Gold Cup 2011 Previews: Costa Rica Primed For An Upset
The United States and Mexico are the "big two" in CONCACAF and it is not hard to imagine why. They have played each other in both of the last two Gold Cup finals, have by far the highest FIFA ranking of any team in the region and are the only ones to regularly compete with the top teams in the world on big stages. It is hard to fathom the two rivals not playing each other in this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup final on June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, but if they don't it will likely be because Costa Rica crashed their party.
It is not a surprise that the Ticos are the top challenger to the top two in CONCACAF. They have qualified for three of the last six World Cups and have reached the knockout stages of the Gold Cup in each of the last six tournaments. As far as non-Mexico, non-U.S. teams go in the region, Costa Rica is as accomplished as any, but it is not history that makes them a dangerous team
To the surprise of many, players and not history books are what make teams dangerous and the Ticos have a few worth keeping an eye on. One of those few is even worth keeping two eyes on and he goes by the name of Bryan Ruiz.
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez is a mighty fine striker who gets plenty of publicity now that he plays for Manchester United. Landon Donovan is the most famous player the U.S. has, but he's not really a striker. David Suazo used to be the top striker in CONCACAF, but the injury bug bit him and then bit him again and again. So who is the best striker in CONCACAF now? It may very well be Ruiz.
The 25-year-old plays his club ball at Twente and helped them finish second this season, a year after helping them win the title with 24 goals. His play has drawn the attention of several clubs in Europe's top leagues and his time at Twente may be dwindling, but his time in the spotlight certainly will not.
It's tough to forget about a big, strong striker who physically punishes defenders. You know, a striker that can finish with his head, but also run by defenders and has an abundance of skill on the ball to both finish calmly and torture defenders that he runs at. All of that makes for a dandy of a striker, which Ruiz is.
Best about Ruiz, at least when it comes to discussing his role with Costa Rica, is his ability to create goals from nothing. Stranded alone up top without any help and a swarming defense, Ruiz has shown that he can create space and get a shot away. Besides that being a fantastic skill in its own right, it is especially fantastic to Costa Rica. Assuming they finish behind Mexico in Group A, the Ticos will have to defeat Mexico in the semifinals if they are to make the finals and a Cinderella run. Defeating Mexico will likely take a few moments of magic not in the run of play, moments Ruiz can create.
The Ticos do have a problem though. Several of their top players play the same position and finding a way to get their best players on the same pitch is tough.
Marco Urena is a sensational young player, but playing him in an attacking midfield role requires the Ticos to drop Celso Borges deeper on the pitch. That's not really a problem for Borges. He can play nearly anywhere and do it well, something CONCACAF is likely to learn this summer, but he plays on the right side. That happens to be the same place in the midfield that Christian Bolanos plays, another of the Ticos better players. Odds are the talented Urena ends up starting on the bench, meaning that Costa Rica can't get their 11 best players on the field at once.
Of course, in situations like this it is nearly impossible to figure out exactly how Costa Rica will play. How do they get their best players on the pitch? Not easily and that is the job for head coach Ricardo La Volpe. It is a situation that could lead to several different lineups throughout the tournament, which would be fine so long as La Volpe can figure out the most effective approach by the time the knockout stages come around. If he can, led by Ruiz and an underrated Borges, Costa Rica might have an upset in them.
Projected Starting Lineup (4-3-1-2)
GK Keylor Navas, LB Bryan Oviedo, CB Junior Diaz, CB Jhonny Acosta, RB Oscar Duarte, LM Dennis Marshall, CM David Guzman, RM Christian Bolanos, CAM Celso Borges, ST Alvaro Saborio ST Bryan Ruiz
Key Player
Alvaro Saborio - For all the talk about Ruiz, Saborio led the Ticos in scoring during World Cup qualifying and with all the attention on Ruiz, Saborio will find chances to score.
Impact Bench Player
Marco Urena - The 21-year-old attacker may be short on experience, but he is amazingly skilled and can unlock a tired defense late in matches.
Prediction
Getting past Mexico in group play will be tough and will likely set them up for a rematch with El Tri in the semifinals, where they will likely fall again, but not before putting a scare in the tournament favorites.
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