Heading to Estadio Nacional today

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
That's National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I'll be joined by thousands of "ticos" to root on the Costa Rican men's national soccer team in their match against New Zealand for a berth in the 2022 World Cup.

The do-or-die match will be played in Qatar with the game displayed on video boards throughout National Stadium.

Remember the days of closed-circuit television?

How big is soccer in Costa Rica?

Every child born in Costa Rica - male or female - shares their crib with a miniature soccer ball and every local television station seems to broadcast soccer 24/7/365.

The president of the country today extended everyone's lunch break one full hour (from noon to 2:00 p.m.) in order to cheer on their national heroes.

Costa Rica is solidly favored (-275 or thereabouts) to defeat New Zealand today.

Match starts at noon local time or 2:00 p.m. ET.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
No bet on the game for me.

Simply soaking in the local flavor.

As Viejo Dinosaur once pointed out to me about life in a foreign land, you grossly underestimate the majesty and grandeur of big-time sporting events in the United States.
 
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Viejo Dinosaur

EOG Master
No bet on the game for me.

Simply soaking in the local flavor.

As Viejo Dinosaur once pointed out to me about life in a foreign land, you grossly underestimate the majesty and grandeur of big-time sporting events in the United States.

pretty tough separating a baseball game in the Dominican Republic against a futbol game in Costa Rica…both are extremely important to the residents of both countries….
 

blueline

EOG Master
All I have on my resume the last few days is Buffalo Raceway...
.make it interesting cheer for the Kiwis
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Halftime score: 1-0, Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's best goal scorer Josh (?) Campbell scored in the game's third minute.

I heard the roar from the crowd as I was walking to the stadium.

Never got in the stadium because I did not want to hassle with a QR code.

The admission cost was only 4,000 colones or about $6.00.

The American dollar is strong right now in Costa Rica.

A video from the stadium, Wade, would be of little interest to our EOG community.

A video from the legendary Hotel Del Rey would be a different story.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I hope Mr. Kelly is ok. He might be the only gringo in the stadium.

Quick story about the word "gringo."

I was playing basketball at the park the other day when a young Tico challenged me to a game of one-on-one -- or "1 v 1" -- as he called it.

After beating him in Game 1 by a score of 11-0, he decides to get physical with me in Game 2.

Despite having him by four inches and about 50 pounds, I inexplicably lost Game 2 by a score of 11-7.

Admittedly, he was younger and stronger than me and I had a hard time "holding my spot."

Rubber game in the Best-of-3 is set and I decide to play just as physical as him and I also start calling fouls.

Leading 8-5 in Game 3, I drove hard to the hole and he smacked me with an old-school Draymond Green foul.

Would you believe in the heat of the battle, I called a Flagrant-1 foul and marched to the free-throw line to make the score 9-5.

I also retained possession of the basketball which really upset him.

He announced he quit just before I hit a game-ending 3-ball.

He started going off in Spanish about my cheating ways.

I shot back and said, "This is basketball, not football."

I may have mocked the Spanish pronunciation of "futbol" when I repeated the line several times.

He then delivered a below-the-belt insult when he said in his best English accent, "You play like a lady."

That insult hit home and I said, "You foul on every play."

In case he did not understand, I said, "Falta, siempre. FALTA, SIEMPRE."

And now here comes his racial slur.

To end the argument, he instructed me to stay on my half of the court and called me a "f*cking gringo."

He also used the word "muerte" which I thought at the time meant "shit" but later discovered the word means murder.

How did I react to someone calling me a "gringo?"

I cried all the way home.

Haha.
 
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blueline

EOG Master
I always thought muerte meant dead or death..maybe it also means murder...you are better off as Irish Coffee
 

ComptrBob

EOG Master
I always thought muerte meant dead or death..maybe it also means murder...you are better off as Irish Coffee

Yep, primarily it means death, but also murder and demise. Bits and pieces of my 4 years of high school Spanish occasionally gets remembered.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Final score: 1-0, Costa Rica.

This little country of five million people will celebrate all night long.

There was a three-hour pregame show for this afternoon's two-hour game.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
EOG contributor HCSKIP submitted a play in EOG's Best Bet thread on Costa Rica (+100) on the three-way handicap.

Well played.
 
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Rockfish

EOG Addicted
Most guys going to Costa Rica learn some Spanish so they can converse with the Ticas.
JK learns Spanish so he can trade insults with the Ticos on the basketball court. You got to love it.
Don't let those locals push you around JK, just tell them you are from Chicago. i am sure that will impress them. Ja! Ja!
 

Neveragain

EOG Dedicated
Quick story about the word "gringo."

I was playing basketball at the park the other day when a young Tico challenged me to a game of one-on-one -- or "1 v 1" -- as he called it.

After beating him in Game 1 by a score of 11-0, he decides to get physical with me in Game 2.

Despite having him by four inches and about 50 pounds, I inexplicably lost Game 2 by a score of 11-7.

Admittedly, he was younger and stronger than me and I had a hard time "holding my spot."

Rubber game in the Best-of-3 is set and I decide to play just as physical as him and I also start calling fouls.

Leading 8-5 in Game 3, I drove hard to the hole and he smacked me with an old-school Draymond Green foul.

Would you believe in the heat of the battle, I called a Flagrant-1 foul and marched to the free-throw line to make the score 9-5.

I also retained possession of the basketball which really upset him.

He announced he quit just before I hit a game-ending 3-ball.

He started going off in Spanish about my cheating ways.

I shot back and said, "This is basketball, not football."

I may have mocked the Spanish pronunciation of "futbol" when I repeated the line several times.

He then delivered a below-the-belt insult when he said in his best English accent, "You play like a lady."

That insult hit home and I said, "You foul on every play."

In case he did not understand me, I said, "Falta, siempre. FALTA, SIEMPRE."

And now here comes his racial slur.

To end the argument, he instructed me to stay on my half of the court and called me a "f*cking gringo."

He also used the word "muerte" which I thought at the time meant "shit" but later discovered the word means murder.

How did I react to someone calling me a "gringo?"

I cried all the way home.

Haha.
Adding context for the noobs here.
JK schooling amateurs is nothing new.

 

boston massacre

EOG Master
That's National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I'll be joined by thousands of "ticos" to root on the Costa Rican men's national soccer team in their match against New Zealand for a berth in the 2022 World Cup.

The do-or-die match will be played in Qatar with the game displayed on video boards throughout National Stadium.

Remember the days of closed-circuit television?

How big is soccer in Costa Rica?

Every child born in Costa Rica - male or female - shares their crib with a miniature soccer ball and every local television station seems to broadcast soccer 24/7/365.

The president of the country today extended everyone's lunch break one full hour (from noon to 2:00 p.m.) in order to cheer on their national heroes.

Costa Rica is solidly favored (-275 or thereabouts) to defeat New Zealand today.

Match starts at noon local time or 2:00 p.m. ET.


Costa Rica Was Part Of The Concacaf World Cup Round Robin Qualifying Tournament.

Countries From North and Central America.

Top 3 Qualify, Which Were Canada, Mexico, and U.S.A.

4th Place Finisher, Which Was Costa Rica, Goes Into A Wild Card Game With Another 4th Place Finisher From Another Tournament.

Winner Moves On To World Cup.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
That's National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I'll be joined by thousands of "ticos" to root on the Costa Rican men's national soccer team in their match against New Zealand for a berth in the 2022 World Cup.

The do-or-die match will be played in Qatar with the game displayed on video boards throughout National Stadium.

Remember the days of closed-circuit television?

How big is soccer in Costa Rica?

Every child born in Costa Rica - male or female - shares their crib with a miniature soccer ball and every local television station seems to broadcast soccer 24/7/365.

The president of the country today extended everyone's lunch break one full hour (from noon to 2:00 p.m.) in order to cheer on their national heroes.

Costa Rica is solidly favored (-275 or thereabouts) to defeat New Zealand today.

Match starts at noon local time or 2:00 p.m. ET.

Remember the days of closed-circuit television?

Those Were Big In Boxing.

Especially The Heavyweight Division.

Big During Ali's Career.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
JK, wish I had video of you vs Spartan Mike, who won that match up?

I was worried when SPARTAN MIKE arrived at a rec center in Las Vegas with what looked like official gear from Michigan State University.

He nearly wore me down with a gritty, gutty style reminiscent of Spartan legend Scott Skiles.

Thankfully, he played more like Spartan Mike than Spartan Scotty or Spartan Magic.

SPARTAN MIKE and I are recreational hoopsters who get every ounce from our God-given talents.

Translation: We would be draft picks #9 and #10 on most playgrounds in New York or Chicago.

I would be #9.

Hahaha.
 
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Rockfish

EOG Addicted
The Stadium was built and paid for by the Chinese. Not sure how or why this happened or what the Chinese got in return.
 

blueline

EOG Master
The Stadium was built and paid for by the Chinese. Not sure how or why this happened or what the Chinese got in return.
From Pacific Standard:

First, Arias agreed that Chinese workers could build the stadium, despite the fact that Costa Rica was stricken with unemployment from the global economic crisis. He allowed the Chinese company in charge of the project, AFEC, to entirely bypass Costa Rica’s labor laws, which are notoriously strict. Though Costa Rica is a proud advocate of human rights, Chinese employees of AFEC worked inhumane hours right under the nose of the Costa Rican democracy. There was even one casualty on the project, as 37-year-old Liu Hong Bin was hit by a construction vehicle in November 2010. Putting human rights aside, the stadium barely stimulated Costa Rica’s economy, as even most of the materials used were shipped over from China.

Additionally, Costa Rica canceled its diplomatic dealings with Taiwan. Additionally additionally, two weeks after the official opening, Costa Rica and China signed a free trade agreement, similar to ones in Chile, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Costa Rica.

Only Country On Planet Without A Military.

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948.

It's a peaceful country.

If anyone tried anything here, I suspect the United States, Canada and Mexico would race to the aid of Costa Rica.

Except for some minor feuds with neighboring Nicaragua, Costa Rica's leaders are on good terms with most countries.

Pura vida.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Remember the days of closed-circuit television?

Those Were Big In Boxing.

Especially The Heavyweight Division.

Big During Ali's Career.

Never went to a closed-circuit television event, but I remember the Ali-Frazier fights being promoted on closed-circuit television at Chicago's International Amphitheater.

Think early 1970s.

It was a short time later (late 70s/early 80s) before pay-per-view became all the rage.

Cable television really changed our family's viewing habits in the 1980s.
 
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boston massacre

EOG Master
Never went to a closed-circuit television event, but I remember the Ali-Frazier fights being promoted at Chicago's International Amphitheater.

Think early 1970s.

It was a short time later (late 70s/early 80s) before pay-per-view became all the rage.

Cable television really changed our family's viewing habits in the 1980s.

the Ali-Frazier fights

The First One Was Carried On Closed Circuit.

Ali/Foreman Was Closed Circuit.

From Kinshasha, Zaire, Africa.
 

Wade

EOG Master
Mr. Kelly, did you get it on with a tica that night? I’m sure they were more loose than usual after Costa Rica won.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Mr. Kelly, did you get it on with a tica that night? I’m sure they were more loose than usual after Costa Rica won.

Love Latin women.

What's not to like?

It's refreshing to be in a country where men are allowed to be men and women are allowed to be women.

I was looking for the English translation of "machismo" the other day.

Would you believe Google Translate offered the word "sexism" as the English equivalent?

Unbelievable.

"Machismo," to me, is possessing strong, traditional male traits.

There's nothing negative about "machismo" in my world and most women love strong, powerful men.

"Marianismo" is a term that describes women who are traditional child-bearing, mother-nurturing ladies.

In Costa Rica, an attractive woman walks down the street near a construction site and the men take a break to admire, applaud and sometimes whistle.

The tica's reaction is usually a smile and an appreciative wave of the hand.

In the United States these days, if the same scene occurred, the construction workers could face suspension, termination or arrest depending on the woman's response to the attention.

The Alpha male in the United States is slowly but surely being emasculated by powerful forces in the media and inside political arenas.

Tsk tsk.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Was 5dimes Tony shot or stabbed?

Uncertain about the cause of death.

The body was not discovered for a long time (nearly one full year) and the decomposition may have prevented a conclusive autopsy.

Besides, there are no Cyril Wechts here in Costa Rica.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Learned a new term the other day.

It's called yaki.

It is to describe the curvy nature of Latin American women.

Call them "curves of passion."

Oh, mi amor!
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Love Latin women.

What's not to like?

It's refreshing to be in a country where men are allowed to be men and women are allowed to be women.

I was looking for the English translation of "machismo" the other day.

Would you believe Google Translate offered the word "sexism" as the English equivalent?

Unbelievable.

"Machismo," to me, is possessing strong, traditional male traits.

There's nothing negative about "machismo" in my world and most women love strong, powerful men.

"Marianismo" is a term that describes women who are traditional child-bearing, mother-nurturing ladies.

In Costa Rica, an attractive woman walks down the street near a construction site and the men take a break to admire, applaud and sometimes whistle.

The tica's reaction is usually a smile and an appreciative wave of the hand.

In the United States these days, if the same scene occurred, the construction workers could face suspension, termination or arrest depending on the woman's response to the attention.

The Alpha male in the United States is slowly but surely being emasculated by powerful forces in the media and inside political arenas.

Tsk tsk.

In the United States these days, if the same scene occurred, the construction workers could face suspension, termination or arrest depending on the woman's response to the attention.

That's Why Every American Needs To Go To The Polls and Vote Republican.

They're About Freedoms.

Democrats Are About Communist Control.

Why Do You Think Jack Del Rio Acted Like A Big Pussy, And Apologized ?

To Keep His Job ?

There Was Nothing To Apologize About.

 
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