Source: Twitter Haters in Costa Rica, there's a new song for you to learn, which should be harmonized to the tune of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” It goes like this: Saborio scored-a-goal, Scored-a-goal, Scored-a-goal, Saborio scored-a-goal, Sa-bo-rio Star striker Alvaro Saborio, a veteran of the National Football Team of Costa Rica who also plays in the Real S...

You don’t need a well-manicured grass pitch. You don’t even need all 22 players, or fancy uniforms … or even shoes, for that matter. All you need is a ball and people willing to play. The most popular sport in the world – football (known as soccer in the USA) – can be played anywhere by anyone. That’s the simple beauty of a sport that traverses borders, has brought bitter enemies together, even...

Source: FIFA The national football teams of Honduras and Mexico are anxiously waiting their turn to play their counterparts from Costa Rica. Although La Sele is comfortably looking forward to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which is now less than a year away, at least three other teams from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) are lookin...

The Costa Rica Star recently reported on the 3-1 win for the Ticos against the U.S. in World Cup qualifying. The FIFA World Cup solid gold trophy will arrive in Costa Rica today, as it travels the world to return to Brazil for the start of the World Cup games from June 12 to July 13, 2014. The first time the Original FIFA World Cup Trophy made an unprecedented tour was in 2006. This is the t...

Happy and proud of the hard work done. In this way the soccer team of Torito and Sámara Schools finished as runners up in the province’s 2013 Student Tournament. The championship game was against the team from Alba Ocampo School in Liberia. In the first leg, which took place in the Torito soccer field (Plaza de Football del Torito) in Sámara this past September 18th, the score was 1-4 against t...

The 2013 XTERRA USA Championship proved that there is no specific formula for success, especially when it comes to XTERRA experience. Leonardo Chacon took the overall title in his first appearance at the XTERRA USA Championship, and just the third XTERRA race of his career. Meanwhile on the women’s side, Lesley Paterson captured the title for the second consecutive year, continuing her amazi...

Saprissa fans. Source: Facebook The most heated football rivalry in Costa Rica produced eight goals and caused a fan to suffer a heart attack at the stadium. Known as El Clasico, the most recent iteration of the match between Deportivo Saprissa and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense was the most exciting in history. The match ended with a spectacular tie of 4 – 4 and reports of a man struck by a heart...

Alajuela, Costa Rica (Sept. 20, 2013) Herediano kept its hopes of reaching the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals alive by registering a 4-2 victory over Valencia in a Group 3 encounter on Wednesday at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto Scotiabank. The Costa Rican club improved to 2-0-1, tying idle Cruz Azul (2-0-0, 6 points), although the Mexican side has a game in hand. Valencia (0-0-3...

Over the past couple of decades, Costa Rica has seen an explosion in the number of its citizens who have taken up the sport of surfing. Blessed with coastlines on two bodies of water that feature some of the best waves in the world, the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, it's no surprise that so many have taken to dancing on the sea. It's not just the boys either. Much like the rest of the world...

With World Championship dreams. In this way the Samareño Alex "Choco" Gómez, ranked second in national standings in the longboard category, departs to participate in the next World Longboard Championship 2013, organized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and held in Peru from September 22nd to the 28th. Gómez , who will turn 38 next Monday just as the tournament starts, gives surfin...

Deportivo Saprissa remain top of the Costa Rica Primera Division with a game in hand after a 2-1 win at Santos de Guapiles. Midfielder Diego Estrada secured a 30th minute lead for Saprissa, which they held until the half-time break. Three minutes after the restart, Santos levelled the game as Cristan Lagos scored this third goal of the campaign. But the division strugglers could not hold ...

The US national team endured wave after wave of “gamesmanship” from Costa Rican fans and the Costa Rican Football Federation (Fedefutbol) prior to suffering a 3-1 loss at the hands of The Ticos. Fedefutbol president Eduardo Li told local radio show Encuentro Deportivo earlier this week that FIFA is investigating the federation for what basically amounts to not controlling the actions of their f...

Source: Twitter #laselecr A 1 – 1 tie between the National Football Teams of Jamaica and Costa Rica allowed the Ticos to secure a berth in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, although the celebrations across the Central American country did not get started until one hour after the match ended at Independence Park in Kingston. A victory in Ohio by CONCACAF rivals United States against a lackl...

Source: Joel Campbell's Facebook Timeline Encouraged by the recent 3 – 1 revenge victory against the United States, Costa Rica is ready to face the Jamaican National Football Team and secure a berth in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Costa Rica does not have home field advantage this time around, and although some factors are coming together in favor of La Sele, a key player feels that Jama...

Costa Rica can take another step towards the World Cup finals when they face a Jamaica side on the brink of elimination on Tuesday. Jorge Luis Pinto's team moved into first place in the final stage of Concacaf qualifying group for Brazil 2014 thanks to a 3-1 win over the United States on Friday. Goals from Jhonny Acosta, Celso Borges and Joel Campbell in San Jose put Costa Rica one point cl...

The United States didn't just lose a World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica. The Americans likely will be missing four players for Tuesday night's match against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. Johnny Acosta and Celso Borges scored as Costa Rica burst ahead in the first nine minutes, Joel Campbell added a goal on a late counterattack and the Ticos beat the visiting United States 3-1 Friday night at San Jos...

The story of the Tico Times appealing to the Constitutional Court after the Fedefut (Costa Rica’s soccer Gods) denied them passes to tonight's soccer game between the US and Costa Rica, reminds us of an old joke with the punchline, “buy a ticket!” Every media outlet in the country wants passes to the big game. And why not? A freebie for the countless hours of grind to bring the news to the p...

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl wrote a story about all the ways Costa Rica is trying to mess with the U.S. men's national team before today's big World Cup qualifier. The craziest nugget: There's a rumor in Costa Rica that taxi drivers are planning to band together and create a traffic jam along the U.S. team's route to the stadium before the game. It sounds far-fetched, but the U.S. has al...

San Jose, Costa Rica. September 5, 2013 – There is no doubt that tomorrow’s World Cup Qualifying match between the national teams of Costa Rica and the United States will probably be the most exciting in CONCACAF’s history. Tickets to the Chinese-donated National Stadium are completely sold-out, and authorities are keeping a close eye on scalpers. The Centro Cultural Norteamericano (North Ameri...

Training before the big game. Source: FEDFUTBOL Welcome to the new CONCACAF classic. A few decades ago, football matches between the national teams of Mexico and Costa Rica were the most exciting in the region. The strong development of Major League Soccer in the United States and its national team gave way to Mexico vs. U.S. as an interesting alternative. It only took a snowy day in Colorado ...

Leaders Deportivo Saprissa extended their lead in the Costa Rica Primera Division with a convincing 4-1 win over Uruguay on Sunday. Johan Condega's equalizer after Manfred Russell's opener was only the fifth goal Saprissa have conceded all season. But Diego Estrada put Ronald Gonzalez Brenes' men back in front with a quickfire double after the interval, before the league's joint top goalscor...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Football fans in Costa Rica are anxiously awaiting this Friday, September 6th, to witness what promises to be one of the most exciting games of 2013. On that day, the Costa Rica National Football Team (la sele) will host their counterparts from the United States in what has been repeatedly reported as: “the ultimate grudge match.” This international match is part o...

This year three Costa Rican cyclists will compete in the World Cycling Championship: Gregory Brenes, Andrey Amador, and Edith Guillen. The World Cup will be held in Florence, Italy, between September 21 and 29 this year. The three cyclists were chosen for their outstanding participation internationally, said in a statement the Costa Rican Cycling Federation (FECOCI). Amador ended in position...

Everyone is usually at least a little nervous and excited about heading out on a stand up paddle board for the very first time. After all, walking on water up until this point in time has only been something to dream about. Yet, now is the time and you have no idea how to get started. Well, never fear because Supconnect is here... to share a few tips that will help make the experience more ...

Jaime Barboza with President Laura Chinchilla in 2011. Source: Facebook Ukrainian pugilist Stanyslav Kashtanov is still the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Champion after Jaime “Indio” Barboza from Costa Rica failed to take his belt. It was a great night for boxing for 30,000 fans in the Donbas Arena in the Ukraine, a country that is producing quite a few luminaries of the...

Rowdiness that escalates to violence is now a “no no” at sporting events across Costa Rica, as the new law to curb violence and racism went into effect on Friday. The “Ley para Prevención y Sanción de la Violencia en Eventos Deportivos” (Law on Prevention and Punishment of Violence at Sporting Events) was passed in the Legislative Assembly in June, but it did not come into effect until its publ...

A ticket from the previous World Cup. Source: Flickr CC Officials from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and MATCH Hospitality AG will visit Costa Rica in September to meet with their counterparts at the National Consumer Commission (Spanish acronym: CNC), an agency of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC). MATCH Hospitality AG, owner of the exclus...

Deportivo Saprissa moved top of the Costa Rica Primera Division with a 3-1 win over Carmelita on Wednesday. Ariel Rodriguez's brace and a Mauricio Castillo effort helped Deportivo Saprissa triumph at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose. Mario Camacho pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 81st minute but they were unable to stage a remarkable comeback. Ronald Gonzalez Brene...

Source: Wikimedia Commons The rise of Internet communication, the advent of online social networking and globalization have given us a new breed of irrational beings: Haters. This sociological phenomenon is quickly spreading throughout Costa Rica, and it belies the country's top ranking on indices of world happiness and life satisfaction. Hater behavior is mostly observed in sports commentary,...

Costa Rica have warmed up for September's crucial World Cup qualifier against the United States with a 4-0 win over the Dominican Republic. The Costa Ricans were guilty of some wasteful finishing despite dominating the first half, with the sides going to the break scoreless at the Estadio Marcos Henriquez on Wednesday. But Jorge Luis Pinto's side showed their class in the second half as a br...

Deportivo Saprissa began the Costa Rica Primera Division in style with a 4-2 home triumph against Perez Zeledon. It was not all smooth sailing for Saprissa as Jorge Gatgens put Perez ahead after only six minutes before Marlon Escoe equalised in the 26th minute. Brunete Hay briefly restored Perez's lead just after half-time before Escoe decided to stamp his presence on the contest. Escoe, ...

With its league campaign opening on Sunday at home against Carmelita, Costa Rica’s Alajuelense is eager to excel this season. The Manudos enjoyed a solid preseason that included a Copa Iberico title as they topped rival Saprissa on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Nacional. They also held English Premier League side Fulham to a 1-1 tie before falling 3-1 on two late goals, one of ...

On Sunday, August 11, the “Carrera por mi Parroquia” (Race for My Parish) will be held as part of an effort to raise funds to build a new Catholic church in Nosara since the church building had to be demolished due to damage sustained during the earthquake on September 5, 2012. Lorena Avila Alvarado, president of the Parish Events Committee, said they have been holding a series of athletic even...

Mountain bikers around the world: There’s a new adventure race happening in August in Costa Rica – the 100-mile Rincón de la Vieja Challenge. The mountain bike endurance race is set for Aug. 24, 2013, starting off from Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste. The 100-mile race is the first of its kind in Costa Rica and Latin America, and according to race promote...

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Frank Potolicchio, Jr., 34, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to four months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in an illegal sports bookmaking operation. Potolicchio also was ordered to forfeit $...

Jair Perez. Photo by Alfredo Barquero. Source: FEDESURF CR In the pro surf circuit of Costa Rica over the last few years, a few names keep coming up time after time: Carlos Munoz, the McGonagles, Luis Vindas, etc. This year, however, a name seldom heard before is being talked about as one of the strongest contenders to win the coveted National Circuit: Jair Perez. Although Jair Perez is jus...

The Republic of Costa Rica has been selected as the host of this year’s Adventure Racing World Championships, which will see 80 teams from around the world competing for the adventure prize. The championships consist of 140 hours of non-stop challenges including trekking, kayaking, abseiling and inner tubing between 29 November and 12 December. The country has recently been putting a big emp...

Andy Najar interrupted a defensive struggle with a goal in the 49th minute, and Honduras squeezed past Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday night to earn a matchup against the United States in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. After Najar scored on a header off a fine crossing pass from Alexander Lopez, Honduras goalkeeper Donis Escober made the advantage stand up. Honduras and the U.S. will vie ...

The most evenly matched quarterfinal in Gold Cup is the last one. Honduras and Costa Rica meet in Baltimore for the right to face the USA-El Salvador winner. A strong start to the Gold Cup has given way to a couple of lackluster performances for Costa Rica, and they're slight underdogs against Honduras in what will likely be the best of the quarterfinal matches. The Ticos downed Cuba 3-0 to ...

Fulham have completed their tour of Costa Rica with a 100 per cent record after triumphing 5-3 in a penalty shootout over Deportivo Saprissa. Hugo Rodallega scored the decisive penalty for Fulham, who were forced into a shootout after Saprissa scored the only goal of the second half to level the game at 2-2. Fulham had earlier come from behind in Saturday's friendly at the Estadio Nacional d...