Road to Doha: Costa Rica gain preparation advantage over All Whites ahead of Fifa World Cup qualifying clash

Anthony Contreras of Costa Rica celebrates with teammates after scoring during World Cup qualifying. Photo / Getty

While the All Whites have began to assemble this week in Spain, Costa Rica have been in a training camp in San Jose since May 15th.

It was logistically much easier for the Concacaf representatives, as the majority of the team have been selected from the domestic competition. Of the 27-man squad called up by coach Luis Fernando Suarez, 22 play for Costa Rican clubs, with three others based nearby in the United States, Mexico and Colombia.

FC Copenhagen defender Bryan Oviedo was the last player to arrive, joining his first session with the squad on Wednesday.

Costa Rica have Nations League games against Panama (June 2) and Martinique (June 5) before they head to the Middle East, where star goalkeeper Keylor Navas will link up with the team.

The New Zealand side had their first session on May 24 , with players arriving gradually from clubs around the world. There are currently 15 All Whites at their camp in Spain, with the full contingent of 26 to be there from May 30, when the official Fifa window begins.

Tickets on sale for Intercontinental playoffs

On Thursday Fifa released ticketing details for the New Zealand v Costa Rica match on June 15 (NZT), along with the clash between Peru and either Australia or the United Arab Emirates the day before.

If you'll be in Doha, attending the matches will be dirt cheap, with seats in the grandstand priced from 30 Qatar Riyals ($12.70).

It's expected that around 2,000 Costa Rican fans will make the trip. Expatriate Kiwis in the Gulf region as well as New Zealanders based in Europe will provide the main support for the All Whites.

All Whites based at dream venue

The All Whites couldn't have picked a better spot for the preparation camp in Spain, with their Marbella football resort popular with top European club and national teams.

Located in sun-soaked Andalucía, the Dama de Noche facility features four full-size pitches, four seven-a-side fields and two football tennis courts. It also boasts a high performance gym, with football specific equipment.

It is one of five such centres around Marbella, which has seen a boom in sports tourism since 2005. Borussia Dortmund and West Ham are two of several European outfits that are regular visitors to Dama de Noche in the offseason, while the facility has also hosted numerous friendly and age group international matches.

Expectations high in Costa Rica

Veteran Costa Rican forward Marco Urena admits there is a huge sense of anticipation in the Central American nation, as the countdown begins to the Intercontinental playoff in June.

Urena has been a mainstay of the team over the past decade – winning 67 caps – though missed the cut for the latest squad, after not being involved in the World Cup qualifying campaign, partly due to Covid issues making it difficult to select players based outside the American continent.

Urena, who featured in the 2014 and 2018 Fifa World Cups, says the excitement is building around Costa Rica.

"There is a big hope," Urena told the Herald. "You can see it, you can feel it, the people are really excited. They feel like they can make it. It is not the same feeling as say in 2010, when [Costa Rica] played Uruguay, it is tough to play against South American teams."

"The Costa Rican people don't know much about the football in New Zealand. So they think it is a great opportunity. But New Zealand is a tricky team. I can see it is not going to be easy."