Doha, June 13 (BNA) The final place in this year’s World Cup finals will be decided on Tuesday in Doha when Costa Rica faces New Zealand in the intercontinental play-off.
A match at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium between the fourth-placed CONCACAF qualifiers against the first team in the Oceania Confederation, and the winners of Group E play in the Qatar Finals alongside Germany, Japan and Spain. .
Looking to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row, Costa Rica reached the quarter-finals in Brazil eight years ago and, having played significantly more competitive matches over the past four years, will be the favorites to advance.
Since the last World Cup, they have played 30 competitive matches compared to five with New Zealand which were all against low-ranked Pacific Island nations.
“Costa Rica played a lot together and played a lot of matches,” said New Zealand coach Danny Hay, whose team played with Peru and Oman in friendlies last week.
“We don’t really get enough chance to test ourselves against the best opponents.”
Hay admitted that Friday’s draw with Oman was not his team’s greatest performance.
“But with that said, I think everyone has half an eye, if not a whole eye, if not two eyes on Costa Rica,” he added.
Costa Rica defender Francisco Calvo has warned his team of the need to be wary of complacency.
“We have to focus on 90 minutes because they’re shooting from anywhere they can,” he told reporters in Doha. “We’re going to have to defend to the death and keep Chris Wood in check.”
Wood is the Newcastle United striker.
He added, “A good team builds on defensive strength, and usually the champion teams receive the least number of goals. If we keep a clean sheet, I am convinced that we will score a goal and qualify for the World Cup.” Calvo.
New Zealand, who have competed in the 1982 and 2010 World Cups and lost qualifying in the last two tournaments, are concerned about captain Winston Reed’s fitness, but Haye said he expects the former West Ham United defender to play.