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The second match of Group A will be played between the national teams of Ecuador and Costa Rica. After this match, it may become clear who will take the first two places in this group and which teams will end the World Cup with group stage matches. If Ecuador manages to win, they, along with the Germans, will secure the right to play in the quarter-finals and will compete with each other to determine who will take first place in the group.
Hamburg - "AOL Arena" stadium Ecuador - Costa Rica Match start: 16:00 (Lithuanian time) Referee: Codjia Coffi (Benin)
Head-to-Head Matches These two teams have played 9 friendly matches against each other, with none being official. Five matches ended in draws, while in the other four both teams shared two wins each. The last match took place in February 2005, with Ecuador celebrating a 2-1 victory.
Team Facts Ecuador Ecuador's victory over Poland in the first match was their second consecutive win in the World Cup. Their first win was achieved in 2002, in the final group stage match against Croatia. It is worth noting that these two wins are the only wins for Ecuador in World Cup history.
Agustín Delgado's goal against Poland was his second in the World Cup, making him the all-time top scorer for Ecuador in the tournament. Delgado represented his country in a total of 69 matches and scored 30 goals. This is the best result in Ecuador's national team history in terms of goals scored.
Costa Rica Costa Rica is playing in their third World Cup. They also appeared in the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan, as well as in 1990 in Italy. In 2002, Costa Rica was the only team able to score more than one goal against the eventual champions Brazil.
The opening match against Germany was the highest-scoring first match in World Cup history. The Central American representatives have not received a red card so far in the tournament. Also, referees have not awarded any penalty kicks in favor of Costa Rica.
Defender Danny Fonseca became the first player in this tournament to receive a yellow card.
Injured Players Ivan Hurtado and Carlos Tenorio have strained thigh muscles, while Agustín Delgado has back problems. All three players required treatment this week, but it is expected that they will be able to play.
Costa Rica defender Gilberto Martinez suffered a left Achilles tendon injury during the match against Germany and will not play in this tournament. Martinez will return to Italy to his club "Brescia", where he will begin rehabilitation. Jervis Drummond is expected to take his place on the field.
Opinions Ecuador's national team coach Luis Fernando Suárez expects more resistance from Costa Rica than they faced against Poland. They only need one win to advance to the next stage of the tournament, so the team's mood is high. However, Suarez does not expect an easy match.
"We know them well, they know us well too." "These will be completely different matches, much more dangerous than the one played against Poland," the coach cautiously commented.
After the victory over Poland, thousands of Ecuadorians flooded the streets of the capital, Quito, to celebrate the team's success. However, the national team's coach did not promise anything before the next match: "Before the tournament started, no one expected us to beat Poland, and now everyone says that beating Costa Rica will be easy. We need to change our mindset and respect our opponents from Costa Rica."
Suarez speaks respectfully of the attacking force of the Central American representatives, especially their striker Paulo Wanchope. - "They have an aggressive attacking line, they attack quickly down the flanks and have a good forward - Paulo Wanchope," Suarez discussed Costa Rica's game.
Meanwhile, striker Paulo Wanchope understands that they need to beat Ecuador. After losing the first match, it will be very difficult for them to advance to the next stage. Wanchope believes that the match against Ecuador will be tough.
"Ecuador is a tough team," the striker said. "They are a compact team with very fast players like Tenorio and Delgado."
"Both teams will strive to win and advance to the second stage of the tournament. They are in a better position than us, having won their first match, but we play a little better and are committed to winning" - Wanchope trusts in his team's abilities.
It is expected that the national team coach Alexander Guimarães will field more attacking players on the field than in the match against Germany.
Expectations for the Match In this match, we can definitely expect a fierce battle. In the previous group stage match between Poland and Germany, which were in a similar situation to Ecuador and Costa Rica now, the match was very intense, and the Poles played much better than in the first game. Therefore, in this match, the Costa Rican players, who have nothing to lose, will give their all in the duel with Ecuador. They cannot afford to lose anymore.
The fact that the Central American representatives can play well was demonstrated in the first match. Scoring two goals against Germany gave the team confidence in their abilities. Ecuador will also not give up easily, as a win would secure their place in the quarter-finals before the final match against the Germans. Both teams have something to fight for, and we can be sure that when they take the field, they will show everything they are capable of.
Possible Starting Lineups: Ecuador: Morale De la Cruz, Hurtado, Espinoza, Reasco; Mendez, E. Tenorio, Castillo, Valencia; Delgado, C. Tenorio.
Costa Rica: Porras; Marin, Umana, Drummond, Gonzales; Solis, Centeno, Sequeira, Fonseca; Gomez, Wanchope
