The Costa Rican all-stars, the national soccer team, is on its way to Chile for an exhibition game, flushed with last weekend’s rout of a hapless New Zealand 11 at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium here, by a 4-0 score.

Expectations have been for a much tougher game ahead than the last one—but things have not been going well for Chile, an understatement if there ever was one. First, coach Nelson Acosta brushed aside Chile’s resounding defeat, 4-0, at the hands of Brazil.

This casual way of dismissing the defeat deeply disturbed many of Chile’s players, who are reported to be seriously divided about the general well-being of the national team. Then, to top it all off, the Chilean team missed its return flight.

These exhibition games provide valuable experience for national teams and Chilean fans can console themselves that it is better to have these problems now than during the runup to the World Cup. But soccer fans, especially in the Southern Cone countries, take even exhibition games seriously, so Acosta had better watch his back…