So much pressure and tension with a spot in the World Cup Finals on the line, but you have to wonder what in the world could have set this off between the Costa Rica players and what looks like the on site stadium security.
After dumping head coach Rodrigo Kenton last week following their third straight loss in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, Costa Rica has turned to Rene Simoes, a man who’s coaching resume includes taking Jamaica to the World Cup in 1998 / Trinidad & Tobago / Brazil Women / Iran U-23’s / Jamaica in 2008 and s sprinkling of Brazilian clubs in between.
Despite its strong start, which included a 3-1 home win over the U.S., in the final round of World Cup qualifying, Costa Rica fired coach Rodrigo Kenton after los Ticos lost their last three Hexagonal games, dropping them to fourth place.
The US plays Costa Rica at RFK Stadium on October 14th.
Costa Rican club Herediano has been awarded a spot in the 2009 / 10 version of the CONCACAF Champions League after the CONCACAF Emergency Committee ruled that Nicaragua side Real Esteli’s home field accommodation’s did not meet the required stadium standards.
No team in CONCACAF has won a match at Saprissa Stadium in the past decade, and the US has never won there. The last time we travelled there in October 05 was particularly painful. Heat, turf, flying urine bags…Wednesday night will be big.
Costa Rican legend Hernan Medford (89 appearances with 18 goals) was given his walking papers on Friday in San Jose.
After suffering through a 12 game winless streak that ended when Costa Rica beat Grenada 3-nil in the second leg (after drawing 2-2 in the first), the top brass had enough and gave Medford (who had coached giants Saprissa before taking over the Full Team) his walking papers.
But he didn’t sound too worried about not having a job, “At last I’m free,” El Pelecano said after a meeting with the country’s soccer federation chiefs.
Another former player, Rodrigo Kenton (who failed in trying to qualify Guatemala for the 2008 Beijing Olympics) has been named Head Coach and will now face the challenge of preparing the Ticos for their Group 1 phase of Concacaf Qualifiers against Suriname, El Salvador and Haiti.
image via ElHeraldo
At the sprite age of only 31 years old, Paulo Wanchope has taken over as Head Coach at the club he retired at, Costa Rican club CS Herediano. By taking over at the club he started for back in 1994 before embarking on a career that saw him play for clubs around the world including Derby, Man Citeh, Rosario Central, FC Tokyo and the Chicago Fire, Wanchope’s first task was to appoint his brother Javier Vicente as Assistant Coach.
Only time will tell how the transition from player to coach will be handled, but with the experience of playing all over the world and representing Costa Rica 76 times (scoring 45 goals), there might not be a better soccer mind in all of Costa Rica.
Keep an eye on the Herediano roster that’s littered with former MLS’ers like Mauricio Solis, Jafet Soto and Saul Martinez while being the former club of Mauricio Wright, William Sunsing and Andy Herron.
image via MLSNet
