World Cup Preview - Group D - Costa Rica

Rounding off our discussion of Group D and England's opponents this summer - it's Costa Rica!

Nickname: "Los Ticos"

Absurd FIFA ranking - 34th

Coach: Colombian boss Jorge Luis Pinto

Game Schedule:
June 14 – Costa Rica v. Uruguay (Fortaleza, 3:00 p.m. EST, ABC)
June 20 – Costa Rica v. Italy (Recife, 12:00 p.m., ESPN)
June 24 – Costa Rica v. England (Natal, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2)

Prospects: Costa Rica fairly breezed through CONCACAF qualifying this time around, finishing second to the USA. Pinto has changed their traditional Central American counter attacking style to one that relies on three defenders at the back to anchor attacks. This meant that the Ticos had the stingiest defense in CONCACAF qualifying. Given their difficulty scoring with regularity, they'll need to continue this in Brazil this summer. 

Key Player: PSV's elusive forward Bryan Ruiz can be hit or miss, as he was throughout his erratic tenure at Fulham. He's the key to the Ticos unlocking defenses.

Youngster to watch: 21 year-old Olympiacos striker Joel Campbell provided much of the dynamism for the Ticos attack during qualifiers.

Who Will Get the Goals: Attacking midfielder chipped in several vital free kick goals during qualifiers.

Who Will Get the Cards: Defensive midfielder Junior Diaz has learned all the wrong lessons at Mainz.

Prediction: Bottom of Group D with a bullet.