In this Daily: Watching Futbol as La Sele Take on Mexico
In Costa Rica, there’s one sport that people play and follow more than any other: futbol. On any given afternoon you can catch a game up on the second floor of Limonada, or hop into a mejenga game on the streets or out on the beach.
And in Costa Rica, there’s no team more important than the national team: La Sele. Tonight, a big part of Costa Rica will come to a halt as Costa Rica takes on Mexico in the Gold Cup Quarterfinals at 7:30pm. All across the country, visitors will crowd into sodas, sports bars, local town squares, or friends’ homes. The game, which will be hosted in Houston, TX, is a chance for La Sele to bounce back after a disappointing loss earlier this week that saw them finish second in group B.
For the untrained eye, here’s what you should be looking for in this game.
For the untrained eye, football can be a tricky sport to follow, especially in the absence of many of the scoring statistics and key measurables present in other sports like basketball, cricket, and gridiron football. Outside of goals, it can be hard to track the success of a skilled player like Bryan Ruiz, or the influence on defenses that a fast, tricky player like Joel Campbell produces.
So here’s what to watch for as La Sele takes on La Tri.
This game will be a clash of two of footballs most prominent philosophies -- the brash hyper-counter that brought Liverpool the title this year and the consistent possession that brought Barca to the top of the footballing world for so long.
To the viewer what this will look like is long spells of intricate passing from Costa Rica. They’ll be looking for gaps in Mexico’s defense, investigating and looking to pounce on any opening that they can find. Meanwhile, Mexico will be laying in wait, holding formation and waiting for any mistake where they can pounce on Costa Rica, take the ball, and sprint in the other direction with three very fast attackers.
Both teams are capable in their chosen strategy, so it will rely on a moment of magic to break the deadlock. A goal for Costa Rica means that Mexico must come out, creating more openings for La Sele. A goal for Mexico means that they can slip deeper into defense, forcing Costa Rica to risk everything for an equalizer.
Expect to see Costa Ricans with the ball more often, and sudden moments of action as the game of cat and mouse is played out.
All to play for tonight. ¡Vamos Costa Rica!