Quick hit

The U.S. national team plays a World Cup qualifier tonight in Costa Rica. The Ticos are only one point behind us in the CONCACAF standings, and we have had serious trouble in Saprissa Stadium, a.k.a. “La Cueva del Monstruo” (the monster’s cave):

The Ticos, as the hosts are known, play their home matches in a tall, rectangular, 23,000-seat venue known to generate structural tremors that rival a mild earthquake in this geologically unstable land. Without a running track to serve as a buffer, spectators are about 10 yards from the sidelines, separated from the players by wire fence that tilts inward at the top to prevent pitch invasions.

…

In a 1996 qualifier, U.S. players were pelted with batteries, coins, chemical substances and bags of urine — acts that belied the character of a country that does not have a standing military, boasts a Nobel Peace Prize winner (President Oscar Arias) and boasts numerous yoga and spiritual retreats amid its natural wonders.

Bags of urine! Now that’s special. (I also wonder what the cryptic “chemical substances” means.)

One game note: U.S. defender Frankie Hejduk is not expected to play due to groin injury, but he most likely will be back in action Saturday against Honduras in Chi-town.