Costa Rica have easily beaten the U.S.A 3-0 to qualify for football’s World Cup Finals next summer in Germany. Costa Rica will be joining Mexico and the U.S.A as automatic qualifiers from the CONCACAF qualifying Zone.

"We're in Germany, by God," Costa Rica Coach Alexandre Guimaraes said after securing their berth in the finals, with two goals from Carlos Hernandez, and one by Paolo Wanchope.

Costa Rica’s 'Ticos' guaranteed themselves the third and final automatic berth to the World Cup from the CONCACAF Zone after beating the table-toppers, the U.S.A, at home in the Saprissa Stadium. The Americans had not conceded a goal in the CONCACAF qualification rounds since losing 2-1 to Mexico on March the 27th.

"This is a victory for Costa Rica, and we all should all celebrate," Guimaraes said after the match on Saturday night. "We have accomplished our difficult goal, and this qualification confirms the quality of Costa Rica's footballers" he said.

The Costa Rican’s knew automatic qualification would be theirs once reaching 16 points in the group - meaning the same three teams would definitely represent North America, as they did at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.

The Americans remarkable clean-sheet run ended in the 33rd minute of the first half, when a pass from Alvaro Saborio on the right slipped past U.S. defenders, and rebounded off the hands of Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard. Wanchope slotted it home.

With the first half coming to an end, a seeming goal from New England Revolution’s Taylor Twellman was disallowed for a foul, as three Americans slipped through the Costa Rican defence from a free kick by Fulham FC’s Eddie Lewis.

Costa Rica repeatedly pushed attackers past the sloppy U.S. defence, though the visitors commanded the midfield throughout much of the game, often cutting off the ‘Ticos’ passing options, and themselves mounting several dangerous, but ultimately fruitless counterattacks.

Hernandez stunned the visitors by knocking in Costa Rica’s second goal in the 60th, when an inexperienced, and disorganized U.S. defence left a huge gap down the centre of the pitch.

He added his second, and Costa Rica’s third goal, just two minutes from time, to the delight of an increasingly giddy, and soggy crowd that were dancing and chanting in the stadium.

It could be questioned that the U.S coach Bruce Arena used the Costa Rica game to test too many new players. Knowing that his team had already guaranteed a World Cup berth with a victory over Mexico, he picked a very inexperienced side, and so maybe made it easier for the Costa Rican’s to automatically qualify, possibly at the cost of Guatemala.

"We probably created more chances in the first half," Arena said. "But we weren't able to finish the play."

"I was not surprised," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena, "We expected them to play the way they did. They had two obviously outstanding goals in the second half."

Costa Rica travel to meet Guatemala on Wednesday, while the United States host Panama.

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