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Costa Rica Team Information
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Costa Rica - Team Profile
30/03/2006
Costa Rica, also known as the "Tricolor" or "Los Ticos" are playing in their third World Cup finals. Their first was in Italy 1990 and their second in South Korea and Japan in 2002. The team is in Group A, alongside hosts Germany, as well as Poland and Ecuador.
In 1990 they qualified for the second phase - infamously beating Scotland along the way before being knocked out by Czechoslovakia. In 2002 they faced a tough group which included the eventual winners Brazil and the semi-finalists Turkey. After beating China in their opening match they drew against Turkey but were knocked out on goal difference. They still managed to score two goals against Brazil and fought back from three goals down to 3-2 before eventually losing 5-2. Indeed they were the only team to score more than one goal against Brazil in the entire tournament.
Their team revolves around Paolo Wanchope and Alvaro Saborío who both play in the Costa Rican soccer league. Wanchope will be familiar to England soccer fans as the gangly striker played successfully for both Derby County and Manchester City and had an unsuccessful spell at West Ham. He is Costa Rica all-time record goalscorer.
Alvaro Saborío plays his fotball with Deportivo Saprissa in the Costa Rican Soccer League. He helped his club to not only the domestic league title in 2005 but also to the South American Club Championship. He played for Saprissa in the FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup in Japan where he finished joint top scorer with two goals in games against Sao Paolo and the mighty Liverpool.
They are captained by goalkeeper José Francisco Porras. Porras also plays for Deportivo Saprissa and is considered a living legend in his own country - a feat all the more remarkable considering he had to follow in the footsteps of another goalkeeping legend - Erick Lonnis.
They will spend their early training period in Germany in the city of Lahr before moving to a training camp in Heidelberg.