MIAMI, Florida – Through 11 matchdays in the Final Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying, Canada have played nearly flawless football in amassing a 7W-4D-0L record, while outscoring opponents 19-5.
That unbeaten mark, though, will be put to a very stern test on Thursday when they travel to Costa Rica to take on the Ticos in San Jose’s Estadio Nacional.
It will be the 25th all-time meeting between the two nations, with Costa Rica leading the series with nine wins, six defeats and nine draws to go along with 23 goals scored and 18 allowed. There have been seven matches all-time in Concacaf WCQ, with the Ticos holding a slight advantage of 3W-2D-2L, with eight goals scored and five against.
Nearly all of the faces on the field on Thursday night will be different from the last WCQ on Costa Rican soil between Canada and the Central American side. In WCQ for Germany 2006, Costa Rica defeated the Canadians 1-0. Eight years prior on the road to France 1998, the Ticos also claimed a 3-1 triumph. All told, Costa Rica own a three-match unbeaten streak against Canada in home qualifiers.
Samuel Piette of Canada and Joel Campbell of Costa Rica in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals, at the AT-T Stadium, on July 25, 2021.
Not only has it proven difficult for Canada to find a win in Costa Rica, but breaching the Ticos defense for a score has been equally challenging. One has to go back to the 1997 qualifier when Carl Fletcher tallied for the North Americans in their 3-1 defeat.
Adding to the difficulty of Canada’s task is that Costa Rica arrive into the match on an excellent run of form, with 10 points from their last four matches and three clean sheets in the last three-match window.
But this Canada team possesses the strength to turn history on its head. FW Cyle Larin leads all players in scoring in all rounds of Concacaf WCQ with 12 goals, including five in the Third Round, tying him with teammate Jonathan David. Larin is also Canada’s all-time top scorer in WCQ, with 16 goals.
Costa Rica can boast the same claim, as winger Bryan Ruiz heads up the list of all-time WCQ goalscorers for his country, with 14 goals in 52 matches.
Thursday’s contest will also be one in which there will likely be a strong veteran presence. Look no further than 39-year-old Canada MF Atiba Hutchinson, who has played in the most WCQ matches for his country (35 matches), while 33-year-old Costa Rica MF Celso Borges has 56 WCQ matches under his belt, the most of any Costa Rican player all-time.
Perhaps what could decide this encounter is whether the dangerous Canadian attack can find a way past Costa Rica’s legendary shot-stopper, Keylor Navas. The Paris Saint-Germain GK has made 27 saves in 10 matches and will be put to the test by the likes of Larin, David and others, making for a great spectacle in a game with so much on the line.
