WCQ Game Guide: Costa Rica v Mexico

Mexico’s Jonathan dos Santos (#8) and Bryan Ruiz of visiting Costa Rica battle for the ball during a World Cup qualifier on March 24, 2017, in Mexico City. (Photo: Mexsport)

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP CONCACAF Qualifying -- Final Round, Matchday 8

Date: September 5, 2017 Match: Costa Rica v Mexico Venue: Estadio Nacional – San Jose, Costa Rica Time: 8:05 p.m. ET

MATCH OFFICIALS R: Mark Geiger (USA) AR1: Joe Fletcher (Canada) AR2: Charles Morgante (USA) 4th: Armando Villarreal (USA)

SUSPENSIONS Costa Rica: tba Mexico: tba

ALL-TIME WCQ SERIES Mexico leads: 11W-6D-4L (31GF, 13GA)

LAST WCQ MEETING March 24, 2017: Mexico 2, Costa Rica 0 Javier Hernandez 8’; Nestor Araujo 45’

FIVE MATCH WCQ FORM Costa Rica: WWDDL Mexico: WDWWW

CONCACAF QUALIFYING RESULTS

Costa Rica (Overall record: 9W-3D-1L … 22GF, 7GA) 13.11.15 Costa Rica v Haiti 1-0 W 17.11.15 Panama v Costa Rica 1-2 W 25.03.16 Jamaica v Costa Rica 1-1 D 29.03.16 Costa Rica v Jamaica 3-0 W 02.09.16 Haiti v Costa Rica 0-1 W 06.09.16 Costa Rica v Panama 3-1 W 11.11.16 Trinidad & Tobago v Costa Rica 0-2 W 15.11.16 Costa Rica v USA 4-0 W 24.03.17 Mexico v Costa Rica 2-0 L 28.03.17 Honduras v Costa Rica 1-1 D 08.06.17 Costa Rica v Panama 0-0 D 13.06.17 Costa Rica v Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 W 01.09.17 USA v Costa Rica 0-2 W

Mexico (Overall record: 9W-3D-0L … 22GF, 3GA) 13.11.15 Mexico v El Salvador 3-0 W 17.11.15 Honduras v Mexico 0-2 W 25.03.16 Canada v Mexico 0-3 W 29.03.16 Mexico v Canada 2-0 W 02.09.16 El Salvador v Mexico 1-3 W 06.09.16 Mexico v Honduras 0-0 D 11.11.16 USA v Mexico 1-2 W 15.11.16 Panama v Mexico 0-0 D 24.03.17 Mexico v Costa Rica 2-0 W 28.03.17 Trinidad & Tobago v Mexico 0-1 W 08.06.17 Mexico v Honduras 3-0 W 11.06.17 Mexico v USA 1-1 D 01.09.17 Mexico v Panama 1-0 W

CONCACAF QUALIFYING SCORERS

Costa Rica: Christian Bolaños (4); Bryan Ruiz, Marco Ureña (3); Joel Campbell, Ronald Matarrita, Johan Venegas (2); Johnny Acosta, Randall Azofeifa, Celso Borges, Francisco Calvo, Cristian Gamboa, Kendall Waston (1)

Mexico: Jesus Corona, Hirving Lozano (3); Andres Guardado, Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Carlos Vela (2); Oswaldo Alanis, Nestor Araujo, Jurgen Damm, Hector Herrera, Miguel Layun, Rafael Marquez, Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes, Angel Sepulveda (1)

QUICK NOTES

Costa Rica (Hexagonal: 2nd place … 4W-2D-1L; 11GF, 4GA) - Qualifies for 2018 FIFA World Cup with win v Mexico

• Conceded one goal or fewer in 12 of 13 WCQs
• On September 1, 2017, defeated USA (2-0) on American soil for first time in 32 years
• One of three teams to reach all previous five Hexagonal editions (Mexico and USA are the others)
• Completed Hexagonal play in first place once (2002)
• Qualified for four FIFA World Cups (1990, 2002, 2006, 2014), advancing as far as the quarterfinals in 2014, before falling to the Netherlands on penalty kicks (4-3), after a scoreless draw

Mexico (Hexagonal: 1st place … 5W-2D-0L; 10GF, 2GA) - Qualified for 2018 FIFA World Cup with 1-0 home win v Panama on September 1, 2017 … will be making seventh straight appearance in competition and 16th overall

• Completed Hexagonal play in first place once (1998)
• Holds record for most Hexagonal goals scored (96)
• Never won more than seven games in a single Hexagonal (2006)
• Fifteen different players have scored Mexico’s 23 goals during 2018 WCQ
• Shares record with Costa Rica for most goals scored in a single Hexagonal (both scored 23 in 1998)