The steady influence of globalization has also helped. 'Now those teams believe they can go into big-time moments, big-time stadiums, get results, and truly not only just say it out loud, but show it on the field with performances that are tactically very sound, very organized and really disciplined in the way the play,' said Moreno. Moreno is of the opinion that Mexico's poor form at home during World Cup qualifying gave other teams in the region the confidence that they could handle tough environments. But there is an element of truth to such explanations, especially as it relates to countries like Costa Rica and Honduras.

Lines like, 'Every team is improving,' and, 'There are no small teams anymore,' have been thrown out so many times that they have taken up permanent residence in cliché-ville. For the time period in question, that remains the only time the region finished a World Cup with a winning record. and Costa Rica all won matches to go a combined 5-4-3. To put this in historical context, since the World Cup expanded to 32 teams in 1998, only once has CONCACAF recorded more wins than the three it has already in 2014. Now all of a sudden, that confidence has come back, and that self-belief has come back, and you see them getting results in the unlikeliest of scenarios.' It was missing throughout the course of 2013. And now you see from Mexico a toughness and a commitment and a unity that wasn't quite there in qualifying. Yes, they hung on at times against Ghana, but you could see what the ideas were defensively. 'I think what you saw from Costa Rica was that they were very disciplined tactically, very well organized, very clear in the idea of what they wanted to do on the field. 'Sometimes teams in CONCACAF, you could argue that they lack some discipline in the way they play,' said ESPN television analyst and former Venezuela international Alejandro Moreno. Mexico's 1-0 win over Cameroon got its tournament off to a winning start as well, giving it some vital confidence that seeped into Tuesday's result against Brazil. edging African power Ghana 2-1 while Costa Rica surprised 2010 World Cup semifinalist Uruguay 3-1. The Yanks and the Ticos pulled off notable victories, with the U.S. Yet CONCACAF's start to the tournament remains impressive, and has exceeded expectations. Honduras was the only CONCACAF team to lose its opening game at the 2014 World Cup in a 3-0 loss to France. they'll face Portugal and Germany, while Costa Rica is set to square off against Italy and England.

and Costa Rica in particular face daunting schedules the rest of the way, as both teams have two games remaining against European powerhouses. Only Honduras failed to crack the win column, losing 3-0 to France.Īdmittedly, it's early in the tournament, and five matches makes for a small sample size. and Costa Rica all won their opening matches, and El Tri notched an impressive 0-0 draw against hosts Brazil on Tuesday. Through five matches, a confederation long regarded as one of the world's weakest has recorded a sparkling record of 3-1-1. RECIFE, Brazil - The CONCACAF region is making some noise at this year's World Cup.

Papers crack win