World Cup 2014 Preview – Costa Rica

Costa Rica finished second in qualifying in CONCACAF, only behind the USA. They hope to take this momentum even further in their hopes of having a good showing in the 2014 World Cup.

The indisputable leader of this Costa Rica squad is Bryan Ruiz, one of the best players from the western hemisphere. Ruiz plays for the club Fulham F.C. in the English Premier League, and this experience in arguably the best league in the world will be vital for Costa Rica to have any chance at advancing into the knockout stage. His play-making abilities up front and in the midfield are second to none, and his field vision is just as good.

Most teams will be looking to keep the ball from Ruiz's feet, so that will most likely give the Costa Ricans a chance at attacking from the outside. Joel Campbell is an up and coming star who is a threat to score every time the ball touches his feet. His preferred position is up front as a striker, but he can easily be moved to the wing and can stretch out a team's defensive backs further than what they are comfortable with.

My prediction: Costa Rica has a good squad, but definitely not the most talented roster from top to bottom in Group D. Italy and England have much more talent than Costa Rica, but we all know how England performs on this stage, and Greece isn't exactly considered a world power by anyone's standards. I say that Costa Rica finish 3rd in the group, but it wouldn't be surprising in the least bit to see this team advance.