Costa Rican men prepare for Olympic qualifying tournament

The Costa Rica men’s national team is preparing for the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship, which will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, from March 18-30.

The tournament was originally scheduled for March 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Only players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997 are eligible for this tournament; in the Olympics, three over-age players are allowed per team. In addition to Japan, 15 countries from across the world will qualify.

“We are going to represent our country and do it in the best way,” said Alonso Martínez (Alajuelense). “Let’s give the best version of ourselves. We always think about winning, being at the top and earning the pass to Tokyo.”

The Concacaf qualifying tournament features eight teams divided into two groups of four. The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals; the two finalists will represent the region at the Tokyo Olympics.

The groups are as follows:

Group A: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, United States.
Group B: Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras.

La Sele will face the United States on Thursday, March 18 and Mexico on March 21. The group stage will end against the Dominican Republic on March 24.

Below are the players that will represent Costa Rica at the tournament:

📋 Esta es la lista final, ellos son los convocados a #LaSelePreolímpica 🇨🇷

¡Desde ya todo nuestro apoyo! 🙌 #VamosTicos ⚽ pic.twitter.com/mu6DCB2x5b

— FEDEFUTBOL Costa Rica (@fedefutbolcrc) March 10, 2021