The Costa Rican men’s national soccer team presented its list of 23 players for its June matchups. Absent is Keylor Navas (PSG), recently named as the best goalkeeper in French League 1.
The Ticos will participate in the final phase of the CONCACAF Nations League with two games: on June 3 against Mexico in the semifinals, and on June 6 against the United States or Honduras, either for third place or the championship.
Meanwhile, on June 9, Costa Rica will face the United States in a friendly. All these matches will be in Denver or Utah.
However, Navas will not participate because his club reported him injured to the Costa Rican Football Federation after Paris Saint Germain’s victory against Brest on the last date of the French championship.
PSG finished second, behind Lille.
Another of the main absences for Costa Rica will be Cristian Gamboa, who is also out due to physical discomfort. The defender plays for Bochum in Germany, a club that won the Bundesliga B at the weekend and was promoted to the highest category of football in that country.
In total, there are 10 footballers who play abroad and 13 from the local championship among those summoned to La Sele.
The CONCACAF Nations League, which ends in June, began in 2019 and brought together all the teams in the area.
Costa Rica is currently running an eight-game winless streak, since November 17, 2019.
Their last game was a 1-0 loss to Mexico in a friendly on March 30 in Austria.
Those summoned by coach Ronald González are:
Goalkeepers: Leonel Moreira (Alajuelense), Esteban Alvarado (Limón FC), Aaron Cruz (Saprissa).
Defenders: Óscar Duarte (Levante, Spain), Kendall Waston (Saprissa), Francisco Calvo (Chicago Fire, USA), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Yael López (Herediano), Aaron Salazar (Herediano), Bryan Oviedo (Copenhagen FC, Denmark), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinnati FC, USA).
Midfielders: Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruña, Spain), Allan Cruz (Cincinnati FC, USA), Randall Leal (Nashville SC, USA), Luis Díaz (Columbus Crew, USA), Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense), Bernal Alfaro (Alajuelense), Alonso Martínez (Alajuelense).
Forwards: Joel Campbell (León, Mexico), Felicio Brown (Wisla Cracovia, Poland) and Johan Venegas (Alajuelense).
