The Costa Rican team, who is on the verge of elimination, clings to mathematics to keep alive his hope of qualifying for the World Cup 2026this Tuesday on the last day of the Concacaf qualifiers, when it receives a Honduras that with the victory can seal its World Cup ticket.
To qualify, Costa Rica (6 points), led by the Mexican Miguel Herrera, must defeat Honduras (8 integers) and hope that the already eliminated Nicaragua (4) will give them a hand and at least draw in their visit to Haiti (8)the other team that has the place in its hands.
Honduras, of the Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda, They need to beat Costa Rica and Haiti not win or draw and Haiti lose. If Honduras and Haiti triumph, everything will be defined by goal difference.
This Tuesday’s match, which will be played at the National Stadium in San José, will be played by a Costa Rica that comes from receiving the blow of the 1-0 defeat in his visit to Haiti last Thursdaywhile Honduras let a golden opportunity go and lost in Nicaragua’s field 2-0.
Two tough defeats for the Central American teams with the most World Cup appearances and both could hurt themselves if they tie the match, since the result would leave the door open for Haiti to qualify.
Costa Rica will feel the absence of American New York City’s top scorer Alonso Martínez, who suffered a knee injury in the previous match, and Romanian U Craiova winger Carlos Mora, who is suffering from a muscle injury.
The selector Herrera will have to risk as much as possible in search of victory and wait for what the Costa Rican press has described as the “miracle” that Nicaragua does not lose against Haiti in Curacao, where the Haitian team plays at home.
The forward of the Russian Spartak Moscow Manfred Ugalde will be the spearhead of the team, while the defense will be commanded by the goalkeeper of the Mexican Pumas Keylor Navas and the tall defender Kendall Waston.
For its part, Honduras will have to go out with everything for a victory that will make them depend on themselves to obtain a World Cup ticket, and to do so they will have star attacking players such as center forward Jorge Benguché and his partners Luis Palma and Romell Quioto.
Costa Rica aspires to go to its seventh World Cup, the fourth in a row, while Honduras seeks its fourth participation and return to the highest stage after being absent from the last two editions.
*With information from EFE.
Keep reading:
– Costa Rica fell in Haiti 1-0 and the Ticos are dying in the World Cup qualifiers
– Miguel Herrera is against the ropes, but does not deny the result
– ‘Piojo’ Herrera and Costa Rica risk ‘their lives’ in a match against Haiti heading to the 2026 World Cup
– Miguel Herrera in a harsh controversy with the Tico soccer director