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)
