Costa Rica will have several important absentees for the CONCACAF triple-elimination round to determine who will go to the World Cup Qatar-2022, although they will count on their star player, goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Coach Luis Fernando Suárez revealed on Friday the list of called-up players with which he will face the duels against Canada, El Salvador and the United States that will determine whether Costa Rica goes to the World Cup in Qatar.
Costa Rica, which in recent years has minimized the number of players leaving, only called up 7 legionnaires, including Navas, the PSG goalkeeper. The other 20 called-up players are from the local area.
The names that will come from abroad are Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios, Colombia), Francisco Calvo (San Jose Earthquakes, USA), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinatti FC, USA), Bryan Oviedo (Copenhagen FC, Denmark), Alonso Martínez (Lommel, Belgium) and Joel Campbell (Monterrey, Mexico).
The ‘Sele’ is in fifth place in the Concacaf octogonal, with 16 points in 11 matches, for the moment out of the direct qualification (three places for the Concacaf) and the playoff against New Zealand.
Before the triple round, the top three places are in the hands of Canada (25), the United States (21) and Mexico (21).
Costa Rica will host the Canadians on Thursday, March 24, visit El Salvador on the 27th and host the United States on the 30th.
The players who are being called up:
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Leonel Moreira (Alajuelense), Esteban Alvarado (Herediano).
Defenders: Kendall Waston (Saprissa), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios, Colombia), Daniel Chacón (Cartaginés), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Carlos Martínez (San Carlos), Francisco Calvo (San Jose Earthquakes, USA), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinatti FC, USA), Ian Lawrence (Alajuelense), Bryan Oviedo (Copenhagen FC, Denmark).
Midfielders: Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Orlando Galo (Herediano), Youstin Salas (Greece), Douglas Lopez (Santos). Celso Borges (Alajuelense), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense), Brandon Aguilera (Guanacasteca), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Carlos Mora (Alajuelense), Jewison Bennette (Herediano), Alonso Martínez (Lommel, Belgium).
Forwards: Joel Campbell (Monterrey, Mexico), José Guillermo Ortiz (Herediano), Johan Venegas (Alajuelense), Anthony Contreras (Guanacasteca).
Coach: Luis Fernando Suárez
