With legendary, 114-cap goalkeeper Keylor Navas now retired from international football, a new-look Costa Rica team will have their work cut out if they are to match the impressive achievements of previous years — especially as the draw has not been kind.
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The manager
Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro has Copa America experience, having guided Ecuador to the quarter-finals of the previous tournament in 2021. He also took them to the following year’s World Cup, where they opened with a 2-0 win against hosts Qatar before drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands, but failed to reach the knockouts after losing 2-1 to Senegal in their final group game.
Gustavo Alfaro has managed Costa Rica for eight games (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
A former coach of leading Argentine side Boca Juniors, the 61-year-old has quite the résumé, having managed 15 clubs across a 32-year career. He was appointed by Costa Rica in November.
The household name you haven’t heard of yet
Manfred Ugalde. The 22-year-old striker, who sat out the last World Cup cycle due to differences with then manager Luis Fernando Suarez, is one of the Central American country’s brightest young talents.
Ugalde celebrates his first Costa Rica goal, against Saudi Arabia in September (Richard Callis/MB Media/Getty Images)
Ugalde had a great start to his career in Europe, scoring 11 goals for Belgian second-tier side Lommel in 2020-21. That summer, he joined FC Twente in the Dutch top flight, where he found the net 22 times in 84 matches before joining Spartak Moscow in January. He has scored just once in 16 games for the Russians, but was on target for Costa Rica in a 3-1 friendly defeat by Argentina in March and will be expected to lead the line this summer.
Strengths
Costa Rica have been at their best at big tournaments when staying organised in a low block while looking to break out on the counter. Think of the team that reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, finishing above Italy and England in the group, or the side that upset Japan in the most recent World Cup 18 months ago.
They will need to be efficient in attack, but it is a recipe the side known as Los Ticos have used quite effectively in the past.
Weaknesses
With Keylor Navas in goal, Costa Rica felt they could stay in any game. So his decision to retire from the international stage last month came as a real blow. Navas, now 37, is one of the most decorated players in CONCACAF history and losing him makes the job ahead this summer that much harder for his former team-mates.
Navas made 114 appearances for Costa Rica (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
When Costa Rica become unbalanced and undisciplined defensively, they can be picked apart. It is imperative they do not get opened up against the top teams.
GO DEEPER
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Thing you didn’t know
Costa Rica had one of the most intimidating home grounds in all of CONCACAF when they played at the Ricardo Saprissa Ayma stadium in the capital, San Jose.
Several United States players said it was the toughest to play in — and the U.S. never did win a World Cup qualifier there.
“When you are there, you are scared out of your mind,” Landon Donovan said. “There is nothing in sports that emulates that.”
Sadly for them, Costa Rica’s home ground is now the same city’s Estadio Nacional, which was inaugurated in 2011.
Expectations back home
Costa Rica have been going through a transitional phase over the past few years, which includes the departure of big names such as Bryan Ruiz (147 caps) and Navas. There have been some struggles during this period, but also some bright moments — notably an unbeaten run at the end of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
The fans understand the odds are against them advancing out of a Copa group also containing Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay, but there is real belief the team are taking positive steps forward as some of the younger players come through.
Costa Rica’s Copa America squad
Goalkeepers: Kevin Chamorro (Saprissa), Patrick Sequeira (Ibiza), Aaron Cruz (Herediano).
Defenders: Francisco Calvo (Juarez), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios), Joseph Mora (Saprissa), Julio Cascante (Austin), Haxzel Quiros (Herediano), Gerald Taylor (Saprissa), Jeyland Mitchell (Alajuelense), Fernan Faerron (Herediano), Yeison Molina (Guanacasteca), Douglas Sequeira (Saprissa).
Midfielders: Ariel Lassiter (Montreal), Orlando Galo (Herediano), Brandon Aguilera (Nottingham Forest), Jefferson Brenes (Saprissa), Josimar Alcocer (Westerlo), Alejandro Bran (Minnesota United).
Forwards: Joel Campbell (Alajuelense), Anthony Contreras (Riga), Warren Madrigal (Saprissa), Alvaro Zamora (Aris), Manfred Ugalde (Spartak Moscow), Kenneth Vargas (Heart of Midlothian), Andy Rojas (Herediano).
(Top photos: Getty; design: John Bradford)
