Costa Rica: Central America’s “Swiss” conquer the football world

Costa Rica (“RichCoast”) is considered a tourist hot-spot. No wonder: the “Switzerland of Central America” is an uncomplicated and pleasant country to visit, the standard of living higher than neighbouring countries, the army has been dissolved and almost a third of the country is a nature reserve. But the tropical country, about as large as the German federal state of Lower Saxony but with just half the number of inhabitants (four million), offers more than rain forests, waterfalls and snowy-white beaches. For example, an impressive football team that will participate for the third time in a World Cup finals in Germany in 2006.

Here you can find information about the star of the team ...

On their first two ventures on to football’s world stage, the “Ticos”, as the people call themselves in an abbreviation of the awkward word “costarricense”, caught the eye of fans. Even at their World Cup debut in Italy in 1990, the interlopers from Central America, under the direction of coaching legend Bora Milutinovic, upset the established countries. After wins over Scotland (1-0) and Sweden (2-1) and a 1-0 defeat by Brazil the team made the second round in which they were stopped by Czechoslovakia (4-1). Twelve years later in Japan and South Korea, the outsiders enthused with spirited attacking football, defeated China 2-0, achieved a 1-1 draw against the eventual World Cup bronze medallists, Turkey, and shared one of the most entertaining tournament matches against Brazil (5-2 defeat). At the end Costa Rica could only watch Turkey go through, because of their better goal-tally.

The football-crazy Costa Ricans love their players, despite them never achieving a major international title in the 84-year history of the Costa Rican Football Association FCF (Federación Costarricense de Fútbol).The Association’s letterhead boasts just three rather less important CONCACAF championships (1963, 1969, 1989). But now the expectations are high. National coach Steve Sampson, who succeeded very popular Alexandre Guimaraes after the 2002 World Cup, realised this during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.When the “Ticos” drew twice against Cuba (1-1 and 2-2) in the first round, were almost eliminated but eventually went through to the second round simply by scoring more goals away, the American was sacked in June 2004.

Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto, 52, became his successor in August 2004. But he made a hash of things during the first group phase of the World Cup qualification in North and Central America (CONCACAF). Two defeats by Honduras(5-2) and in Guatemala (2-1) were followed by three wins and a goalless draw against arch-rivals Honduras – a goal by Honduras would have resulted in elimination. In the third, decisive phase the Association once again sacked the coach after three competition days after a depressing 0-0 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Finally national hero Guimaraes, 45, returned to the coaching bench -- a Costa Rican born in Brazil, but a rather non-descript coach on the international scene. Thanks to three victories in the last four matches, and two very lucky last minute wins (2-1 over Panama and 3-2 against Guatemala) Costa Ricaguaranteed their World Cup tickets, ultimately finishing third in the group behind the USA and Mexico.

Setbacks were suffered on the road to Germany. There was the tragic, fatal car accident involving forward Whayne Wilson in May 2005, and the “ghost match” in front of empty seats against Panama after crowd riots in the previous match against Mexico. And the early elimination from the 2005 Gold Cup, the North and Central American Championship, in the quarter-finals against Honduras (3-2 defeat). But in the end all came right. In the last few minutes of the decisive 3-0 win over the USA on October 8, there were standing ovations for the team by the 18,000 spectators at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José. "Thanks to hard work and great effort by the players and the coaching staff we have reached our aim, but it was not at all easy”, Guimaraes said. "This successful qualification proves the capability and quality of Costa Rica’s players”.

The nation’s celebrated darling is the one real star of the team: Paulo Wanchope. The 29-year-old is his country’s record goalscorer with the impressive record of 43 goals in 67 international matches. He scored eight goals in the qualifiers. From 1997 to 2004, the 1.93m tall attacker played with DerbyCounty, West Ham United and ManchesterCity in England. After a short sojourn in Spain with FC Malaga last season, he succumbed to the petro dollars from Qatar and moved to the club Al-Gharafa in the summer of 2005.

One of Guimaraes’ secrets of success was certainly to stop the rejuvenation process pushed by his predecessors Sampson and Pinto. “Guima” concentrated his reliance on players who were already team members in 2002; among them the defenders Jervis Drummond, Luis Marin, Harold Wallace and Gilberto Martinez, the midfield strategists Mauricio Solis and Walter Centeno, and strikers Paulo Wanchope, Ronald Gomez and Winston Parks. These changes led to 41 players being involved in the qualifiers.

Apart from Wanchope, the “Ticos” are little known in Europe. Most of them play in the Costa Rican league with top clubs Deportivo Saprissa, CS Herediano and LD Alajuelense. Some earn their money abroad: Pablo Chinchilla (26, Los Angeles Galaxy), Douglas Sequeira (28, CD Chivas) and Andy Herron (27, Chicago Fire) play in the US Professional League, Oscar Rojas, 26, with Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico. There are just three players still playing in Europe: chief defender Gilberto Martinez, 26, with Brescia Calcio in Italy, Steven Bryce, 28, with Anorthosis Famagusta in Cyprus, while forward Winston Parks, 24, is now with FK Sarurn Ramenskoje in Russia after previous contracts with Ascoli Calcio and Lok Moscow.