The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, December 16, 2003

ON THE RISE AGAIN: Winston Parks and Costa Rica's Sele climbed back to a 17th world rank.
AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura

Sele Reclaims 17th World Ranking
Coming off an authoritative 2-1 victory against Finland Nov. 19, Costa Rica's National Soccer Team (known as the "Sele") climbed two rungs in the world soccer ranking to recapture its all-time best 17th place, according to the December FIFA ranking published yesterday.
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Central America,
European Union Sign Accord
In an event Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar described as a "historic benchmark," Central American and European Union (EU) representatives signed a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement yesterday in Rome.
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U.S. Citizen Questions Escazú Incident
A U.S. citizen who says he was robbed at gunpoint Sunday at his friend's house in Escazú, west of San José, told The Tico Times yesterday he is suspicious of the police reaction to the robbery.
(Click for more)

December 16

Music Recital
Performed by the Alajuela Band through Dec. 18, 7 p.m. at the kiosk of the Parque Central in Alajuela. Info: 221-2154.

Rock, Jazz and More
Miriam Jarquín and Blues Latino perform at 10 a.m. at the Jazz Café in San Pedro. Info: 253-8933.

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Sele Reclaims 17th World Ranking
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

Coming off an authoritative 2-1 victory against Finland Nov. 19, Costa Rica's National Soccer Team (known as the "Sele") climbed two rungs in the world soccer ranking to recapture its all-time best 17th place, according to the December FIFA ranking published yesterday.

Costa Rica, which earlier this year broke into the Top 20 for the first time, has climbed as high as 17 on two other occasions this year, but has not been able to hold its ground, slipping back to 19th.

Miraculously, despite the Sele's ugly four-month slump that includes an embarrassing loss to South Africa, Costa Rica somehow managed to stick around in the Top 20 from July to November.

In 17th place, the Sele is the fifth-best team in the hemisphere behind Brazil (1), Argentina (5), Mexico (7) and the United States (11), the latter two of which Costa Rica will be competing against for one of the three World Cup tickets afforded to the CONCACAF (the soccer federation for North America, Central America and the Caribbean).

Honduras, considered Costa Rica's toughest competition for the third CONCACAF World Cup ticket, last month dropped four spots to 49th place.

Costa Rica is scheduled to play either Cuba or the Cayman Islands in the first round of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers sometime next year between February and June. The game date has not been set yet.

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Central America, European Union Sign Accord

In an event Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar described as a "historic benchmark," Central American and European Union (EU) representatives signed a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement yesterday in Rome.

A Foreign Ministry release stated the agreement between the two regions sets the groundwork for "more ambitious agreements" in the future.

Tovar said that with the growth of the EU from 15 to 25 members next May, it will become the greatest industrial and commercial power on the globe. Central America has "achieved a privileged relationship" with it through the agreement, he added.

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U.S. Citizen Questions Escazú Incident
By Tim Sparkman
tsparkman@ticotimes.net

A U.S. citizen who says he was robbed at gunpoint Sunday at his friend's house in Escazú, west of San José, told The Tico Times yesterday he is suspicious of the police reaction to the robbery.

"They didn't even take down his name," said U.S. retiree Frank Vokoun, in reference to his friend, Grover Artman, whose house was the scene of the alleged robbery. Vokoun said two men who identified themselves as Escazú police officers arrived at Artman's house shortly after the 3 p.m. robbery, although he does not remember calling the police.

Escazú Police representative Elmer Cortéz told The Tico Times yesterday that he could find no record of Escazú police visiting Artman's house, although the officer on duty Sunday was not available.

Vokoun said the men he thought were police advised him and Artman to file a report with the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ), then left.

The OIJ report filed by Artman on Sunday night says four men entered Artman's house, three of them carrying firearms, and forced Artman and Vokoun onto the ground. They reportedly hit Vokoun in the head twice with the butt of a gun and tied his hands behind his back with electrical wire.

According to the report, the four men searched Artman's house and left with a microwave, two televisions, a videocassette player, a pair of shoes and a metal safe containing $2,000 in cash, gold rings and financial papers, among other items.

The thieves carried radios, which they used to communicate with other people supposedly waiting for them outside, according to the complaint filed with the OIJ.

Vokoun told The Tico Times he thought the radios carried by the thieves were of the same make as those carried by the supposed police officers who arrived after the crime.

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