| Current FIFA Rank: | 39 |
| Highest FIFA Rank: | 17 |
| Average FIFA Rank: | 48 |
| World Cup Appearances: | 3 (1990, 2002, 2006) |
| Last Costa Rica Result in US: | 0-0 (July 12, 2005 Gold Cup) |
| Head Coach: | René Simões |
| Big Results Since 2006 World Cup | Surprising Losses Since 2006 World Cup | |
| 9/5/09 | 0-3 versus Mexico | |
| 8/12/09 | 0-4 at Honduras | |
| 6/27/09 | 1-0 versus Venezuela | |
| 6/3/09 | 3-1 versus US | |
| 5/13/09 | 1-1 at Venezuela | |
| 6/6/07 | 1-2 versus Canada in US | |
| 6/2/07 | 2-0 versus Chile | |
| 3/28/07 | 1-1 at Chile | |
| 2/9/07 | 3-1 versus Honduras in El Salvador |
Costa Rica is similarly ranked to Honduras, but for a different reason. Honduras has several impressive wins since the last World Cup while having lost games at key times to inferior opponents that have kept them from moving up the ranks. Costa Rica on the other hand has tended to get the results that people expected, though often by surprising score lines.
Costa Rica’s performance in the Hexagonal is typical of their last four years. Home wins against the US, Honduras, El Salvador, and T&T and a home loss to Mexico are not surprising results, but beating the US and Honduras by a combined four goals then losing to Mexico by 3 is. Likewise road loses at Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador are not surprising results, but the magnitude of the 4-0 beat down in Honduras was unexpected.
Their consistent beating of inferior opponents has led them to dominate Central America. They have played in the final match of the UNCAF Nations Cup (the Central American championship) in 9 of the 10 tournaments; winning six times. In four of the last five Gold Cups, they have been knocked out by either Mexico or the US. Along with the US and Mexico, they have qualified for every Hexagonal (started for WC 1998 qualification), and have finished as the Central American team with the most points in every one. After the US and Mexico, they have the most World Cup appearances in the region.
Their consecutive losses to Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador resulted in the replacement of their coach this September. René Simões is a 56 year old Brazilian whose career highlights include managing the Jamaicans in their first and only World Cup appearance, managing the Brazilian women’s team to Olympic silver in 2004, and managing the Iranian U-23 team in 2006. He has spent the last few years bouncing between various club and national team positions.
Costa Rica’s recent inability to pull an upset is disheartening for their World Cup aspirations. Because of this, I like Honduras’ chances against the CONMEBOL team in the play-in much better than I like Costa Rica’s. If four CONCACAF teams in the World Cup will do the US more good in the draw than winning the Hex, then I’m somewhat inclined to hope that Costa Rica gets the other automatic bid. A US win and a Honduras loss or draw, is likely the best possible combination of results for the US for World Cup seeding purposes.
Domestic League
| Highest League: | Primera División de Costa Rica |
| Number of Teams: | 12 |
| League Season: | Split Season (autumn and spring) |
| League Structure: | Two tables (six teams each) |
| Champion Determined By: | 6 team playoff |
| Current Champion | C.F. Liberia Mia |
Like many other Latin American countries, Costa Rica plays crowns two champions per season, one in the autumn, the Invierno; and one in the spring, the Verano. Recent history has been dominated by Saprissa and Alajuelense. Along with Herediano, who dominated the early years of the league, these three clubs have 73 of the 89 titles among them. Saprissa’s international history is one of the more impressive in CONCACAF, including 3 CONCACAF Champion’s Cup wins and a third place at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2005. They currently sit in third in Group C of this year’s CCL, behind Cruz Azul and the Columbus Crew. Costa Rica’s other two participants, Herediano and Liberia Mia, were knocked out in the preliminary round by Cruz Azul and Real Espana, respectively.
Player Pool
The below players have been called in for the current set of matches:
| GK | Keylor Navas | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
| GK | Ricardo González | CS Herediano | Costa Rica |
| GK | Adrian De Lemos | CS Herediano | Costa Rica |
| DF | Esteban Sirias | Liberia | Costa Rica |
| DF | Cristian Montero | CS Herediano | Costa Rica |
| DF | Pablo Herrera | Aalesunds FK | Norway |
| DF | Leonardo Gonzalez | Seattle Sounders FC | USA |
| DF | Roy Myrie | Gent | Belgium |
| DF | Gilberto Martínez | Brescia | Italy |
| DF | Dennis Marshall | AaB | Denmark |
| DF | Michael Umaña | Liberia | Costa Rica |
| DF | Júnior Díaz | Wisła Kraków | Poland |
| DF | Randall Azofeifa | Gent | Belgium |
| MF | Luis Marín | L.D. Alajuelense | Costa Rica |
| MF | Óscar Seravalli | CS Cartaginés | Costa Rica |
| MF | Celso Borges | Fredrikstad | Norway |
| MF | Walter Centeno | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
| MF | Armando Alonso | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
| MF | Michael Barrantes | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
| MF | Cristian Oviedo | L.D. Alajuelense | Costa Rica |
| MF | Douglas Sequeira | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
| MF | Christian Bolaños | IK Start | Norway |
| FW | Bryan Ruiz | FC Twente | Netherlands |
| FW | Álvaro Saborío | Bristol City FC | England |
| FW | Froylán Ledezma | VfB Admira Wacker Mödling | Austria |
| FW | Rolando Fonseca | CSD Comunicaciones | Guatemala |
| FW | Victor Núñez | Liberia | Costa Rica |
