Going for Gold: ‘La Sele’ unveils special Gold Cup uniforms

Costa Rica’s men’s national soccer team will have a new look during the 2019 Gold Cup.

La Sele unveiled a special black-and-gold kit it will wear during the biennial tournament.

#LaSele utilizará un uniforme cautivador y elegante en la @GoldCup 2019.

📰 Nota: https://t.co/RFewWx7q3j pic.twitter.com/S83EwjIovs

— FEDEFUTBOL Costa Rica (@fedefutbolcrc) May 14, 2019

“For quite some time, we have talked about participating in the Gold Cup with a different design,” said Rodolfo Villalobos, President of the Costa Rican Soccer Federation. “For the first time in history, we will wear a black shirt with gold.”

While the design is unique, longtime Costa Rica soccer fans may remember when La Sele rocked a black-and-white kit during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. (Costa Rica also sported black, white and gold in a more recent throwback to that team.)

“With the black we look for inspiration, the fight and strength of that great team of Italy 90 that for the first time led us to fulfill a great goal in our footballing history,” Villalobos said. “With the gold, we want to highlight the energy and brightness that we carry inside, that makes us succeed internationally and put on high the name of our country.”

The 2019 Gold Cup begins June 15 to determine the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Soccer Associations (CONCACAF) champion.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, a Central American country will host a Gold Cup match when Costa Rica welcomes Nicaragua on June 16 at the National Stadium in La Sabana.

The Ticos will also face Bermuda and Haiti as part of Group B play. Those matches, as well as all knockout stages, will be played in the United States.

Fans hoping to purchase the new kit should act quickly, and the purchase won’t come cheap. New Balance made just 9,500 shirts, and they retail for 49,900 colones (about $84) at PLS and New Balance stores.