Miss Costa Rica and Miss USA Present: Brooks’ Half-Assed World Cup Qualifier Preview

June 1st, 2009 | by: Brooks Peck |

And we’re back! After another break in international play to finish up the European domestic seasons, the focus now turns back to WCQs and the upcoming Confederations Cup and Gold Cup, and several other super exciting, non-World Cup tournaments this summer.

When we last left the US MNT, Jozy Altidore was making us all mess our pants with his hat trick and single-handed (er, single footed?) domination in a 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, putting our record at 2-1-0 in the Hexagonal round, one point clear of second place…Costa Rica! How about that?

But before we get to the Costa Rican team itself, here are some fun facts about the island:

-It’s an island!*
-They were the first country in the world to abolish its army (is this a variation of the old “would you hit a man with glasses?” strategy?)
-Bananas and coffee are their principle exports. Of course.
-They have this fancy gold-encrusted national theater.
-They rank #1 in Latin American in something called the “Life Satisfaction Index”.

As for Costa Rica’s national team — they’ve qualified for the last two world cups, making them the only Central American team to ever do that consecutively. Notable players include defenders Carlos Johnson and Gonzalo Segares of the New York Red Bulls and the Chicago Fire, respectively. Captain Walter Centeno is their leading active scorer with 19 goals in 126 matches, including the goal that won their last WCQ 1-0 over El Salvador. Their only loss so far in this round came away to Mexico (despite being the only CONCACAF team to ever beat Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, which they did in 2001).

Although they may be low on stars (to us), this is clearly a decent side that should be a good test to start the summer. And hopefully Jozy will score another hat trick and lower their rank in that life satisfaction index.

Be sure to join us for the match. Marlon and I will be liveblogging this sucker along with former USA WCB writer Carter, so it should be fun. Like the Three Stooges, but dumber.

*It’s not really an island.

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BMatthews

Costa Rica isn’t an island. I’m confused.
But go US! I can’t wait for the liveblog. USAwcb is almost as good as dirtytackle….you guys should look into that site, you could learn a lot from them.
Brooks Peck

Thank you, BMatt. I’ve been wondering if people actually read that part of these previews, so that was my little test. And you quickly proved that, yes, one person does. This is why you were out one and only Commenter of the Month.
Hugo

Hey…I think the whole island stuff is stupid (is this a variation of a ¨crappy post¨?) but oh well…it seems to me that you need some more interseting facts on your post:

The abolition of the army was in 1948 and it was one of the best decisions in Costarican history, much of that budget (old crappy army) began to be injected to eduaction and public health, nowadays Costa Rica has the second best life expectancy in America (Canada´s first) and has the lowest illiteracy rate of the region (less than 3%).

Oh well, I hope Costa Rica wins, I´m expecting a gret match!
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

But…but…but… I was going to say the same thing BMatthews said! (Once I had, y’know, googled Costa Rica to verify.)

The fact that you award him the Commenter of the Month of the Award just because he happened to be first and I happened to be second is just…just…time-ist.
elle

ive missed these. and now you can have a whole load of new miss country pictures to use.
and any place that small may as well be an island.
Ryan

I’m probably in the crazed minority here but I wouldn’t be that overjoyed with a point. We are better than Costa Rica any way you slice it and if we want to be a serious contender at World Cups we have to be able to beat a team like Costa Rica. Yes the environment will be hostile, but we must fight through. At the end of the match if things have not gone our way and we still get a point full credit to our boys, but some of the pre-match stuff I’ve been reading almost has us resigned to winning just a point.

/End Rant
Hugo

And that ¨little isalnd¨ hammered you guys tonight!
chab

So USA lost for the 7th time in a row in a Costa Rican stadium…check the stats of USA vs. CR and you will see clearly who is superior between the 2 teams. And to use more numbers, with jut 4 million inhabitants, this little “island” qualified 3rd for the 2006 cup and 1st for the 2002 cup.
And about last night, 3 – 1 (penalty…) is all I have to say.