Costa Rica National Team
In 2002, the Costa Rica national team hired Sampson as its head coach. In his first international post he brought Costa Rica a Central American (Uncaf) Championship going undefeated in 2003. Sampson also brought Costa Rica its highest FIFA ranking ever at number 17 in the world in 2004. Sampson qualified the team for the second phase of qualifying. However, he did not survive the qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and was fired in 2004 after Costa Rica needed away goals to get past unfancied Cuba. Sampson returned to the United States and was hired two months later by the Los Angeles Galaxy and subsequently won the "double" in 2005.
Read more about this topic: Steve Sampson
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