By Mike Woitalla in San Jose, Costa Rica
Friday, Nov. 29 — Costa Rica’s winning combination
The first time I visited Costa Rica was in 1994, on vacation. The aim was to enjoy the beaches and practice Spanish.
When I tried to converse, I talked about soccer and invoked Costa Rica at the 1990 World Cup. In Italy, under coach Bora Milutinovic, the Ticos beat both Scotland and Sweden, lost to Brazil on an own goal, and reached the second round.
They got trounced by Czechoslovakia, but the second-round appearance surprised everybody. It was Costa Rica’s first World Cup, and the nation of 3 million had been expected to do what the U.S. would do — three losses and bye-bye.
But by 1994, Costa Ricans no longer thought much of their national team, which was ousted early in qualifying play.
The legacy of the World Cup success was squandered, say critics in the Costa Rican media, by the federation’s poor organization, although it gave the league a boost.
“The people started looking at soccer players differently,” says current captain Ronald Gonzalez. “Fans became more demanding and players also became more professional.”
The 12-team league now has four clubs that pay full-time salaries and players earn about $2,000 a month. Stars can make as much as $4,000.
“It pays OK,” says Gonzalez, “but not as much as Mexico.”
While Milutinovic is credited with instilling a professional attitude among the national team players, the federation was criticized for the way in which the World Cup earnings of more than $1 million disappeared.
Current federation president Eduardo Echeverria took office earlier this year, but has been a federation official for seven years.
“Our federation was very disorganized,” Echeverria says. “We spent lots of money on stupid things…. [like] travel that wasn’t necessary, parties, and things like that.
“We didn’t have the ability to reorganize our soccer. Several players played outside the country and we had trouble getting them. And the clubs [in Costa Rica] didn’t always cooperate.
“Now we have no trouble with the clubs. You have to deal with them, be diplomatic with them.”
Gonzalez made his first start for Costa Rica in its 1990 World Cup opener against Scotland. He was only 19 and had been brought into the team by Milutinovic.
Milutinovic had arrived in Costa Rica only three months before the World Cup. He found new players by describing to his assistants what types he needed.
“When they told me about Gonzalez, I went to see his team play but told my coaches not to tell me which one he was,” Milutinovic said. “Then I watched for a while and asked, ‘Is that him?’ They said yes.”
Milutinovic explains Costa Rica’s international success by pointing to the Ticos’ passion for the game. Gonzalez says, “Before a child gets a toy, he gets a ball.” He also points to the combination of players from San Jose —
such as himself — with those from Puerto Limon on the Caribbean Coast.
“We played in the streets and with teams,” Gonzalez said. “My teammates from Puerto Limon played on the beach. The black players on the team are from Limon, or their parents are from Limon.
“The players from the ports are usually stronger but they also have great skill. The players from the capital are mostly white. The ones from the ports have more creativity. The players from the capital go to soccer schools and it’s more structured.
“The Limon province produces more First Division players than any other province. The success of Costa Rica is a result of this combination of players.”
I asked Echeverria to explain the slew of successful players from the Limon province, which has a population of 240,000 compared to 1.1 million of the San Jose province.
“Perhaps [because of] the sea, perhaps the mountains, I don’t know,” he said.
Costa Rica has qualified for both the last U-17 and U-20 World Cups and Echeverria fights hard to maintain stability in the coaching ranks, whose revolving door policy has hurt the program in the past. If Costa Rica doesn’t qualify, expect another tailspin.
“If we don’t qualify, I have to resign,” Echeverria said.
Saturday, Nov. 30 — Goalkeeper controversies
The Costa Rican federation has informed the U.S. team that it can’t practice in the Saprissa Stadium today. That tactic worked with Guatemala, but the U.S. insists, invoking the FIFA rules.
As they enter the field, the Costa Rican team is leaving. Milutinovic, still coach of Mexico, arrives and hugs journalists and greets fans.
One fan has Milutinovic sign a 10 colones bill, which they don’t make any more because it’s worth a nickel.
“It was printed before you were alive,” the fan tells me.
A number of fans are asking Milutinovic to give them the baseball cap he has borrowed from a U.S. player. Instead, he throws them an issue of Soccer America. They battle for it a while until the most tenacious pulls it down. Then he studies it quizzically.
Pregame talk for the U.S. surrounds the absence of Tom Dooley, who has strained his calf muscle and is visiting his favorite doctor, in Munich. Paul Caligiuri will replace him at sweeper and get his 113th cap, tying him with another absentee, Marcelo Balboa, who has yet to be invited into camp since qualification started.
Caligiuri is the only player here to have played in the infamous qualifying game in 1985 in Torrance, Calif., when the U.S. needed a tie to qualify for Mexico `86, but lost 1-0 to the `Ticos.
Costa Rica has troubled the U.S. in the past. In 1990, it beat the U.S. at home and was unlucky to lose in Missouri, 1-0, having two goals called back and missing a penalty kick in the last minute.
Sampson explains the absence of Keller, who had been given the nod over Friedel at the start of qualifying and played well in the games without conceding a goal. Keller bruised his ankle three days ago in England.
“Brad at 100 percent is better than Keller at 70 percent,” Sampson says. “He may not be injured enough keep out of the Leicester lineup, but enough keep out of our lineup. [Leicester manager] Martin O’Neill may be willing to take that risk.
“I’ve informed Kasey if he plays against Manchester United injured on Saturday, he will lose his starting position if Brad Friedel plays well against Costa Rica.
“My feeling is he stayed there to recover and get therapy. It made no sense for him to come back here and get therapy.
“If he takes the risk and if his manager insists that Kasey play with bruised ankle, he risks losing his starting his position.
“Keller is aware of this and I know it’s a very difficult position for him to be in. He’s got realize I’ve got to manage people on this side of the Atlantic as well. For Kasey to be excused, and then to play injured … wouldn’t be fair to players here.”
Forward Roy Lassiter started his professional career in Costa Rica, but Sampson has not called him in because he wants him to get settled at his Italian club, Genoa.
The Costa Ricans also have two goalkeepers battling for the No. 1 spot. One is Hermidio Barrantes, who played the final game of the 1990 World Cup because star Gabelo Conejo was hurt. The other is Eric Lonnis, who was signed by MLS but flopped at the combine. He told the Costa Rican press he didn’t stay with MLS because the money wasn’t good enough.
Costa Rica coach Valdeir “Badu” Vieira likes using Lonnis for home games, and will start him against the U.S. Like Keller and Friedel, Lonnis and Barrantes talk about their friendly rivalry.
The ticket prices range from 1,000 to 4,500 ($5 to $25). They have been halved after only 13,000 showed up for the home game against Guatemala, which the Ticos won 3-0. The Costa Rican economy is ailing, and president Jose Maria Figueres has raised the sales tax from 10 percent to 15 percent. He’ll be at the game tomorrow, with vice president, Rodrigo Oreamuno.
Sunday, Dec. 1 — FIFA man gets soaked
If you’ve seen Jurassic Park, you have some idea what the jungles of Costa Rica are like. (There aren’t any dinosaurs, but plenty of toucans).
The Ticos — so named for their penchant of using diminutives such as chico that become chiquito or chiqitico — didn’t appreciate the fact that the movie referred to them as “Ticans,” nor that there was reference to the Costa Rican Air Force.
Costa Rica has not had a military since the army was dissolved after the 1948 civil war, hence its nickname of the “Switzerland of Central America.”
As photographer Tony Quinn and I walked the streets of San Jose, the capital, we saw armed guards with guns or batons in front of stores and restaurants. At an amateur soccer game, a man with battle fatigues, a gun in his holster and dog-tags swinging around his neck was one of many paramilitary figures.
Turns out Costa Rica has nine different police agencies. But since they aren’t under a central command, these security forces aren’t able to assert the influence that armies of other Central American nations do.
Two hours before kickoff, three sections of Saprissa Stadium are already full, and the south section, where La Ultra #031#– the real fanatics — hang out, is rocking.
It looks like the security forces may have some work today.
When the U.S. players walk on the field they are greeted with loud whistles and derisive chants.
Cameramen and TV reporters chase players and stick microphones in their faces. One lies down next to Frankie Hejduk, who is stretching, and tries an interview. The same man then mocks himself as he follows a police dog, squats down, and sticks the mike near the hounds’ snout.
Unfortunately, for the U.S. players, they are directed to the south goal for warm-ups, which gives La Ultra an early chance to practice their aim.
“We asked for security,” Sampson said. “They provided it right at the beginning of the game, but as the game went on the security became more lax.”
The police watch the game, instead of the crowd. Assistant coach Milutin Soskic collects coins, batteries and screws, which will be presented to FIFA observer Jim Flemming, of Canada, after the game.
It turns out Flemming too is a victim. He is doused by beer after Costa Rica scores and the next morning, in La Nacion, Roger Chavez of radio Monumental claims he accidentally spilled the beer and Flemming retaliated.
“He punched me in the face and drew blood,” said Chavez.
Flemming won’t comment, but a U.S. official says Flemming admits he may have accidentally elbowed somebody as he rose after the soaking.
The U.S. players are bitter about the way they were treated.
President Maria Figueres, perhaps hoping the win will take the sting out of those taxes, is ecstatic. Rick Crow of Maryland’s regional soccer magazine, catches the president’s comments.
“I celebrated the goals like everyone else,” Maria Figueres said, “with great euphoria. We jumped, we shouted, like any person in the stadium.
“We are in a very happy country. Today we are even happier. This is a big step toward France ’98”
Monday, Dec. 2 — Getting organized?
The morning newspapers announce that Costa Rica rolled over the U.S. They make little mention of crowd behavior, but one columnist refers to the guards’ propensity to get lost in the drama of the game and neglect their duties.
The TV commentator shouted after the game, “Lalas doesn’t know how to lose,” about five times as the cameras showed a close-up of the tall defender pushing his way through a crowd, shouting, and pointing.
Paulo Wanchope, 21, is the big hero. Part of a promising new generation of Tico players, he got his first start, scored and assisted. His older brother, Javier, has also played for the national team, as did his father, who left Limon for San Jose as a young man.
“My brother took a step toward becoming a great player today,” says Javier, 29.
I ask him about Costa Rica’s success, and failures.
“I wish we were organized well, like the United States,” he says. “We are organized better than other countries, like El Salvador and Guatemala. The political problems there hurt the soccer.”
A columnist in Al Dia yesterday also compared U.S. organization to Costa Rica’s, and said that long-range planning is absent here. A key problem seems to be that whenever Costa Rica suffers a failure, administrators and coaches are fired, and the changes wreck any continuity.
It reminds me of a story Greg Reeser told me. An American living in Costa Rica, Greg has waited two years for a license plate. The plates were once made at a factory owned by a friend of the ruling administration. When the administration lost power, the plant was closed.
But right now, all is well, thanks to the young Wanchope, who lived in California for two years as a teenager and played basketball in Calexico.
This morning’s La Nacion criticizes me and Los Angeles Times reporter Grahame Jones for only asking Wanchope about basketball, and not about beating the U.S. (A false accusation.)
Hernan Medford, in turn, rips the Costa Rican press.
“Where are the critics of the national team now?” Medford asks. “Today we demonstrated that they don’t know anything about soccer. The radio, TV and newspapers said we weren’t a cohesive team. Today we coordinated well for 90 minutes. We ran, we marked, we made goals, we won.”