SAMPSON: "I LOOK FORWARD TO QUALIFYING COSTA RICA FOR THE 2006 WORLD CUP"

First Coach Born in the U.S. To Qualify the National Team for the World Cup Declares At The Honda Symposium in L.A. That He Now Wants To Become the First American To Lead A Different Country to the World Cup

LOS ANGELES (October 9, 2002) - Steve Sampson, who last week was named the new head coach of Costa Rica's National Team, said today at the annual Honda Symposium in Los Angeles that he looks forward to leading Costa Rica to their third World Cup appearance in 2006.

If this is accomplished Sampson, who became the first coach born in the United States to qualify the U.S. National Team for the World Cup during his tenure from 1995-1998, would become the first American to qualify a different country for the World Cup.

"I am very proud to be the first American coach to have the opportunity to coach the National Team of a different country," said Sampson at today's Honda Symposium. "I look forward to participating in my third World Cup overall and leading a team to qualification for the second time as a coach."

Sampson appeared at the Honda Symposium with the President of the Costa Rica Soccer Federation, Hermes Navarro. Together they discussed their future projects and plans for Costa Rican soccer for the next four years.

"Steve is a first-class human being and his knowledge of all of the teams in the CONCACAF region is really impressive," said Navarro. "He already has proven his ability in leading the United States to the 1998 World Cup, and we look forward to having him lead us to the 2006 World Cup in Germany."

"Representing Costa Rica as the National Team coach and Technical Director is an enormous responsibility," Sampson added. "I am very happy to return to coach at the international level and I will work tirelessly in order to bring the Costa Rica National Team and youth teams success during the next four years."

During the last four years Sampson has remained very active in soccer, working extensively with youth soccer programs in the southern California area. Additionally Sampson served as an analyst during Fútbol de Primera's Spanish-language coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.