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in the quarter finals, and then only through a desperate final penalty shootout after La Sele
held them scoreless.
Humble pride may seem like an oxymoron but it exquisitely describes the feeling that
swept the nation. There was no “we kicked ass” or “we're #1” bravado after each game but
rather a soulful outpouring of love, and in many cases tears of joy. Cars, trucks and buses
sporting the Costa Rican red, white and blue flag joyfully toot-toot-tooted their horns as if
to say, “We love you La Sele!” Crowds filled with Ticos and expats formed in the streets in
every town hugging and cheering. As an expat living through the experience here in Costa
Rica — I must say — there's nowhere else on earth I would have rather been.
The 2014 competition was only Costa Rica's fourth appearance in the World Cup, and
reaching the quarter finals is their greatest achievement in it to date. La Sele boasted im-
pressive statistics for a squad drawn from a population smaller than some cities in other
soccer nations, including one of the lowest goals-conceded ratios, in no small part thanks
to legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Costa Rica's La Sele introduced Ticos to the soccer world, and they won't be soon for-
gotten. As former Dutch international player and ESPN analyst Ruud van Nistelrooy said,
“They've done the impossible.”
