In order to qualify for this year's World Cup tournament, Costa Rica was able to progress to the final round in their respective group. Out of the 14 games played, they were able to finish 4th, with the possibility of a 3rd place finish if not for goal difference. The 3 teams that finished ahead of Costa Rica were, USA, Mexico and Canada finishing top of the group.
Costa Rica presented a valiant effort throughout their games, obtaining 7 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses - ensuring that they could progress to the knockout stage of the qualification process. This ultimately led to a final game against New Zealand.
Costa Rica’s clinical nature was on full display over the 90-minutes as they were able to grab an early lead in the 3rd minute thanks to a goal by Joel Campbell. New Zealand tried their best to pull it back by having 15 shots at goal and retaining 67% of possession. Although things got worse as Kosta Barbarouses was sent off during the 69th minute.
Time will tell how Costa Rica will progress in this competition, but one thing is for certain - they will want to give everything they have for their nation and their fans.