Last update 6 April, 2024 por Alberto Llopis
Costa Rica will play the fourth World Cup in history next June. It will do after spending as a second hexagonal, having overcome the always feared Mexico. A good result for a country that many do not know but that has a lot to offer and is positive at all levels. In Hanged For Football, today we talk about the Switzerland of Central America and the national team “tic”, in ten strokes, but without hesitation:
1- Costa Rica, indeed, It is called the Switzerland of Central America. for many reasons. It is a very green place (according to a study of 2009 the one on the planet) and tourist, a country without an army 1948 and one of the oldest democracies in the world. It is cataloged as a place where freedom of expression is total and this facilitates the continuous flow of existing media.
2- It is a very safe place, so much so that politicians often go unescorted or use the public service. Precisamente, the political class is well valued, partly because it has a high level of participation by women. No obstante, in recent years there have been some notorious corruption cases that have called into question that good reputation.
3- Costa Rica has the highest life expectancy in all of Latin America con 79,4 years of hope. Con 65.000 inhabitants in 1824, its over 4 million of today's inhabitants present a mixture of diverse nationalities (estadounidenses, Panamanians, Colombian or Spanish).
4- In Costa Rica there is no censorship in press or television. It is a country with a lot of mountains, with a high literacy rate (94,5%) and with Spanish as the official language. Although there are more and more social differences, there is a tradition that the rich and poor attend the same schools and that anyone can choose to study for a university degree.
5- Costa Rica has participated in three World Cups, 1990, 2002 y 2006. In Italy 90, the team reached the round of 16 after leaving teams like Sweden by the wayside (2-1) the scotland (1-0). Sin embargo, Czechoslovakia would separate her from the dream of moving forward by beating her 4-1 in bari. In the rest of the World Cups it did not pass the first phase.
6- Costa Rica has won 3 CONCACAF cups (1963, 1969 y 1989). It is the third power of the confederation after Mexico and the United States and in the World Cup 2009 sub 20 allowed himself the luxury of being fourth classified. Among its most famous players who have worn the shirt is Walter Centeno, Rolando Fonseca (top scorer), Luis Antonio Marin Murillo, Paul Caesar Wanchope.
7- Costa Rica is not a minor selection. Has won combined like Brazil, Suecia, Escocia, Mexico, United States and recently tied 2 with Spain (2011).
8- The Costa Rican League is the second most important in Central and North America after that of Mexico. Esta compuesta por 12 teams and is played through two tournaments: the summer one (january to may) and winter (June to December). They play 22 days facing each other and the first four play a semifinal. The first against the fourth and the second against the third, in two-legged matches. The final is played by the two winners.
9- Saprissa is the most famous team and the most successful with 29 titles. Deportivo Alajuelense has 28 and Heredian 23 (club with the most followers. These last two teams have never been downgraded. No stadium exceeds 20.000 localities saved the Saprissa in the middle of San José. Saprissa was founded by Ricardo Saprissa, a former Espanyol player.
10- Costa Rica is a team with a great future. A batch of new players who already warned in their youth stage augurs a long future for a country that is considered one of those with the highest happiness rates in the world.
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