Korea Faces Costa Rica in 1st of Last 2 World Cup Warm-ups

Korea faces Costa Rica in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on Friday in one of its last two friendly matches ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November.

The other match against Cameroon will take place in Seoul on Sept. 27.

The friendlies will serve as a good preparation for the World Cup, as both countries have qualified for the upcoming event.

The matches will be broadcast live by TV Chosun.

National football team head coach Paulo Bento said Thursday he would take a different tactical approach in each of the two friendlies, suggesting he has developed some new plans.

Korea, ranked 28th in the world by FIFA, leads No. 34 Costa Rica in the teams' head-to-head record with four wins, two draws and three losses.

Costa Rica is a rising Latin American powerhouse, making its third consecutive World Cup appearance this year.

The team is known for its ability to counterattack, led by Joel Campbell, who currently plays for the Mexican side Club León after spending many years in the European leagues.

Costa Rica head coach Luis Fernando Suárez said Korea has always been a good team, and that the match is important as Costa Rica will face Japan in Qatar.