CHICAGO – The Costa Rica squad that will take the field on Tuesday night for their critical second Group A match against the USA (8 pm ET on FS1, Univision and UDN) know their opponents well. That's partly due to a long history of regional matchups, but it's also because of the presence of five MLS-based players on the Ticos' roster.
“They’re players that have come here and played big parts,” Costa Rica manager Oscar Ramirez said of the MLS players on his squad in a pregame press conference on Monday. “Alvaro Saborio [D.C. United forward] has been one of the best goal scorers in MLS. There are players that are getting chances like Johan Venegas [Montreal Impact winger]. [Christian] Bolaños [Vancouver Whitecaps winger] is another. He’s still young enough and has experience.
"Kendall Waston [Vancouver Whitecaps defender] is a player that has a big future either here or somewhere else. [Ronald] Matarrita [New York City FC left back] is another young player here that is starting. They are players that represent the national team well. They’ve got important futures for their teams and for the national team.”
While Matarrita will likely return as a starter at left wingback against the USA, Waston will miss the match due to suspension after receiving a red card in the 94th minute of the Ticos' first match against Paraguay. Ramirez wasn't saying who of the two potential candidates on the squad might replace Waston on the right side of the three-man center back setup they employ.
“There are two options. We have [a total of] five players that can play central defense," Ramirez said. "We’ll manage the line with five and in this case we’ve got [Michael] Umaña and there’s also [Francisco] Calvo.”
Could the Waston suspension open the door for Ramirez to experiment with another tactical formation? Ramirez wouldn't rule it out, but don't count on it: Costa Rica's 5-4-1 alignment carried them to the brink of the 2014 World Cup semifinals, where only a penalty-kick shootout prevented them from making the final four.
“That’s a possibility, but I think it will be difficult,” Ramirez said of a possible formation tweak. “I think the [5-4-1] system is sufficient to defend our zone and play the way we want. The pressure that we want to put on and what we’re planning is flexible.”
