Costa Rica head coach Luis Fernando Suarez has lavished praise on his players for their performance at the 2022 World Cup.
Los Ticos started their tournament in the worst possible fashion, suffering a 7-0 defeat to Spain, but they managed to record a 1-0 victory over Japan in their second match.
Keysher Fuller's effort in the 81st minute proved to be Costa Rica's first shot on target in the tournament, and the result put them in contention for a spot in the knockout round of the competition.
Suarez's side suffered a 4-2 loss to Germany in their last game in the section on Thursday, which left them at the bottom of Group E on one point.
© Reuters
However, La Sele were dreaming of a spot in the round of 16 when they took the lead against Hansi Flick's side in the 70th minute of the contest, only to concede three times in the spell that followed.
Despite ultimately failing to progress, Suarez said that he is "so proud" of his "special" squad.
"In this World Cup, we showed what Costa Rica are. I am very calm that we can leave with our heads high," Suarez told reporters. "I am so proud of this squad, they are so special. I am so proud of them, more than ever before.
"I leave with a feeling of sadness, not because we lost but that we are leaving. It's tough to experience this as a coach, even more so in the World Cup.
© Reuters
"But this is us. We were ourselves against Japan and today. The most important thing is there is so much room for improvement... In the next four years there are things we need to change, but we need to build on everything we have done in the past few years."
Meanwhile, when questioned on the team's plans for the future, including the 2026 World Cup, Suarez said: "We shouldn't think so far ahead, we need to think about the next CONCACAF Gold cup, we need to show something different in our football in Central America."
Costa Rica have been regulars in the World Cup since 2002, and they famously reached the quarter-finals of the competition in 2014, only losing on penalties to Netherlands in the final eight.
La Tricolor were also present in the round of 16 back in 1990, and they will be expecting to qualify the 2026 competition, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Matt Law
