Bryan Ruiz vs Luis Gabelo Conejo
Costa Rica against Costa Rica. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Bryan Ruiz
Costa Rica · 2004–14 · LM
- Almanac rating
- 85
- Rank in Costa Rica
- #2 of 33
- Caps
- 147 · 29 goals
- Clubs
- Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, Fulham, Sporting CP
A header on 44 minutes in Recife, 20 June 2014, beat Italy 1-0 and left Costa Rica top of a group that also held Uruguay and England. Ruiz captained that side to the quarter-finals, where the Netherlands needed penalties to stop them, and retired after three World Cups with 147 caps and 29 goals; Twente gave him the Eredivisie in 2010 and the KNVB Cup in 2011, Sporting the Taça da Liga, Alajuelense the 2004 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Career record: 147 caps and 29 goals for Costa Rica; club career at Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, Fulham, Sporting CP.
Luis Gabelo Conejo
Costa Rica · 1990s · GK
- Almanac rating
- 82
- Rank in Costa Rica
- #8 of 33
- Caps
- 29 · 0 goals
- Clubs
- Asociación Deportiva Ramonense, C.S. Cartaginés, Albacete Balompié
Two goals conceded across three group games at Italia 90 took Costa Rica past Scotland and Sweden into the last 16, and when injury kept him out of that tie the side let in four against Czechoslovakia. FIFA put him in the tournament's all-star team as one of its two best goalkeepers, beside Sergio Goycochea; 29 caps followed, and at Albacete he kept goal as the club climbed into La Liga for the first time in 1991. Career record: 29 caps and 0 goals for Costa Rica; club career at Asociación Deportiva Ramonense, C.S. Cartaginés, Albacete Balompié.
The verdict
The almanac puts Bryan Ruiz ahead by 3 rating points, 85 against 82.
Fans have not settled this one yet. Cast the first vote in the duels.