Winning is a must

Costa Rica is two days away from one of the most expected games in the final qualifying round: against Mexico. After being totally ripped into pieces in San Pedro Sula, now is the time for the Ticos to rise and shine! The Saprissa stadium will host the most crucial match in CONCACAF this weekend and both teams need to win.

In one corner you have Mexico. Currently stands fourth and is desperate for points because they are in a risky situation right now. The Mexicans have lost each and every game playing as the visiting team. It is obvious that they are not such a strong team when they are not playing in the Azteca. The last results have been a bit positive for Mexico after beating the US twice in a row and you can see a small improvement (compared to Ericsson´s team). But playing in San Jose with a packed stadium thirsty for goals is not that easy. Plus, the pitch is not in good conditions; the ball bounces in a funky way and it rolls faster.

On the other hand, Costa Rica needs to win every home game in order to have a on spot in South Africa. Costa Rica´s defense has been changed because of the poor performance in the last game. Fernandez and Wallace were not even taken into account by Kenton, instead Villalobos and Johnson were called up. Another thing to consider is that Centeno will probably miss the match because of a recent injury. This is certainly a sensitive loss. Centeno is the most experienced player and is the one who leads the team in the offense. He is also the team captain and is very accurate in free kicks. Many journalists have said that Oviedo will play for Centeno. So to sum everything up, Costa Rica needs to win on Saturday night, losing is not an option.

*Photo from Ovacion, AL DIA, H. Arley*