After raising doubts about their performance in a friendly match in Asia last Friday, Costa Rica's national football team, known as La Sele, redeemed themselves on Tuesday and looked more like the squad that finished eighth at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. La Sele defeated South Korea 3-1.
Costa Rica star keeper Keylor Navas allowed as many goals in his Real Madrid debut as he did during the entire World Cup. But he has teammate Xabi Alonso partially to blame for his team's defensive follies in a 2-1 friendly loss to Italy's Fiorentina on Saturday.
La Sele wasn't the only Costa Rican team in Brazil for the World Cup this month. A team of nine teenagers representing Costa Rica's indigenous groups also competed in the international "Indigenous Cup."
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil – Nervous Brazil beat Chile 3-2 on penalties to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after an epic battle that left Neymar and his teammates in tears.
Álvaro Saborío, the top scorer for Costa Rica during qualifying, is officially out of the World Cup. Saborío broke his fifth metatarsal on his right foot during Thursday morning's practice. The injury was confirmed at a press conference by team's doctors Alejandro Ramírez and Vladimir Badilla.
