Costa Rican soccer fans Friday say that Spain is the team they would like to play most in the first phase of the 2006 Germany World Cup, according to a survey published on Friday in the local press.

According to the poll by Costa Rican daily La Nacion on its website, 36.6 percent of Costa Ricans said that Costa Rica would win through to second round, if they were in a group led by Spain. They thought Costa Rica would have its best chances in a group made up of Spain, Costa Rica, Australia and Switzerland.

Of the eight group leaders, Germany was the second favorite with 13.3 percent of Costa Rican votes. The South American group leaders, Argentina and Brazil, were those that frightened Costa Ricans worst. They each received 6.4 percent of votes.

Elsewhere, Costa Rica's manager Alexandre Guimaraes, told the press that he did not prefer any group leader in particular, but said he did not want a third World Cup encounter with Brazil. Costa Rica played Brazil in Italy in 1990 and in the 2002 World Cup.

"If we get Brazil, we get Brazil. Sometimes one can think that things are destiny. But we will wait because all the group leaders are very strong. I would like to get a group leader that we have not yet played," Guimaraes said.

The manager is in Leipzig, waiting for the 2006 World Cup draw, which takes place in the German city.

Costa Rica qualified for its third World Cup on Oct. 8 with a 3-0 victory over the United States.

Source: Xinhua