No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveA 12-year-old ghost is back at Estadio Azteca

A 12-year-old ghost is back at Estadio Azteca

A 3-5-10 record in World Cup elimination stages, eight years without scoring, a -17 goal differential and 105,000 people rooting against them are only some of the negative numbers Costa Rica will face tonight against Mexico.

And yet, hope for a second “Aztecazo” has never been higher. In the last 12 years, Ticos have never been so optimistic about beating Mexico at home in the Estadio Azteca.

Costa Rica and Mexico face off tonight in the fifth round of the final elimination stage for Brazil 2014 World Cup. In a three-way tie with the United States for the top spot, both teams aim to finish the first round of round robin games as leaders.

Expectations in Mexico are high, as local and foreign journalists and experts debate over the visiting team’s chances of a surprise result.

“Costa Rica has a team that can come to play fearlessly against Mexico, and have a good game,” said David Faitelson, a Mexican ESPN sports reporter who usually is overconfident of Mexican sports superiority over Central American teams. “Why not repeat 2001 and leave Estadio Azteca with more than a tie?”

Many of Faitelson’s colleagues agree that Mexico is obligated to earn all 3 points at home, as the team has only had one win in 2013 (1-0 vs. Jamaica on June 4), following a 6-tie streak and another tie last Friday at Panama.

As for Costa Rica, team morale is high following an important win at home against Honduras last Friday, and only one loss in this stage of eliminations against the U.S. in a controversial, snowy game in Denver last March.

In the end, statistics and speculation don’t matter when both teams hit the field. But they’ll have to suffice until the 90-minute whistle is blown and history is written once again.

CONCACAF standings:

Costa Rica 2-1-1, 7 points

United States 2-1-1, 7 points

Mexico 1-0-4, 7 points

Panama 1-0-3, 6 points

Honduras 1-2-1, 4 points

Jamaica 0-3-2, 2 points

Other matches

United States vs. Panama

Jamaica at Honduras

Trending Now

Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica’s Central Valley

An earthquake shook Costa Rica early Friday morning. The tremor occurred at 12:45 a.m. with a magnitude of 4.4. Its epicenter was located 1...

Honduras Community Demands Justice in Environmental Murder Case

Three defendants accused of murdering an environmental activist in Honduras 11 months ago appeared before a court this Thursday for a preliminary hearing, the...

Former Costa Rican President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Faces Trial

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, who served as Costa Rica’s president from 1998 to 2002, returned to court on today, to face charges in the so-called...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

In Costa Rica, Rare White-Lipped Peccaries Still Survive

Today we meet the white-lipped peccary, a large animal that travels in large groups that has disappeared from a large part of its historical...

Nicaragua Hosts Historic 2025 AmeriCup Basketball Tournament

The 2025 AmeriCup, the men’s basketball Copa América, tips off this Friday in Nicaragua, marking the most significant international sporting event in the country’s...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica