There is a new player on the world stage of International Soccer Competition. From the small Central American country of Costa Rica has emerged a world class Soccer team capable of staying on the field with any of the top teams on the planet.
They just proved it in their elimination round in Brazil against perennial World Cup favorite, the Netherlands. By the end of the second 15 minute overtime there were no doubters left in the stands. The Ticos are for real. The Costa Rican goalie, Keylor Navas could hold down that position on any Soccer team competing today.
Although Costa Rica is out of the World Cup competition for 2014, it should be noted that they never lost even one match. They actually won the so called “Group of Champions” though the Ticos presence in the group did little to add to its championship reputation. Italy, Uruguay and England were the champions of reference and each of them fell to tiny Costa Rica in turn.
Actually the match with England was a draw, but that draw allowed Costa Rica to advance to the next level and take on highly touted Greece. The Ticos got past the Greeks on penalty shots and advanced to the quarter finals in World Cup competition for the first time in the history of Costa Rica.
Back home in tropical Costa Rica it was quiet pandemonium as an entire nation held its breath and dared to dream of yet another World Cup victory. And it almost came to pass.
The Ticos success did not escape the attention of their next opponents, the omnipresent Dutch team. Netherlands defender Ron Vlaar told reporters, “These games don’t come easier. There are no easy games. Costa Rica beat Uruguay and Italy and then drew against England. Then they beat Greece. It will be another hard game again, but we are really looking forward to it. It’s a great challenge again.” And so it was.
On paper perhaps the world renowned Dutch team should have rolled over the little country from Central America. But that was never the case and veterans such at Robben and Sneijder were turned back again and again by a determined Costa Rican defense.
Forwards Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell led the Ticos offensive drives which came close on several occasions but never quite tapped in a goal for Costa Rica. Once again Tico goalie Keylor Navas was the hero of the day on more than one occasion as he stopped drive after drive from the aggressive Netherlands team.
