Costa Rica is already eliminated, but that does not mean Los Ticos will take it easy this Wednesday against Switzerland, who needs a win to guarantee themselves of at least one match in the next round. Read on for a preview of this match below.
Switzerland is not out of the woods yet. They are only ahead by a point to Serbia, so a win against Costa Rica would guarantee the Swiss a spot in the next round. After a morale-boosting 1-1 tie with Brazil in the opener, Switzerland got three points in a 2-1 win over Serbia last Saturday. Costa Rica is eliminated and are perceived to be the weakest competitors in the group, which, in other words, mean that Switzerland should be able to take care of their business his coming Wednesday. Switzerland’s X-Men in Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka had a goal apiece in the Serbia match, but they could face disciplinarian action after making a controversial gesture while celebrating their scores. In any case, they will be available to play this Wednesday, which is the most important thing for the Swiss. Shaqiri has a figured in each of Switzerland’s last five goals, broken down into four goals and an assist.
Betting on Costa Rica (+460)
Costa Rica is out of contention, but they don’t want to go home without a win or a goal to show for their countrymen. With that said, expect Costa Rica to come out with a lose-nothing mentality against Switzerland, whom Los Ticos hope to take with them to an early vacation. This is a big opportunity for bettors.
A loss here by the Swiss, as mentioned earlier, could mean elimination for Switzerland. Costa Rica just did not have enough talent to keep in step with Brazil. As good of a goalie Keylor Navas is, the 31-year-old netminder can only do so much against a Brazil squad that peppered Costa Rica’s defense with 23 shots (nine on target) compared to just four attempts (all on target) for Los Ticos. The good news for Navas and Costa Rica is that Switzerland are not as deadly as Brazil, so they should do a better job of jamming their opponents’ offense this Wednesday. Defender Cristian Gamboa also did a fantastic job of keeping Neymar in check for most of the game. He will play crucial role as Costa Rica looks to slow down Ricardo Rodriguez and Steven Zuber.
Writer’s Prediction
Costa Rica stun Switzerland by getting a 1-1 draw and brings a solid payday for those who bet accordingly.
