Can you really predict having your best game ever?

Costa Rican National team coach Alexandre Guimaraes said upon meeting the media during his team’s first hours in Germany that Costa Rica will play its best game ever on June 9, against host nation Germany, in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup. If this turns out to be true, Mr. Guimaraes should be awarded a medal in honor of his motivation and prediction skills. After all, it will be quite normal for the team to be affected by all the attention generated by an opening match of a World Cup, against the host nation, no less. And this could directly lead the team to having a performance that would not really be its best ever. Luckily for Costa Rica, the Germans might feel even more pressure since they are expected to win the game. Thus, the Central American nation may come out of the match with something to show for its efforts, even if it’s not quite its best game ever.