Colombia vs Costa Rica 2016 Copa America Preview: Ticos Facing Make-or-Break Match; Game Time, TV Info, Tickets and Livestream
Costa Rica Needs to Win Match to Stay in the Tournament, Also Hoping for USA to Lose or Get a Draw vs Paraguay
Group A of the Copa America Centenario will soon eliminate teams as the tournament heads to the quarterfinals and Costa Rica is in a do-or-die match versus Colombia on Saturday night.
After bowing down to the U.S. team in a frustrating 4-0 loss, Costa Rica faces the challenge to defeat the powerful Colombian team for their matchup at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas at 9 p.m., Saturday. The Colombian team is sure to advance to the quarterfinals, but one wrong move from Costa Rica will send them packing.
Star Players
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One of the players that the Ticos need to be prepared for is midfielder James Rodriguez. The 24-year-old did not mind a shoulder injury and played for the team during their win versus Paraguay.
He scored a goal during their last match on Tuesday and helped Colombia make another one even with an ailing shoulder. Rodriguez's efforts were complemented with the exceptional goaltending of David Ospina.
In addition to Rodriguez and Ospina, Colombia could also use forward Marlos Moreno, an effective player for the team during their past matches. The team's roster has done extremely well in the tournament, making Colombia the first one to reach the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, Costa Rica is now challenged to move up from its bottom ranking for Group A and a great starting lineup will help the team continue their stay in the tournament.
Possible Lineups
Costa Rica will use a 5-4-1 lineup for the game with these players Pemberton – Matarrita, Acosta, Duarte, Calvo, Gamboa – Borges, Tejeda, Ruiz and Campbell – Soborio. For Colombia, Ospina – Diaz, Murillo, Zapata, Arias – Torres, Perez – James, Cardona, and Cuadrado – Bacca are the predicted startes for the match.
Prediction
Because of the team's great plays during for previous games, Colombia is the favored one to win the upcoming match versus Costa Rica. The Colombian team is expected to stick with their effective gameplan and maintain their energy to defeat their opponents. An average of two goals is anticipated from the team, and Costa Rica needs to make more if they want to stay in the competition.
Tickets, Livestream, TV info
Tickets for the live game in Texas are sold for $70 to $500 each. Individuals who will not be able to afford these tickets or go to the NRG Stadium can also watch the game live via FS2, UDN and Univision. A livestream of the game will also be made available through this link.
To refresh your memory, here's a lookback of the Colombia vs Costa Rica game back in 2011.
