A good effort

Despite the 4-2 loss in the opening match of the World Cup, Costa Rica did show a good effort against Germany. After suffering the early goal, Wanchope tied the game to bring some joy to the Ticos - even if for just a few minutes. And when the team fell back 3-1, he was there again to score his second of the game (if only for the Germans to score a fourth). Overall it was an entertaining match, and the Ticos could have managed an even better result if they had taken advantage of the offside line the German defence was playing all day long. But one must recognize the superiority of the hosts, who could have got more goals themselves. With Ecuador’s win over Poland, there’s no other choice for Costa Rica but to beat the South Americans on Thursday if it hopes to advance to the second round.