble: the experienced backbone made up of Giancarlo González, Oscar Duarte, Celso Borges, Yeltsin Tejeda, Christian Bolaños, and Marcos Ureña. Striker Alvaro Saborío retired from international football in 2016.
Many are of the opinion that Costa Rica is a team that will not be up to standards, since there have been some strong hiccups regarding the outcome of their latest friendlies; plus, their only wins in the CONCACAF hexagonal were wins against teams that did not even make the play-offs. Even if the presence of past glory still wafts within the team, one can only wonder and ponder at the Costa Rica betting odds.
Currently ranking 286th in the favorites layout among the countries up for the World Cup betting odds, the outright winning odds for the Ticos squad range from 250/500 to 1.
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