Costa Rica will not be doubling down as the Cinderella of the World Cup. The Ticos were eliminated from the competition after allowing a pair of 90-minute goals in their match with Brazil on Friday. It was a tough way to go down, especially since they had held the Brazilians at bay for so long.
However, Costa Rica is still able to play spoiler. They face Switzerland in their last match this Wednesday, and they can keep the Swiss out of the knockout rounds with a win. It would be a nice way to go out if they could pull off the upset.
The most anticipated sporting event in the world comes around once every four years, so don’t miss any of the 2018 World Cup. This match will take place at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FS1.
World Cup Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Costa Rica +370
Switzerland -128
Draw +235
Over/Under 2
Recent Form
Switzerland played themselves into a great position. As long as they get a result against Costa Rica, they will be off to the knockout rounds. The Swiss were able to pick up a hard-fought draw against Brazil in their World Cup opener, and that set them off on the right foot. However, their hopes looked a bit faint for a while in their next match. Serbia scored in the first five minutes of action, putting them at a major disadvantage. Switzerland was able to rally though, outplaying Serbia for the remainder of the match. They were able to pick up a goal of their own when a Granit Xhaka strike bent into the back of the net in the 52nd minute, and then Xherdan Shaqiri provided the winner in the 90th by outhustling Serbia’s defense after a long pass from a teammate.
After such a wonderful performance four years ago, it’s hard for Costa Rica to be bitter about their experience at the World Cup this time around. The Ticos have been able to make their opponents work for it, but it has not been enough. They lost to Serbia 1-0 in their first match and held Brazil scoreless until stoppage time last Friday. If they had been able to pick up a draw, it would have been a stunner and might have led to Brazil crashing out in the Group Stage for the first time since 1938. Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Storyline to keep in mind
Xhaka and Shaqiri have been two of the stars of the Swiss national team for quite some time. However, both players have Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, and each player depicted the Albanian eagle with their hands as part of their goal celebrations. That has led to a considerable amount of controversy, and a FIFA investigation that could potentially lead to them being suspended. The latter option is incredibly unlikely to happen, but it’s still worth keeping in mind.
Player to Watch
Costa Rica may be eliminated, but Keylor Navas has once again shined at the World Cup. Navas burst onto the scene four years ago in Brazil with his outstanding performances in Costa Rica’s run to the Quarterfinals, and he has come up big here in Russia too.
Navas has allowed three goals thus far, but a lesser goalkeeper would have had a much worse performance. He has been tested repeatedly in his two matches, and he has had to make some big stops. Costa Rica is hoping he can have one more Man of the Match worthy performance here.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Ticos are going to go down swinging and won’t be easy to get past, but the Swiss will eventually get a goal and the result they need. Consider betting the draw here.
World Cup Group Stage Odds: Switzerland 1, Costa Rica 1
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