The stakes are almighty in Pereira. Ecuador and Costa Rica are chasing a place in the Round of 16, yet both know they could finish the match having been eliminated from the competition.
The game
Ecuador-Costa Rica, Saturday 6 August, Pereira, 5:00pm (local time)
The stakes
Ecuador and Costa Rica will be hoping Spain, who are effectively assured of top spot in Group C, do them a favour by denying Australia the chance to progress. However, given that the Iberians are already through and may, therefore, have less urgency to win their final first-phase match, La Tri and Los Ticos will want to leave nothing to chance. A draw will ensure the Costa Ricans finish above their opponents and likely see them advance, while the Ecuadorians need a victory to end up second in the pool, though a point could also see them progress.
The stat
10 – The low percentage of matches Costa Rica have drawn at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Los Ticos have finished all square on only three occasions in 29 outings. Only Argentina have drawn a less percentage of games in the tournament.
The words
Juan Govea, Ecuador forward: “We deserve more than a point from out [two] matches. We must make sure that against Costa Rica we not only play well but we win. We can't fall to sleep towards the end of the game.We are confident. They are a good team with a very good player [in Joel Campbell], but we have a lot of good players and we don't want to go home.”
Joel Campbell, Costa Rica forward: “We could lose and still go through, but that would not please us. We are going for the win. Ecuador are a good team and they need the victory, but we will listen to our coach, play our own game and hopefully emerge victorious. We are a team to be reckoned with and we want to prove that again.”
