Small game, great result: Costa Rica went to New Zealand and will play their fifth World Cup

Smarter to defend early advantagehaving the ability to expand it, Costa Rica beat New Zealand 1-0 and became the last of 32 qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. for this example- and Concacaf’s fourth, It was for the Central American team.

This will be Costa Rica’s third consecutive participation in the World Cup, since its first experience in 1990. With Qatar, the Ticos will play his fifth world cup.

Costa Rica’s first experience was in Italy 90: there he was eliminated in the round of 16 by Czechoslovakia. The next occasion was in 2002 in the competition organized jointly by Korea and Japan. That time, he didn’t come out of his group just like the next one in Germany 2006.

absent in South Africa 2010Costa Rica once again said this to Brazil 2014 and reached a surprising quarter-final, where he was eliminated on penalties by the Netherlands. In Russia 2018the performance was different: it did not pass the group’s request.

Qatar 2022 will see him in group B, along with Spain, Germany and Japan, and his debut will be against La Roja on 23 November.

How did you get to the World Cup?

Costa Rica sealed his ticket with a goal from Joel Campbell two minutes of play. The goal and his intelligence to defend the slightest advantage explain the last stage of his journey to Qatar, which began earlier.

Costa Rica accepted the decisive match after qualifying fourth in Concacaf qualifiers, behind Canada, Mexico and the United States, already qualified for the top event.

In parallel, Los Ticos come from the Concacaf Nations League, where they faced Panama and Martinique in matches corresponding to Group B. It was a 2-0 defeat against Panamanians and a win with the same result against the island of the Lesser Antilles.

The match against New Zealand was different. After the blow practically at the same time as the initial whistle, he focused on taking care of what he had achieved.

The goal came from the wing, from a lineout, from the left left for Bennette, who went deep on his side and took the center for Campbell, who, albeit requested by his brand, was able to touch him to put him , slowly, next to the right stick.

At 39 ‘New Zealand celebrated the goal, a good definition from Wood, but the referee, after reviewing the VAR, whistled a previous foul by the same player and did not endorse it.

In the second half it’s all uphill for New Zealand, who end up playing with 10 after the expulsion of Kosta Barbarouses for a kick to the opponent’s ankle. Here, too, the VAR was fundamental, because the referee had only warned.

With little or all that implies a good defense of what has been achieved, Costa Rica has reached the next World Cup.