The Chilean national team announced a friendly match against Costa Rica on Jan. 22. The two teams will face off at 6 p.m. Costa Rica time (9 p.m. in Chile) in the Chilean port city of Coquimbo.
Three days later, on Jan. 25, the Costa Rican national team, known as “La Sele,” will be in the United States to take on South Korea in another World Cup prep match for both squads.
Costa Rica lost 1-0 to Australia in its first World Cup warm-up this past November. The Costa Rican Football Federation is in talks with Paraguay about playing a home game at the National Stadium in western San José on March 5, according to the daily La Nación. La Sele also is considering another friendly in the United States in the late spring.
Costa Rica holds a winning record against Chile with five wins, two losses and two draws. But the Latin America rivals haven’t played each other since 2007 (a 2-0 Tico win). Costa Rica has a 3-2-2 record versus South Korea. La Sele won the previous match, 1-0, in 2006.
The World Cup begins June 12, and Costa Rica will battle in a doozer of a group composed of England, Uruguay, Italy and the Ticos.