Gunes knows the importance of the game (Allsport)

By Martyn Ziegler, PA Chief Sports Reporter, Seoul

Turkey coach Senol Gunes has told his players to approach the match with Costa Rica as though it were a final.

Defeat for the Turks in Incheon, Korea, will end their hopes of making the second round of the World Cup, though they are firm favourites to overwhelm the central Americans.

Turkey are still bruised by their 2-1 loss to Brazil, where they had two players sent off and blamed the referee for the defeat.

"We haven't started well, but we are going to finish well," Gunes declared.

"The game against Costa Rica was always going to be like a final for us and that situation has not changed.

"If we had won against Brazil, a win against Costa Rica would have put us into the second round.

"Of course, now it's the opposite situation and much harder for us because we are up against a Costa Rica side who have three points and high morale.

"They have some very good players - Paulo Wanchope is probably the best of them, and they also have Roland Gomez who plays club football in Greece and had a good game against China."

Turkey will be without Aston Villa's Alpay and Blackburn's Hakan Unsal, the players red-carded against Brazil, but Gunes added: "I'm not worried by the suspensions - we have 23 players in the squad and they are all valuable.

"Whoever takes their place will do the same job for us."

Costa Rica have a worry over influential midfielder Harold Wallace, who has a groin strain, and coach Alexandre Guimaraes has issued a rallying call to his players.

Guimaraes said: "This is the best team that Costa Rica have ever had and the

win over China raised our confidence, but that game is now history.

"We have to write a new page in our history books now.

"I am sure that the match will be fierce and competitive.

"We know how Turkey play - we've had members of staff and many of their games - as we did at China's - and we know them very well."