Costa Rica and Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe are two countries located in Central America. Both countries are known for their love of football and have produced some talented players over the years. In this article, we will compare the football teams of Costa Rica and Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe and see how they stack up against each other.
History of Costa Rica Football Team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, has been a member of FIFA since 1927. The team has had some success in international competitions, including reaching the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The team has also won the CONCACAF Championship three times and finished as runners-up twice.
History of Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe
The Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe, also known as Les Gwada Boys, is the national football team of Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France located in the Caribbean. The team is not a member of FIFA, but is a member of CONCACAF and competes in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Current State of the Teams
Currently, the Costa Rica national team is ranked 50th in the world by FIFA, while the Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe is not ranked due to their status as a non-FIFA member. However, the Guadeloupean team has had some success in the past, including reaching the semi-finals of the 2007 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments.
Players to Watch
One of the key players for the Costa Rica national team is goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France. Navas has been a stalwart for La Sele over the years and played a key role in the team's success at the 2014 World Cup. Other notable players for Costa Rica include Bryan Ruiz, Celso Borges, and Joel Campbell.
For the Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe, one player to watch is striker Ludovic Gotin, who plays for Amiens SC in France. Gotin has been a consistent scorer for Les Gwada Boys and helped the team reach the semi-finals of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Other notable players for Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe include Mickaël Tacalfred and Loïc Nestor.
Head-to-Head Record
The Costa Rica national team and Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe have played each other only once in their history. The match took place in the group stage of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and ended in a 5-1 victory for Costa Rica.
Conclusion
While Costa Rica has had more success in international football and boasts a higher ranking by FIFA, Selección de Fútbol de Guadalupe has shown that they are a team to be reckoned with in the CONCACAF region. Both teams have talented players and it would be interesting to see them face off against each other again in the future.