Following an opening-day defeat to Peru it is virtually a case of win or bust for Korea Republic when they take on a battling Costa Rica side buoyed by their late equaliser against Togo. The city of Suwon is the venue for what promises to be an exciting encounter that looks too close to call.

The game
Costa Rica - Korea Republic, Tuesday 21 August, 20:00 (local time), Suwon

The stakes
Korea Republic got off on the wrong foot when they succumbed to a solid Peruvian outfit 1-0, a setback that has made Tuesday's clash with the Ticos even more vital to their hopes of progressing. The Central Americans steadied themselves after a rocky start against Togo, conjuring up a late leveller to keep their Group A campaign on track. A win against the Asians would not go amiss, though.

The players
The Koreans will have to make do without central defender Han Yong Su following his dismissal against the South Americans. Costa Rica coach Manuel Urena has no such selection problems and has a full squad to call on.

The past
Although the two countries have never met at this level, the full national sides are old adversaries having faced off seven times in all. The Costa Ricans hold sway with three wins, two draws and a brace of defeats to date.

The words
"We know Korea Republic well and we'll be making the necessary adjustments to face them. All the same, we've made our gameplan clear and we won't be changing that. We'll be staying faithful to our style." Manuel Urena, Costa Rica coach.

"We slipped up against Peru because we didn't attack down the flanks as we'd planned to do. Costa Rica are a very good side, both technically and tactically, but I reckon we can beat them if we attack down the wings." Kyon Hoon Park, Korea Republic coach.