www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Due to the average age and country of origin of many of our members I'm going to assume most are unable to answer the following questions. First I'd like to know if anyone knows anything about playing pick up soccer in the big city (SJ) or any of the coastal towns in the pacific (jaco, mal pais, tamarindo). I know there are tons of games going on I just have no idea where to look. I'm sure there are fields in more residential areas but I just need someone to point me in the right direction. I speak decent Spanish and I'm young so I'm not worried about becoming a target or anything like that.

Secondly I'd like to know if there are any members that have been to a saprissa game or any d-1 CR professional soccer game. Where did u buy tickets, how far is the stadium etc etc

thanks a lot boys, I'd like to kick the ball around in between scoring goals in the bedroom...

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Tudo bem!

saprissa stadium is in tibas it's the national stadium..bus from c.2y av.5 if staying downtown gulch....sabana park is good evenings and weekend's for pick-up games...just ask if they need anyone if you see a pick-up game going on,i have done that all over da globe....

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Jaco is called little USA by all ticos

Nice, that's the type of thorough response I was looking for. Now I'm obligated to bring my boots. For me an assesment of a country and culture isn't complete without hopping in a pickup game and sharing some laughs and competition with the locals...any info on places to play near the Pac coast?

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Tudo bem!

Hey Early,
I know how you feel. Bring up soccer to an American and your're liable to get some wise-ass put down. Well I am a native born American whose family has been in this country for several generations and I love soccer.

I grew up playing traditional American sports but once I started traveling soccer caught my interest and I couldn't let go. Of course it helps that I am from the northside of Chicago , where you have to enjoy inflicting pain upon yourself to be a baseball fan.

I love playing soccer because it is a sport that anybody can play although you have to be great athlete to be good at it. I once saw an American sportswriter admit that if you don't love soccer you don't love sports. I agree.
But certainly you should never have to fear asking a soccer question.

I can finally watch football, and appreciate the skills that it takes to play the game.

The one thing I still don't understand, and hopefully one of you guys can explain it to me. When one player does any more than touch the other player, they lay on the ground and roll around like someone has broken their leg. I understand that they are possibly trying for a card (red or yellow), but even after it has, or has not been given, they still act like they are dying. Is this some kind of strategy that I am not aware of?

It is the biggest detriment to me watching more. As soon as one of these guys/girls do their drop, and flop, I turn the channel.

I have always wondered about this.........

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It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!

Santas... This is a huge issue in the sport and it has been for years. Soccer fans and non soccer fans alike have complained about diving but it's a difficult issue to "tackle". It is cheating at its purest form because you are intentionally deceiving the ref. FIFA, soccer's worldwide governing board has has recently taken further steps to penalize players that blatantly take dives (Trying to persuade the ref into calling a foul by falling down with little or no contact from the defender). In the recent past a ref would issue a yellow card for a fall that was obviously suspicious. If the player is already sitting on a yellow card he will receive his second and be ushered to the showers early (the team is not allowed to sub a new player in for him so therefore they are one man short). Now FIFA will review these issues By reviewing videotape after the game and suspend players for as many as 3 games for a dive in extreme circumstances. However, solving the diving problem still doesn't account for players faking injuries when they're actually is contact.

This is an extremely important issue because of the severity that one bad call can hold. If a player takes a dive in the box and the ref mistakingly calls for a penalty that can decide the result of the game. There have been many instances in which teams were tied or losing by a goal and one of their players is awarded a penalty when the defender didn't even touch him. This is the reason why I believe that soccer refs have the toughest job of any official in sports. One decision can easily alter the outcome of a game. To avoid this pressure refs only award penalites late in games when they are certain it is a foul. This is similar to how NBA refs rarely call fouls in the paint when the game is tied on the last possesion. You can understand why some players try this dive because they can win the game by taking a spill in the penalty area.

This diving technique does show it's face in some American sports. Basketball has a good deal of "flopping", although not nearly as much as soccer. Vlade divac perfected the flop not in the gym, but on a soccer field in Serbia. Derek fisher, padawan of chain-smoking Vlade became his successor. It's pretty pathetic in both sports and I wouldn't mind seeing NBA refs handing out technical fouls for blatant flops ala soccer.



I'm in the same boat my friend. Lived in Italy for 6 months in '04, couldn't find a basketball court or a channel that played NFL games so naturally I began to watch and play it. Fell in love, played and watched it nonstop since then. Now, going to the next world cup in South Africa ('10) and Brasil ('14) is high atop my priority list in life. BTW a note to the wise, the Brasil world cup in 5 years is going to be the most incredible event. Any relationship that I might be in during the summer months of 2014 will have to be discontinued indefinitly.

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Tudo bem!

A good route to consider for a soccer rush would be Manuel antonio, Quepos, where the soccer field is right in town by the church, many pick up games on the field and at the beach. sometimes even a regualr game, say 4:30 pm. then maybe have beers with the local guys you play with and then mingle with the ticas. Head down to Dominical hang out a bit, same gig soccer field right in town. For D1 soccer head from domin to San Isidro, there is a hotel with hot water for about 20-25 dollars right in the center plaza. There are really good looking women in San Isidro, but mostly buena ticas. Try to time your journey when San Isidro plays Saprissa, If you can't get into the game, just watch at a bar outside the stadium where you can hear the crowd and watch TV. Did I say that the women in San Isidro were really smokin'