CONCACAF/CONMEBOL Costa Rica v Uruguay: URUGUAY COACH Oscar Tabarez has no fear about playing on artificial grass for the first leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off in Costa Rica.

The Ticos have an impressive record on the surface, but Tabarez said: “We already faced tougher problems like Ecuador’s height, and there we won a key match.

“The synthetic grass is nothing but one other issue for this duel. For us, the biggest concern is to reach the game in the best shape, have very clear what we plan to do in the field and how to stop the good things our rivals have.”

Tabarez was talking in Honduras, where the Uruguayans are training ahead of tonight’s Conmebol/Concacaf play-off for a place in South Africa.

In the Concacaf qualifiers, the Costa Ricans ended with an 8-1 record playing at home and they expect to forge ahead in the tie on the artificial grass before travelling to Uruguay.

Brazilian Rene Simoes, who coaches the Ticos, said: “It’s a surface I don’t like but my players are very used to it and that turns it into an advantage for us. With that, I see the tie much more levelled.”

Uruguay qualified for the play-off after finishing in fifth position in the South American zone. They were close to earning a direct ticket to South Africa but a defeat at home against Argentina in the last match sent them into the play-off.

Tabarez was keeping his cards close to chest regarding his probable line-up.“If you want, we can bring the Costa Rica coach here and tell him how we plan to play,” Tabarez joked.

Despite his silence, he is expected to use the same formation he adopted for the final qualifiers, with three defenders, two wide players, two central midfielders, one playmaker and Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez as forwards.

They are hot favourites to win the tie but the Costa Ricans are optimistic about their chances. “We respect everybody but we have fear for nobody,” said central defender Michael Umana.

Simoes took command of the Ticos only for the last two games of the Concacaf group after three defeats in a row resulted in the exit of Rodrigo Kenton.

With Simoes in charge, Costa Rica came close to claiming an automatic spot but a 95th-minute equaliser for the United States in the group’s last match left them in fourth position behind Mexico, the US and Honduras.