MIDWAY POINT Costa Rica national stadium on schedule
Some good news for the Costa Rica National Team and the U.S. National Team: the new national sports stadium in the Central America country is almost halfway done and appears to be on schedule to be finished by its February 2011 target date, according to the Tico Times.
The 35,000-seat stadium in western San Jose has been under construction for eight months.
The U.S. has experienced nightmares when it has played World Cup qualifiers, never winning at Saprissa Stadium. So, a new venue certainly would be welcomed by the Americans.
The national stadium will have natural grass, Costa Rica Osvaldo Pandolfo told the Times.
“It has been decided that a natural grass field, as opposed to a synthetic one, would be more practical,” he was quoted by the Times. “Not only is it some $400,000 cheaper, but it would suit a wider range of athletes.”
Some 800 Chinese workers are building the stadium, which is financed by the Chinese government.
A match between the National Teams of Costa Rica and China is expected to be among the week-long opening ceremonies in 2011, according to the Times.
Costa Rica failed to qualify for the World Cup, falling to Uruguay in a special playoff between CONCACAF's fourth-place team and South America's fifth-place side.
