Costa Rica national football team
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Nickname(s) | Ticos La Sele (The Selection) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Costa Rican Football Federation | ||
| Confederation | CONCACAF | ||
| Sub-confederation | UNCAF (Central America) | ||
| Head coach |  Jorge Luis Pinto[1] | ||
| Captain | Bryan Ruiz | ||
| Most caps | Walter Centeno (137) | ||
| Top scorer | Rolando Fonseca (47) | ||
| Home stadium | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica | ||
| FIFA code | CRC | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 62 | ||
| Highest | 17 (May 2003) | ||
| Lowest | 93 (July 1996) | ||
| First international | |||
 Costa Rica 7–0 El Salvador  (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 14 September 1921) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Costa Rica 12–0 Puerto Rico  (Barranquilla, Colombia; December 10, 1946) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Mexico 7–0 Costa Rica (Mexico City, Mexico; August 17, 1975) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1990) | ||
| Best result | Round of 16, 1990 | ||
| CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup | |||
| Appearances | 15 (first in 1963) | ||
| Best result | Winners, 1963, 1969, 1989 | ||
| Copa América | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1997) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-Finals, 2001 and 2004 | ||
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States. They are clearly the most successful team in Central America having qualified for three World Cups, reaching the last sixteen on their debut in Italy 1990 and putting on a solid showing in 2002 where they were drawn in the same group as eventual champions Brazil and third-place finishing Turkey. In 2006, Los Ticos qualified for the World Cup in Germany, with their worst World Cup to date, finishing 31st out of 32 teams. Costa Rica has qualified first in the CONCACAF Final Round in both the 1990 World Cup qualification final round and 2002 World Cup qualification final round. The edge in both CONCACAF and UNCAF Nations Cup titles is also significant over regional national teams. Costa Rica have been CONCACAF champions three times (1963, 1969, 1989) and have won the UNCAF Nations Cup six times. The nation has also participated in four Copa América tournaments, making the quarterfinals in *2001 and 2004.
History
Costa Rica has a long-standing football culture and tradition.
The national team made its debut in the Independence Centenary Games held in Guatemala City in September 1921, winning their first game 7–0 against El Salvador. In the final, Costa Rica defeated 6–0 Guatemala to claim the trophy.[2]
The football team of Costa Rica has been characterized above all by its regularity over the years. Well remembered is the selection of this country formed in the late 1940s acquiring the nickname of "The Gold Shorties". Throughout the 50s and 60s, were very much the second strongest team in the CONCACAF zone behind Mexico, finishing runners-up in World Cup qualifying in the 1958, 1962 and 1966 qualifiers. Stars of the side in this period were Ruben Jimenez, Errol Daniels, Leonel Hernandez and Edgar Marin.
However, at the end of the 60s their fortunes would decline as other teams in the region such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago and Canada came to the fore. Although the majority of these participants have had short on points World Cup performances. During the 1970s and most of the 1980s, the Costa Rican team went unnoticed, absent from World Cups. Costa Rica failed to make the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying rounds until the 1986 qualifier. Currently its historical topscorer is Rolando Fonseca with 47 goals.
1980s and early 1990s
Note worthy was the participation of the selection of Costa Rica at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1984 (Details). With a 1-0 Win over Italy.
Qualifying to Italy 1990
After a great campaign in the CONCACAF Championship in 1989, Costa Rica gets its first ticket to the finals of a World Cup where they made a huge showing after beating Scotland and Sweden in the first round. It all started with a tie against Panama. To advance to the qualifying group stage. Costa Rica suffered against the Panamanians in the first game at Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela, and ended up taking a local one to one tie. In the second game at the stadium Revolution (now Rommel Fernandez), two goals from Juan Arnoldo Cayasso gave the away victory to Costa Rica 0-2 victory to advanced to the group stage. Costa Rica started the group stage with a defeat in Guatemala by 1 to 0. Then beat the same Guatemala 2-1 at home, goals from Róger Flores and Evaristo Coronado. Then Coasta Rica beat the U.S. in San Jose by 1-0 with a goal from Gilberto Rodden. Then they lost to the U.S. 1-0 in St. Louis - Missouri. Following this they tied in Trinidad and Tobago 1 to 1, the scorer was Evaristo Coronado. Beat Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose with a goal by Juan Arnoldo Cayasso. A substantial away win was next for the Ticos in El Salvador at the Cuzcatlán by 2-4, with goals from Carlos Mario Hidalgo, Enrique Diaz and a double from Leonidas Flores. Finally in the last game a victory over El Salvador in San Jose by 1 goal to 0 signified a trip to the 1990 Fifa World Cup. Pastor Fernandez scored the lone goal. Costa Rica finished first with 11 points in the pentagonal and the United States in second also with 11 points in 8 games respectably both qualifying, but Costa Rica first on goal difference. Mexico was disqualified from this qualifier because of youth player age tampering.
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1990s and early 2000s - The Wanchope yearsAfter its brilliant performance in the Italian summer, the national team failed to qualify for World Cup USA 1994 and France 1998 due to lack of planning and poor results. It was an important and historical moment when, in 1997 Costa Rica was invited for the first time to the Copa America held in Bolivia, Costa Rica also played memorable friendlies including a 5-4 defeat against Uruguay in Estadio Centenario.
2001 Copa America - Second invitationQualifying Korea / Japan 2002After the resounding failures in qualifying for the World Cup 1994 and World Cup 1998. The Ticos won the qualification for the World Cup in 2002 held in South Korea and Japan after a brilliant campaign, in which they came throw in first place. Beating favorites Mexico and the United States. During the World Cup the results were mixed, losing to Brazil (tournament champion) 5-2 (only team to score 2 goals against Brazil at this World Cup), tying with Turkey (third in the championship) 1-1 and soundly beating the selection of China 2-0. This ment it was in 3rd place in the group behind Turkey on goal difference. The match against Brazil, is remembered as one of the most exciting matches of the Costa Rica and around the world. Also the come from behind tie with Turkey was dramatic. Costa Rica started this brilliant campaign with ups and downs. First in command Brazilian coach Gilson Nunes Sequeira and then with the Costa Rican Alexandre Guimaraes. The first group stage, began with an unexpected defeat to visit Barbados for 1 to 2. Then beat the United States at the Ricardo Saprissa by 2 to 1, with goals from Rolando Fonseca and Hernan Medford. They beat Guatemala in the Morera Soto Alajuela by 2 to 1, with two goals from Paulo Wanchope. Thrashed Barbados at the Ricardo Saprissa for 3-0 victory, with goals from Jafet Soto, Rolando Fonseca and Hernan Medford. Then took a scoreless match against the United States, then lost to Guatemala in Mazatenango 2-1. This result forced to play a playoff against Guatemala in Miami, Florida. In this playoff, Costa Ricas fans were drowned out by overwhelming advantage of Chapines in the Orange Bowl. On the other hand in the match the 5-2 goleada ment the ticket to the qualifier. With two goals from Rolando Fonseca, one from Paulo Wanchope, Reynaldo Parks and Japheth Soto respectably. Finally the final round began with a draw against Honduras at the Ricardo Saprissa 2-2, with goals from Rolando Fonseca and Rodrigo Cordero. Then thrashed Trinidad and Tobago in a 3-0 win at the Morera Soto. Lost to U.S. 1-0 "Only lose of Qualifier". Beat Mexico in Mexico city 1-2. Which is usually refeard to as the "aztecaso", with goals from Rolando Fonseca and Hernan Medford. Then beat Jamaica 2-1 in Alajuela. With a big away win over Honduras in Tegucigalpa 2-3 ment things were rolling. Goals compliments of Paulo Wanchope, Rolando Fonseca and Mauricio Solis. A crucial away win in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago by 0 to 2, with two goals from Rónald Gómez. Payback against the U.S. squad by beating them 2-0 in the Saprissa, with double from Rolando Fonseca. It was a battle to hold Mexico to a tie of zero goals in the Saprissa in the second to last match. The final win came in Kingston, Jamaica. The round ended 0ne to zero with a goal from William Sunsing. Costa Rica finished first in that hexagon with 23 points in 10 games over the United States and Mexico.
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