Germany’s opponents Costa Rica and the tired World Cup heroes

Germany’s last group opponents, Costa Rica, have shown in the past that they can surpass themselves against opponents who seem overwhelming. But that was a long time ago – and the heroes from back then are tired.

Luis Fernando Suárez’s refrigerator has crafts made by his grandson and a piece of paper emblematic of his obsession. The Costa Rica coach wrote down three names on this piece of paper: Japan, Spain, Germany and the opponents in World Cup Group E. He had attached it before the crucial qualifying match for the World Cup in Qatar.

“I drink a lot of water. So I go to the fridge very often and keep looking at it. It’s like a photo.”, he said. Suarez, Costa Rica national coach since June 2021, wanted to remind himself several times a day what a great adventure awaited him and his team if they managed to qualify. And he wanted to make sure he didn’t lose focus. “I’ll die if I don’t qualify”, he said. He did it, for the third time in his career (Ecuador 2006, Honduras 2014).

Costa Rica – a team without a scorer

Suárez’s obsession, which he’s trying to transfer to his team, is Costa Rica’s greatest quality. But it doesn’t cover up the many weaknesses.

Costa Rica have only scored 14 goals in 15 games in World Cup qualifying. The top scorer with three goals was Joel Campbell, 30. How harmless the team is was also shown in the first two World Cup games against Spain and Japan. The Costa Ricans didn’t have a single shot against Spain (7-0), while Keysher Fuller scored the only goal against Japan (1-0) – with the first shot on target. Of all 32 World Cup teams, Costa Rica has the lowest value for Expected Goals is concerned, namely 0.05 goals per game. The number shows how many goals a team could have expected to score in a game. Put simply, Costa Rica has neither many nor good chances to score.

18-year-old Jewison Bennette from the English second division gives hope Sunderland AFC. His club manager Tony Mowbray: “He’s an exciting player. One of those guys that makes the fans jump out of their seats.” However, Suárez left the storm jewel out against Japan for the time being in order to strengthen the defence. Bennette will probably not start against Germany (December 1, 20:00 CET) either.

Left-back as a major weakness

Costa Rica are not only missing a goalscorer, the team also has problems in defence. The position of the left-back is considered a major weakness. Real Salt Lake City’s Bryan Oviedo, 32, is seeded purely because of his experience. All the more surprising that Bochum’s Cristian Gamboa was not nominated.

Danny Röhl, assistant coach at DFB, has already announced that the German team “more solutions with the ball” need you yourself “move a lot” and possession of the ball “very active” must be. Football based on the Spanish model – Costa Rica couldn’t keep up against the lively Spaniards who were good at combining.

Costa Rica and its six World Cup heroes

And yet the country has proven in the past that it can beat opponents who seem overpowered. In 2014, the team finished first in a group with Uruguay, Italy and England, then defeated Greece and only went out on penalties in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. It was the best result in the history of the “Ticos”, as the team is called. The players were celebrated like heroes in their country. Six remain in the current squad: goalkeepers Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell, Óscar Duarte, Celso Borges, Yeltsin Tejeda and Bryan Ruiz. But 2014 was a long time ago – and the heroes are tired.

Only goalkeeper Navas at a top club – and he doesn’t play

Ruiz, for example, who headed the 1-0 winner against Italy in 2014, plays for LD Alajuelense in the Chilean top flight at 37, as does midfield strategist Borges, 34 (LD Alajuelense). His centre-mate Tejeda, 30, plays for Herediano in Costa Rica’s first division. Navas has at Paris St Germain yet to play a game of the season, attacking player Campbell, 30, has scored once in 17 games for Club León FC in Mexico’s first division. Central defender Duarte, 33, joined Al-Wehda FC in Saudi Arabia’s top flight this summer.

Apart from Tejeda, they all once played in Europe’s top divisions and are therefore an important axis. Around them, coach Suarez is trying to bring in young players, but none of them play at a top club either and many get little playing time.

Costa Rica still dreams of progressing

Paulo Wanchope, who scored twice in the 2-4 draw against Germany at the 2006 World Cup and now works as a club coach, spoke of one before Qatar “wonderful task”. It will be a lesson and a great adventure, especially for the young players. But that the team “most difficult group of this World Cup” survives, he considers unrealistic.

Coach Suarez, on the other hand, said after the win against Japan that you can keep dreaming. “Hopefully my team will show what they are capable of.” Maybe then, as striker Fuller noted, help from the top down is needed. “We are still alive. We have complete trust in God and in ourselves.”