How eternally funny would this be. Or maybe they decided concrete wasn't the best surface for their own players?
With CR sitting where they are in the standings presently, I'm sure they'll find a way to git 'er dun.
Here's another article with a little more info and a video for those who speak Spanish: http://www.mariosegura.com/futbol/s...realizar-el-partido-crc-usa-en-la-cueva-video
From this article, it also seems (I used an online translator) that the press room, VIP areas, and dressing rooms do not meet FIFA's standards. It states that FIFA will inspect the stadium on July 1st.
P.S. The "mundial" he keeps talking about in the interview is the U17 Womens World Cup which will be held in Costa Rica in 2014. FIFA sent a group to Costa Rica recently to inspect the stadiums that will be used for the U17 Womens WC and they gave Saprissa a list of stadium improvements they have to have finished by December 2013. Apparently FIFA recently told the Costa Rican FA that they have to have these same improvements finished before they can hold any mens WC qualifiers there and it doesn't look like they will be finished by July 1st which is the deadline FIFA gave them for the US-CR match.
Meh, I'm sure they have many stadia in Costa Rica with crappy surfaces, loud fans, and unpleasant weather.
Oh no doubt. However there is only one stadium in association football that has the very rare ability for hands to somehow grow outta opposing player's foreheads. Such is Estadio Saprissa.
Though if the Saprissa doesn't pass FIFA inspection, the match will be moved to the new national stadium, with a nicer surface and the fans further away from the pitch. Not sure how the weather is though
Oh great. We go from Saprissa to a true dump like Estadio Fello Meza or Rosabal Codero Stadium. If it's Codero, it's a lot worse. Narrow field and even worse fieldturf.
Articles state that if Saprissa doesn't pass FIFA inspection, the match will be played at the new National Stadium, which not only has nicer turf, but the fans aren't as much of a factor as they're separated from the pitch by a running track
It's not just an 8-lane track separating the fans from the field, but there is also an additional buffer outside of the track that appears to be at least 15 yards deep along the straightaways. Spectators in the first row must need binoculars to watch matches!
This is great news. For a second there I was thinking Costa Rica was hella mad about the snow blow and was trying to play us in a real piece of shih-tzu. Seems the new place isn't that bad of a place to play. I mean, it's still an away game, but it's not the sex torture dungeon that is Saprissa.
Anyone else find it disturbing that FIFA declared Saprissa unfit for an U17 WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT, yet full World Cup qualifiers have been played there for years?
It has to do with the comfort of FIFA VIP's. players and regular fans, it takes a lot for it to be deemed insufficient.
It is natural grass, for some reason I was thinking artificial turf when I wrote it, but it is nicer grass, let's just put it that way
I doubt the US would ever win a match on the concrete of Saprissa if play is allowed to continue there. Given a reasonable pitch with reasonable grass, the ability to secure 3 pts at Costa Rica, while surely still very difficult, at least becomes something attainable.