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South Korea host Costa Rica at the Goyang Stadium in Goyang on Friday for an international friendly as both sides begin preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Taegeuk Warriors qualified for the competition for the 10th consecutive time after breezing through the qualification phase.
With 23 points from 10 games and just one defeat, they finished second in Group A of the third round, behind only Iran.
Their reward was an admittedly challenging group in the finals that consisted of Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, saw off New Zealand 1-0 in the inter-continental playoffs after coming fifth in the CONCACAF third round.
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The Ticos are not going to have it easy in the tournament proper either, having been drawn alongside European powerhouses Germany and Spain, with former Asian champions Japan also in the mix.
South Korea vs Costa Rica Head-To-Head
There have been 11 previous clashes between the sides, with South Korea winning five times and losing to Costa Rica on four occasions.
Their last encounter, coming in September 2018, ended in a 2-0 victory for the Asian side.
South Korea Form Guide (all competitions): L-W-W-W-D
Costa Rica Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-L-W-W
South Korea vs Costa Rica Team News
South Korea
The Taegeuk Warriors have called up 27 players for their upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Cameroon.
Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min is the headline inclusion and comes into the international break on the back of a stunning Premier League hat-trick against Leicester City last weekend.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Costa Rica
PSG custodian Keylor Navas misses out for the Ticos with an elbow injury, opening up a chance for Esteban Alvarado and Aaron Cruz to start in goal. Yeltsin Tejeda is also injured.
Experienced players such as Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz, the captain, are in contention to start.
Injured: Keylor Navas
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
South Korea vs Costa Rica Predicted XI
South Korea (4-3-3): Kim Seung-gyu; Kim Min-jae, Cho Yu-min, Hong Chul, Jinsu Kim; Inbeom Hwang, Paik Seung-ho, Jung Woo-young; Son Heung-min, Hwang Uji-ho, Guesung Cho.
Costa Rica (4-2-3-1): Aaron Cruz; Carlos Martinez, Oscar Duarte, Francisco Calvo, Bryan Oviedo; Celso Borges, Brandon Aguilera; Gerson Torres, Bryan Ruiz, Keysher Fuller; Joel Campbell.
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South Korea vs Costa Rica Prediction
Given both sides will be competing at the upcoming World Cup, they will be approaching these friendlies with seriousness, playing their best sides.
Although Costa Rica seems to have a good squad on paper, we predict the South Koreans will prevail, given their overall experience and quality.
Prediction: South Korea 2-1 Costa Rica
