Their last qualifier was effectively a dead rubber against USA (2-0 win) for which they made a host of changes (stuck to a back 3/5), to avoid guys on yellows being suspended in June.
Caps stats do include some U23, U20 type games, and maybe some games where players didn't come off the bench. But get the overall picture - they are a very experienced but aging team it seems.
Starting 11 verus El Salvador Keylor Navas age 35 (PSG, France) 104 caps Bryan Oviedo 32 (FC Copenhagen, Denmark) 76 caps
Kendall Waston 34 (Deportivo Saprissa, Costa Rica) - previously many seasons in MLS, including with Marinovic at Vancouver 59 caps Francisco Calvo 29 (SJ Earthquakes, USA) - previously at Chicago Fire with Elliott Collier 75caps Juan Vargas 26 (Millonarios, Colombia) 10 caps Keysher Fuller 27 (Herediano, Costa Rica) 26 caps Celso Borges 33 (Alajuelense, Costa Rica) - did have a few seasons with Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga 150 caps Yeltsin Tejeda 30 (Herediano, Costa Rica) 86 caps Joel Campbell 29 (Monterrey, Mexico) - did have a couple seasons bouncing around Arsenal, 2 La Liga clubs & Sporting Lisbon 130 caps Anthony Contreras 22 (Guanacasteca, Costa Rica) 4 caps Adrián Martínez 23 (Lommel, Belgium 2nd tier) his first season in Europe 15 caps
So a vastly experienced team. Borges (150 caps) probably has more caps than the likely first choice AWs starting 11 combined. But aging as I think our Canadian spy Juneof86 has touched on. They had 7 starters 29 & above in that ES win. 5 aged 30 & above.
Likely explains why they are playing deep without the ball, on the counter. Only 3 of the 11 playing in Europe, one of whom is in the Belgian 2nd tier.
Had a couple young green forwards alongside Campbell though. One of whom was subbed off at HT for 36 yr old Bryan Ruíz (ex Fulham), in this ES win.
There may have been some first choice players who missed this ES game, but being a vital must win match at the time for the Ticos - I'm guessing it's close to their full strength starting side. It was this 2-1 win in San Salvador, and Panama's 5-1 thumping from USA on the same day, that got Costa Rica to the IC Playoff.
So on paper not that intimidating, given the clubs their players are at, and feeling many of them are well past their prime. But their big advantages are an extensive tough qualifying program, with no doubt a well honed game plan, and guys who have been there done that in high stakes games.
AWs by comparison have a lot of young greenhorns at international level, most with less than 10 AWs games. So just might mean that Hay sways to some of his experienced guys like Marinovic, M Boxall/Tuiloma, Barba, Thomas (if fit) etc. Verus likes of Sail, Pijnaker, Garbet etc etc. There may only be a couple hundred people at the game, but the high stakes nerve jangling pressure will be huge.
Out of interest their RB Fuller who played 9 of their 14 qualifying final round matches (sp presumably first choice), has never played outside Costa Rica. Might be a potential weakness up against Cacace??
the chemistry that Costa Rica has will be the deciding factor as they have played 14 official matches in 2021 against much tougher Concacaf opposition than NZ.
In terms of not intimidating on paper, other than maybe 2/3 players in wood, Cacace and maybe Thomas, none of our players play in any good divisions. Marinovic is playing his football in an almost relegated Israeli team, a few running around in lower league Scandinavia leagues and A League. Where players play their club football, it can be misleading. For example, 99% of Saudi Arabian players play in the local gulf leagues, but regularly defeat Australia who have most of their squad based in Europe, so i am not sure where a player plays club football is a solid indicator. coochiee
Their last qualifier was effectively a dead rubber against USA (2-0 win) for which they made a host of changes (stuck to a back 3/5), to avoid guys on yellows being suspended in June.
Caps stats do include some U23, U20 type games, and maybe some games where players didn't come off the bench. But get the overall picture - they are a very experienced but aging team it seems.
Starting 11 verus El Salvador Keylor Navas age 35 (PSG, France) 104 caps Bryan Oviedo 32 (FC Copenhagen, Denmark) 76 caps
Kendall Waston 34 (Deportivo Saprissa, Costa Rica) - previously many seasons in MLS, including with Marinovic at Vancouver 59 caps Francisco Calvo 29 (SJ Earthquakes, USA) - previously at Chicago Fire with Elliott Collier 75caps Juan Vargas 26 (Millonarios, Colombia) 10 caps Keysher Fuller 27 (Herediano, Costa Rica) 26 caps Celso Borges 33 (Alajuelense, Costa Rica) - did have a few seasons with Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga 150 caps Yeltsin Tejeda 30 (Herediano, Costa Rica) 86 caps Joel Campbell 29 (Monterrey, Mexico) - did have a couple seasons bouncing around Arsenal, 2 La Liga clubs & Sporting Lisbon 130 caps Anthony Contreras 22 (Guanacasteca, Costa Rica) 4 caps Adrián Martínez 23 (Lommel, Belgium 2nd tier) his first season in Europe 15 caps
So a vastly experienced team. Borges (150 caps) probably has more caps than the likely first choice AWs starting 11 combined. But aging as I think our Canadian spy Juneof86 has touched on. They had 7 starters 29 & above in that ES win. 5 aged 30 & above.
Likely explains why they are playing deep without the ball, on the counter. Only 3 of the 11 playing in Europe, one of whom is in the Belgian 2nd tier.
Had a couple young green forwards alongside Campbell though. One of whom was subbed off at HT for 36 yr old Bryan Ruíz (ex Fulham), in this ES win.
There may have been some first choice players who missed this ES game, but being a vital must win match at the time for the Ticos - I'm guessing it's close to their full strength starting side. It was this 2-1 win in San Salvador, and Panama's 5-1 thumping from USA on the same day, that got Costa Rica to the IC Playoff.
So on paper not that intimidating, given the clubs their players are at, and feeling many of them are well past their prime. But their big advantages are an extensive tough qualifying program, with no doubt a well honed game plan, and guys who have been there done that in high stakes games.
AWs by comparison have a lot of young greenhorns at international level, most with less than 10 AWs games. So just might mean that Hay sways to some of his experienced guys like Marinovic, M Boxall/Tuiloma, Barba, Thomas (if fit) etc. Verus likes of Sail, Pijnaker, Garbet etc etc. There may only be a couple hundred people at the game, but the high stakes nerve jangling pressure will be huge.
Out of interest their RB Fuller who played 9 of their 14 qualifying final round matches (sp presumably first choice), has never played outside Costa Rica. Might be a potential weakness up against Cacace??
Hi, I write for costa Rican newspaper, looking forward to the game, you guys have some very good players so I feel it will be a tight contest! We may be an ageing side but certainly have a strong team togetherness and organisation, as most of the players have been playing together for the last 8+ years. In terms of the El Salvador line-up, must be noted that we were missing centre back Óscar Duarte who plays in La Liga with Levante, as well as right-back Cristian Gamboa who plays in the Bundesliga with Bochum, both of who are 32 years old. It certainly is an ageing squad and certainly would be the last world cup for most of them, players who have performed such heroics for the NT, especially at the 2014 WC, see it as a fitting ending for the national team (Ruiz, Borges, Oviedo, Gamboa, Durate, Waston maybe more)
This is why there has been such a big push in Costa Rica to qualify, especially after the amazing turnaround to just qualify for the play-offs when we looked dead and buried.
But we also have some promising youngsters coming through notably Jewison Bennette, Orlando Galo and Anthony Contreras
Hi, I write for costa Rican newspaper, looking forward to the game, you guys have some very good players so I feel it will be a tight contest! We may be an ageing side but certainly have a strong team togetherness and organisation, as most of the players have been playing together for the last 8+ years. In terms of the El Salvador line-up, must be noted that we were missing centre back Óscar Duarte who plays in La Liga with Levante, as well as right-back Cristian Gamboa who plays in the Bundesliga with Bochum, both of who are 32 years old. It certainly is an ageing squad and certainly would be the last world cup for most of them, players who have performed such heroics for the NT, especially at the 2014 WC, see it as a fitting ending for the national team (Ruiz, Borges, Oviedo, Gamboa, Durate, Waston maybe more)
This is why there has been such a big push in Costa Rica to qualify, especially after the amazing turnaround to just qualify for the play-offs when we looked dead and buried.
But we also have some promising youngsters coming through notably Jewison Bennette, Orlando Galo and Anthony Contreras
It’s ok, it’s obvious what will happen and he can write his article in advance with our help.
We will be truely outclassed by a better team and overrun in midfield. But our goal keeper Stefan will command his area, make some serious saves and keep a clean sheet. Then in the second half around 75 minutes someone will get a cross into the penalty area and our premiership striker will bang in his only chance.
If you do your research around the above in advance you will be ahead of your competition and be writing a truely amazing article
Behind paywall sorry, but says that we will have a camp in Europe and a friendly there, then a friendly in Doha, then the playoff.
"All Whites to have extended build-up, ahead of Cup playoff
New Zealand Football will leave nothing to chance in their bid to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with lessons learned from the previous two intercontinental playoffs.
Although the circumstances were different, the 2013 series against Mexico was compromised by a lack of high-quality opposition in the build-up games, while four years ago the trip to Peru had several logistical issues, which ultimately affected the performance in Lima.
The Herald understands that NZF is planning an extended camp in Europe, with players to join as they become available from their clubs, leading up to the opening of the Fifa window on May 30.
There will be one match – against top-quality opposition – before the squad decamp to the Middle East, for a week-long build-up in Doha, with the possibility of another warm-up fixture there, before the clash with Costa Rica on June 15 or 16. "
England owe us a game at Wimbley... wishful thinking I know
Could be the Socceroos at Craven Cottage. Surely they will want some sort of warmup before playing the UAE (June 6th), and their options pre start of the FIFA window 30th May, will be limited.
I also imagine the AWs will be keen to make any warmup friendlies behind closed doors away from Costa Rican spies. Especially if Singh & Thomas both come into the mix, which will likely see Hay tweak things a bit.
Aussies would likely be similarly motivated, with their Playoff(s) in mind. So makes some sense for them to work together to organise a game, sans spectators.
FYI - Socceroos have most of their team based in Europe, whilst Peru have alot of their players in the MLS, Peru, Argentina etc. So Peru will have trouble assembling a team in Europe pre May 30th, Socceroos less so.
Rojas scoring two crackers (and the match is still going, he may get more...) in the Melbourne derby tonight, and coming into form is going to make it hard for Hay - probably bad news for McCowatt and/or Champness? Assuming Rojas is available (can a journalist ask him already, including why he didn't play the OFC please, I know a few frequent this forum!)?
Rojas scoring two crackers (and the match is still going, he may get more...) in the Melbourne derby tonight, and coming into form is going to make it hard for Hay - probably bad news for McCowatt and/or Champness? Assuming Rojas is available (can a journalist ask him already, including why he didn't play the OFC please, I know a few frequent this forum!)?
Probably Champness in the most trouble, he only played 25 minutes for Giresunspor since New Year’s, and has now left the club entirely. Probably not easy to get a gig this team of year, so possible he’ll still be unattached by June, which will make it very difficult to make a first 23, especially given he was a bit down the pecking order in Qatar.
McCowatt is a regular player in a team that are at the top of the Danish second tier. It might not sound that great, but it’s worth remembering that Rojas spent the second half of 18/19 and first of 19/20 season in the Superligaen at SønderjyskE, who were a bottom half side those seasons and he didn’t really make many waves (30 appearances, 3 goals and 3 assists). He then came back to the Victory for the rest of 19/20 and went straight to being one of the best in the league (10 appearances, 6 goals and 2 assists). This season Rojas 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 games and McCowatt has 6 goals and 7 assists in 21 games (Just has 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 for Helsingør as well).
Of forwards who were in Qatar, I’d pick Waine, Champness and Rogerson to miss out with Rojas coming back in.
Hay apparently sees Rojas as a midfielder. I’d say the 3 you mentioned are at risk of missing out plus De Jong, Lewis (depending on his injury recovery) and Garbett. Howieson for sure won’t be picked
How is Barba’s form at SFC?
Think both Just and McCowatt make it.
Sounds like initially 30 players will go into camp, so if all of Woud/Tzanev, Rojas, M Boxall, Singh & Thomas come in, at least 5 of the guys who were in Qatar are dropped. I’d say Gould, N Boxall, Howieson, Old & Waine.
Then a further 7 miss out later. Searle, Ingham & Wilkins. Plus 4 others from the forward line/midfield as above
These are the types of problems you want Hay to be having
Rojas scoring two crackers (and the match is still going, he may get more...) in the Melbourne derby tonight, and coming into form is going to make it hard for Hay - probably bad news for McCowatt and/or Champness? Assuming Rojas is available (can a journalist ask him already, including why he didn't play the OFC please, I know a few frequent this forum!)?
Probably Champness in the most trouble, he only played 25 minutes for Giresunspor since New Year’s, and has now left the club entirely. Probably not easy to get a gig this team of year, so possible he’ll still be unattached by June, which will make it very difficult to make a first 23, especially given he was a bit down the pecking order in Qatar.
McCowatt is a regular player in a team that are at the top of the Danish second tier. It might not sound that great, but it’s worth remembering that Rojas spent the second half of 18/19 and first of 19/20 season in the Superligaen at SønderjyskE, who were a bottom half side those seasons and he didn’t really make many waves (30 appearances, 3 goals and 3 assists). He then came back to the Victory for the rest of 19/20 and went straight to being one of the best in the league (10 appearances, 6 goals and 2 assists). This season Rojas 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 games and McCowatt has 6 goals and 7 assists in 21 games (Just has 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 for Helsingør as well).
Of forwards who were in Qatar, I’d pick Waine, Champness and Rogerson to miss out with Rojas coming back in.
Waine played good in Qatar. Even though he has not been great for the Nix this season. I'd happily have him in the squad as he's the best out-and-out forward we have behind the obvious Chris Wood.
Rojas scoring two crackers (and the match is still going, he may get more...) in the Melbourne derby tonight, and coming into form is going to make it hard for Hay - probably bad news for McCowatt and/or Champness? Assuming Rojas is available (can a journalist ask him already, including why he didn't play the OFC please, I know a few frequent this forum!)?
Probably Champness in the most trouble, he only played 25 minutes for Giresunspor since New Year’s, and has now left the club entirely. Probably not easy to get a gig this team of year, so possible he’ll still be unattached by June, which will make it very difficult to make a first 23, especially given he was a bit down the pecking order in Qatar.
McCowatt is a regular player in a team that are at the top of the Danish second tier. It might not sound that great, but it’s worth remembering that Rojas spent the second half of 18/19 and first of 19/20 season in the Superligaen at SønderjyskE, who were a bottom half side those seasons and he didn’t really make many waves (30 appearances, 3 goals and 3 assists). He then came back to the Victory for the rest of 19/20 and went straight to being one of the best in the league (10 appearances, 6 goals and 2 assists). This season Rojas 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 games and McCowatt has 6 goals and 7 assists in 21 games (Just has 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 for Helsingør as well).
Of forwards who were in Qatar, I’d pick Waine, Champness and Rogerson to miss out with Rojas coming back in.
Waine played good in Qatar. Even though he has not been great for the Nix this season. I'd happily have him in the squad as he's the best out-and-out forward we have behind the obvious Chris Wood.
Rojas scoring two crackers (and the match is still going, he may get more...) in the Melbourne derby tonight, and coming into form is going to make it hard for Hay - probably bad news for McCowatt and/or Champness? Assuming Rojas is available (can a journalist ask him already, including why he didn't play the OFC please, I know a few frequent this forum!)?
Probably Champness in the most trouble, he only played 25 minutes for Giresunspor since New Year’s, and has now left the club entirely. Probably not easy to get a gig this team of year, so possible he’ll still be unattached by June, which will make it very difficult to make a first 23, especially given he was a bit down the pecking order in Qatar.
McCowatt is a regular player in a team that are at the top of the Danish second tier. It might not sound that great, but it’s worth remembering that Rojas spent the second half of 18/19 and first of 19/20 season in the Superligaen at SønderjyskE, who were a bottom half side those seasons and he didn’t really make many waves (30 appearances, 3 goals and 3 assists). He then came back to the Victory for the rest of 19/20 and went straight to being one of the best in the league (10 appearances, 6 goals and 2 assists). This season Rojas 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 games and McCowatt has 6 goals and 7 assists in 21 games (Just has 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 for Helsingør as well).
Of forwards who were in Qatar, I’d pick Waine, Champness and Rogerson to miss out with Rojas coming back in.
Waine played good in Qatar. Even though he has not been great for the Nix this season. I'd happily have him in the squad as he's the best out-and-out forward we have behind the obvious Chris Wood.
No that's Greive now.
Greive has scored 1 goal from 12 appearances in his first season as a pro in a league that (exc. a couple clubs) I would say is of quality equal to ours. Waine has scored 11 professional goals, played 3 seasons as a pro and been way more involved in age-level international football. And he's 2 years younger. Grieve has looked good in a white shirt and his emergence is exciting, but don't know if I'd put him as Wood's backup going in to a world cup quite yet
Neither of them are Wood’s backup IMO- we would play quite differently or we should if either of them were our main outlet. But yeh, in the sense they are strikers. However a front 3 with 3 quick forwards (which both are) might be preferred if Wood is out as we are blessed in that department with Kosta/Marco/Just/Champness/Rogerson/possibly Sutton/MacCowatt.
Reported that Peru are to play Morocco in a friendly June 5th at the RCD Espanyol Stadium (Espanyol's home ground) in Spain. Presumably behind closed doors.
Is the fact we are relatively young and inexperienced a positive for them or a banana skin. Our players seem to be on upward paths (Garbett, Cacace, Bell, Stamenic, Singh) and 23 and younger etc.
I promised/threatened to write something long about Costa Rica since I watched 10 of their 14 qualifiers and saw them in person…
They’re an interesting team because they have a number of well-known players from their 2014 team that they were leaning on, but that group wasn’t really getting the job done in the first half of qualifying. Most of the windows featured 3 matches in 8 days, so everyone was rotating their squad and in doing so, Costa Rica found that their younger players where helping them get results more than when they stuck with their veterans. It is still mostly the old guard, but I think they’ve learned that they can’t start a team full of older players. In their final match against the U.S. they played a very young squad (due to yellow card worries) and earned a 2-0 win. So it feels like they are clearly better when they have 3-4 younger players in the starting lineup. However, in a playoff will they actually not start Bryan Ruiz or Celso Borges? It’s a big call to bench some of the best players in the history of the country.
Costa Rica has almost always played with three in the back in the last few decades. Even when it wasn’t fashionable, they had three in the back. So it was jarring to see them play in a back four to start qualifying. Lately they’ve been using a 3-4-3 (or a 5-4-1 if they’re really pinned back) on the road and a back four (either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 that frankly don’t look too dissimilar in practice) at home. As has been noted, they have been defensive-minded and have had less of the ball than their opponents. As a back four they get quite narrow when they’re back in their defensive shape. They also aren’t shy about falling into a bank of five and a bank of four if they’re pinned back.
In goal, obviously Keylor Navas starts and is their most important player. I’m not sure he is quite at the level he once was, but he can still steal matches. He is also not shy about sending long balls to launch the counter and his distribution has been pretty effective. His numbers in the octo were very impressive and he was almost twice as effective as any other keeper, including Canada’s Milan Borjan who was in the form of his life.
Leonel Moreira is 32 and has started a few Gold Cups when Navas has taken the summer off and was very good in the 2011 Copa America. He has a lot of CONCACAF Champions League experience and is very steady… except he was a disaster in qualifying. He came in for Navas and let in a late near-post goal against the US which gave them a massive three points and Moreira’s dropped cross gave Canada their goal in Edmonton a few days later.
The centre of defence is probably Costa Rica’s strength. Oscar Duarte scored in that famous win over Uruguay in 2014 and plays for Levante in La Liga. He missed the last window, but is their best defender. He’s strong, solid defensively, decent in the air, composed.
Beside him are two MLS veterans Francisco Calvo (who is still with San Jose) and Kendall Waston (who has returned home to play with Saprissa). I think Calvo would probably be preferred (he is also left-footed) between the two, but both he and Waston have had some off nights and some huge performances over qualifying and they played well together in the March window. They’re both a little aggressive and can be pulled around with quick ball movement. They’re both very good in the air with a knack for scoring off set pieces. Calvo has seven goals and Waston has six. Waston is also 6’5” (1.96m, do you do heights in metric?) and honestly I would start Waston just to try to match up with Wood. Waston is also a physical presence beyond his height. I think they fit well in a back three (Duarte plays in the middle, Waston on the right and Calvo on the left) and it lets Waston and Calvo push into the midfield to try to win balls and get stuck into tackles with a little more cover behind. The other CB is Juan Pablo Vargas from Millionaros in Colombia. He looks pretty good, but has basically been used to close out matches. He’s 1.92m, so he’s a big lad as well and he’s played some left back to shore up the defending late. He looks surprisingly comfortable as a towering left fullback, but clearly is more of a central defender.
Left back should be pretty cut-and-dried. Ronald Matarrita and Bryan Oviedo basically platooned in the position. I think Matarrita has had the better qualifying cycle, but Canada’s Mark-Anthony Kaye caught him late and though Matarrita nearly finished the match (and VAR somehow didn’t send Kaye off), he seems to be out for June due to the injury. That should leave Oviedo to start. He has played for Everton and Sunderland, but is currently in his second stint with FC Copenhagen. He has a good work rate and I think is better as a wingback, but his defending and positioning has never been great. I think Matarrita was also more of a threat going forward. It’s worth noting that Costa Rica won four of the five matches Oviedo didn’t start. They were 3W, 2L, 4D with him starting. Still Oviedo is 32, has loads of experience and is a solid player. 18-year-old Ian Lawrence started at left back in the U.S. match and played well. He looked pretty dynamic going forward, but Yedlin for the US got behind him a few times as well. I don’t see him starting (I think Vargas would push out to FB if something happens to Oviedo), but you never know.
Right back is an interesting spot because their veteran Cristian Gamboa didn’t play a match of qualifying due to injury and then covid. I think if he’s healthy, the Bochum man would get the nod. He had poor stints at Celtic and West Brom, but he’s got pace and covers a lot of ground. I think he’s better than Oviedo, but they’re fairly similar and I think both are better wingbacks than fullbacks. They started qualifying with Ricardo Blanco from Saprissa starting. I think Blanco is maybe a better defensive option, but he was injured and missed the back half of the qualifying campaign. Those injuries left Keysher Fuller as the only real option. I feel bad for Fuller because he seems to be the scapegoat for the fanbase. He’s not a good defender but he also gets very little help from the wide attacker on the right. He’s fast and he’s decent going forward. His passing isn’t great, but he’s a threat and I think when used as a wingback his defensive issues are less of a liability. I think if Gamboa is healthy he starts.
The centre of midfield might be the most interesting area on the pitch in terms of what Luis Fernando Suarez decides to do. They started qualifying with a pairing of Celso Borges and David Guzman. Guzman is an aggressive and physical d-mid who can win the ball, commits fouls and has (had?) good quickness. He had some decent years in MLS with Portland and Columbus but is back with Saprissa. He was replaced by Yeltsin Tejada, who is a similarly hard-working defensive midfielder. Tejada is a more subtle player than Guzman and he quietly had a good 2014 World Cup where he started all five matches. Borges is Costa Rica’s all-time cap leader and provides a nice range of passing and some quality in the centre of the pitch. If given time on the ball, he can really spread the ball around and launch the counter. He’s one of the smartest players in the region and can still take over a match with his vision and intelligence. That being said he’s not known for his work rate. He will also take most of Costa Rica’s free kicks, though Ruiz still gets his share when he’s on the pitch. In Canada, Orlando Galo, 21, who had two caps and 12 total minutes of international soccer, got the start. He added a lot of energy in the middle of the midfield and I thought he played well. Costa Rica has won four of the five matches Galo has started. In the second half of the Canada match in Costa Rica they subbed out Galo for Tejada at the half. Canada, despite being down a man, dominated the second half, particularly controlling the midfield against Borges and Tejada. So you have Borges and Tejada who are both better than Galo, but together I don’t think the pairing has the quickness and work rate to do the job any more. On the the other hand, without Tejada or Guzman, they lose some of that combativeness in the midfield. I think their best bet is still to start Galo, but it’s a big shout to bench either Tejada (which I have to assume would be the case) or Borges and start an inexperienced player like Galo, but I think it makes them a better team. Daniel Chacon, 21, made his debut against the U.S. I think he’s a natural central defender, but he paired with Galo in the midfield and got rave reviews from Costa Rican fans and the media. I thought he was solid, but so was Galo and I think Galo would be ahead of him in the pecking order.
Up front, they’ve struggled to find a proper No. 9. They started using Jonathan Moya in qualifying, but he hasn’t even been in the squad in 2022. They moved on to Jose Guillermo Ortiz. I actually thought Ortiz wasn’t bad. He’s a big body, he held the ball up decently which is useful when you don’t have it that much. He started four of five matches in a row (missing out due to covid) and then has been relegated to the bench for the last five. Joel Campbell started up front twice and then they turned to Anthony Contreras in the last window. When I saw Contreras was starting against Canada, I was totally baffled. Not only had I never heard of him, but I’d also never heard of Guanacasteca his Costa Rican club (and I like to think I know most clubs in the country). I felt better when the Ticos fanbase seemed to also have no idea who he was. He’s been pretty good. He’s more mobile than Ortiz, but still has some height. He will work to press the backline which is helpful and he definitely tracks back and works harder than Ortiz. He’s been in form for his club which got him this chance. I think they’re better off with someone other than Campbell up top because it lets Campbell have more influence on the match playing elsewhere. Contreras had 15 minutes of international experience before starting Costa Rica’s last three matches, but he has scored twice in those three matches, which is two more goals than any other forward has scored (I guess one of Campbell’s two goals came when he was playing up top), so I would think he is the favourite to start.
Outside of Navas, Joel Campbell has been their best player. I think they prefer to play him on the right wing, but I think he’s been better as either a target man up top, or especially as a second striker playing off the No. 9. It gives him the freedom to find the game and get on the ball a lot more. He has almost been playing like a No. 10 when they’ve played two forwards. He drives them forward, he can pick out the right pass to break the lines on the counter, he’s dangerous around the box. Most of the moments where Costa Rica is scary is either off of set pieces or counter attacks started or finished by Campbell.
Which leaves the two wing positions. They’ve been the spots with the most turnover and are probably the hardest to predict. Campbell is a natural right winger, captain Bryan Ruiz is a natural No. 10 who can also play on the left wing. If they played a 3-4-3 it could that simple, but I don’t think Ruiz will start. He shouldn’t start. He looks well past it. I think he’s getting called up on reputation alone, but in a one-off playoff what kind of performance might he have? Is this his final international match if they lose?
On the wings they’ve mostly used a pair of younger players in the last few months. 21-year-old Alonso Martinez has some quality as an attacker, but he also works harder than most of the other attacking players and will press to win the ball back which I think is useful and he tracks back better than most of his teammates. In saying that, he came into the CR-Canada match and did nothing to stem the tide when they were up a man and did little to help Fuller who was being run ragged on that wing. Gerson Torres, 24, can play either side, but is naturally a right-sided player. Martinez has also played on the left when Torres has been on the right and they’ve swapped side mid-match as well. I think there’s a good chance Torres and/or Martinez start the playoff. Torres’ 95th minute winner against Honduras got Costa Rica on the path to get back into qualification. They haven’t lost since then. This season has been Torres’ coming out party. He’s had a very good season for Heridiano and may be on his way somewhere bigger. He has a little more creativity and playmaking ability than anyone beyond Campbell. Torres and Martinez have started a lot of the road games down the stretch with Campbell playing up front.
They have a lot of other options, obviously Ruiz being a notable one either on the left or playing centrally in a 4-2-3-1. Ruiz has been coming off of the bench, but has been doing so consistently. He scored the vital goal against Panama, but he was mostly at the right place at the right time after a lot of good work from Campbell. He hasn’t shown much to warrant his continued inclusion. Veteran Johan Venegas started on the left in the 1-0 win over Canada and baited Kaye into his second yellow. I wish I knew how many touches he had in that match because he drew seven fouls. Suffice it to say he invited contact. He’s a smart player and he likes to mix it up for an attacking player, but I don’t know that there’s a lot of end product there any more. Beyond Venegas, Jewison Bennette has had a couple of starts and is only 17. He has very quick feet and serious pace. He usually plays on the left wing. I think he’s too inexperienced for this kind of match, but he could provide some pace off the bench. Aaron Suarez is 19, but is quick and tricky and likes to take people on off the dribble. He’s also maybe a little too inexperienced, but he has also had a starts on the left wing ahead of Torres and can play centrally.
There are a number of players I think most people expected to be much more involved than they have been. Jimmy Marin started two of the first three qualifiers as a winger, but has not been called up since November. Randall Leal is another left winger who started the Nations League semifinal and featured a lot in the 2019 Gold Cup as a 22yo, but has been dropped after playing in six of the first seven matches. Leal is a little mercurial, but he plays for Nashville in MLS and I think is skilled and dynamic player which is in short supply for the offensively-challenged Ticos. Allan Cruz in Cincinnati was a regular starter under the previous manager and was in the team in the Nations League, but the playmaker hasn’t seen the pitch in qualifying. Ariel Lassiter is another MLS player (Inter Miami) who was starting at the Gold Cup on the left wing (with Leal being involved in Olympic qualifying) and started the first qualifier there and hasn’t played since. Luis Diaz with Columbus is a right winger who played in the Gold Cup and only has 45 minutes in qualifying.
Lassiter, Marin, Leal, Diaz, Cruz… they’re all 23-27. It seems like the manager has opted for players in their teens/early 20s and then the old guard of over-30s. The players in their mid-20s that seemed like it was their cycle to make an impact, they largely haven’t. I never would have expected Bennette and Suarez would be getting starts and Leal and Marin and Cruz wouldn’t even be in the squad. I don’t expect the squad to change much, but if one of the MLS players is in good form you have to think they would be considered. I should add it’s not that I think these guys deserve more because they’re in MLS, it’s more that for the most part, their performances in the Costa Rican league got them a chance to play at a bigger level. It seemed like they were young talents on the rise and the next generation of Costa Rican talent, whereas the golden generation from 2014 have all been returning home to finish their careers and seem to be on the verge of retiring.
So who will start against the All Whites? If I had to guess, I’d say:
——————————Navas
Gamboa————Duarte——Calvo————Oviedo
———————Tejada————Borges
Torres————————————————Venegas
——————Campbell———Contreras
I would expect Galo, Ruiz and Martinez to be the first guys off the bench.
That’s not what I would do (I’d get Waston and Galo on the pitch, probably for Venegas and Tejada)
So how do you beat Costa Rica?
1) defend set pieces. They are very dangerous in the air and have good dead balls specialists.
2) Harass Celso Borges. Don’t give him time to dictate the match.
3) Take Joel Campbell out of the match as much as possible. The more he’s on the ball, the more involved he is, the better Costa Rica has been.
4) Win the midfield and possess the ball. Costa Rica has won a lot of matches when not having a lot of the ball, but I think the more you make their attacking players work without the ball and track back the better off you are.
5) And this is so obvious it feels dumb to say it, but bury your chance(s). I think good scoring chances will be at a premium. The first goal (if there even is a first goal) will be massive. Costa Rica won six of their last seven matches to get to this playoff. They scored first in all six wins.
So there you go. Thanks (and apologies) to anyone who made it this far. :)
It seemed to be a strong player criticism at the end of Herbert’s tenure (Mexico Playoffs 2013). The amateur level organisation and analysis. Main reason given by Tommy Smith why he was then unavailable for a few years.
Though Ricki would argue, with at least some justification Hudson got a lot more financial support than he did from NZF in that regard
Well if you want to form your own opinions, there are five recent complete matches featuring Costa Rica here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5jVe2Vy43TiFvLqOh3-TL-NwVZavfT4K
I think Costa Rica v Panama is the most entertaining of this batch.
“The friendly with Morocco is not true, it is one of the proposals and nothing is closed. We have five or six possibilities that will be handled in the next few days,” said the leader at the time.
However, now the next rival would be the ocean country.
In this case, Peralta even mentioned the possible dates and the scenario of this engagement. “Today New Zealand is almost certainly Peru's rival for the pre-repechage match in Barcelona. It would be at the Espanyol stadium on June 5, 6 or 7. But New Zealandalready has a pre-agreement with the FPF. This must be analyzed, signed and formalized tomorrow (today) or on Tuesday,” added the communicator.
“The friendly with Morocco is not true, it is one of the proposals and nothing is closed. We have five or six possibilities that will be handled in the next few days,” said the leader at the time.
However, now the next rival would be the ocean country.
In this case, Peralta even mentioned the possible dates and the scenario of this engagement. “Today New Zealand is almost certainly Peru's rival for the pre-repechage match in Barcelona. It would be at the Espanyol stadium on June 5, 6 or 7. But New Zealandalready has a pre-agreement with the FPF. This must be analyzed, signed and formalized tomorrow (today) or on Tuesday,” added the communicator.
I hope this is true. Never been to Barcelona, great reason to finally go there. Would be great if we can get a result too.
“The friendly with Morocco is not true, it is one of the proposals and nothing is closed. We have five or six possibilities that will be handled in the next few days,” said the leader at the time.
However, now the next rival would be the ocean country.
In this case, Peralta even mentioned the possible dates and the scenario of this engagement. “Today New Zealand is almost certainly Peru's rival for the pre-repechage match in Barcelona. It would be at the Espanyol stadium on June 5, 6 or 7. But New Zealandalready has a pre-agreement with the FPF. This must be analyzed, signed and formalized tomorrow (today) or on Tuesday,” added the communicator.
I hope this is true. Never been to Barcelona, great reason to finally go there. Would be great if we can get a result too.
Don’t be surprised if any friendlies pre Playoff are behind closed doors. Why give Costa Rica an opportunity to spy on us, especially if Thomas and Singh now come into the starting XI
One edge AWs have compared to Ticos is lack of footage of us playing quality opponents. In a way watching OFC tourney games won’t help CR alot as NZ were so dominant plus sans some likely starters in M Boxall, Singh and if fit Thomas. So still a bit of a sense of the unknown about the AWs esp if Thomas (late as it is) comes in
Meanwhile Hay & Co can pore over the 14 tough CONACAF games in the Hex that were all do or die for the Ticos, with no opportunities to hold back or be cagey.
