Live is good in the tiny country of Costa Rica. But that’s not just our assumption but a result of various studies. Simply put, those five million people living halfway between Mexico and Brazil are happy people. They say “Pura vida”, an expression that’s a lot like our “Hakuna matata”. It means something like “Life is good” or “Enjoy life, relax”, “All is good”. With that kind of outlook on life and the fact Ticos (that’s the local term for Costa Rican) are surrounded by beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters, it’s no wonder they carry their infectious smiles everywhere they go. And these days – they’ve come to Qatar.##NAJAVA_MECA_6834023##One of Mozzart Sport reporters bumped into Maria, a keen Costa Rica fan, roaming around one of the designated fan villages 15 kilometres outside Doha. This girl said she’s come with her friends to Qatar to follow their national team and meet fans from around the world.”Pura vida, brother! Say ‘Pura vida’ for Costa Rica! Hello, I’m Maria, nice to meet you. We’re going to the quarter-finals, just like we did in 2014 in Brazil. Keylor Navas will save every shot, either Germany or Spain will slip up, and we’re through!”
Speaking of Spain, La Furia Roja will face the Ticos tonight at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha – and we’ll see if they’re going to slip up as Maria said. Their coach Luis Enrique has to make all sorts of decisions regarding tactics and team selection, but Spanish daily AS reports that he’s also made another decision that doesn’t seem quite so connected with his job. Namely, Enrique decided that his team should wear all red – red shirts, red shorts and red socks. Even though their kit manufacturer had already started producing blue shorts, the national team coach had his say. One of the reasons is to make his team look better on TV, and the other is simply because he likes red better. It seems that Enrique has also adopted the philosophy of ‘Hakuna matata’, errr ‘Pura vida’, because he’s relaxed enough to think about the colours of his team’s kits rather than who will create and score goals for Spain. We’ve already told you that he’s started his own Twitch channel to communicate with the public – something that’s usually associated with young people who just want a happy, pure life..Wow! Spain’s boss Luis Enrique turns Twitch streamer during the World CupTicos say ‘Pura vida’. We salute them and say ‘Hakuna matata’!WORLD CUPGroup stageWednesday, Nov 23rd13:00: (4.20) Morocco (3.40) Croatia (1.92) F16:00: (1.50) Germany (4.30) Japan (6.50) E19:00: (1.15) Spain (7.50) Costa Rica (20.0) E22:00: (1.42) Belgium (4.50) Canada (8.00) F***odds are subject to change