The top two teams in the second CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying group start off their attempt to land in Brazil next summer going head to head as Mexico and Costa Rica face off in Los Angeles. In an incredibly tough Group B, the result of this match could prove decisive in determining who gets out of the group as any of these two teams or Honduras could take the two spots this group gets in the semifinals.
Mexico vs. Costa Rica 2015 live stream: How to watch Olympic soccer qualifying online
Mexico are hoping to repeat as winners of Olympic gold, but they need to get past Costa Rica first to even get to the tournament in Brazil.
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Four years ago, Mexico won the qualifying tournament and went on to beat Brazil to win Olympic gold, but they face a much fiercer challenge this time around. Their squad isn’t quite as strong as the one that dominated CONCACAF in the last qualifying tournament, and Costa Rica are bringing a lot of fight and talent to their qualifying run after missing out on the final tournament altogether last time. If the “baby Ticos” can catch Mexico off-guard, that might just be enough to kick-start a run to Brazil.
Key player -- Cubo Torres (Mexico)
From a pure talent perspective, Cubo is easily Mexico’s most talented player. That’s not to say that Mexico doesn’t have a talented squad -- Carlos Salcedo, Erick Aguirre, Marco Bueno, and Erick Gutierrez would all take issue with that -- but Torres has the greatest ability to directly impact the outcome of a match. He’s also got valuable experience, having been a part of the Mexico team in the last Olympic qualifying tournament, playing in three matches and scoring the crucial winner against Panama that secured the top spot in their group. That experience at this level and in this tournament will be almost as important as Cubo’s talent -- but his significant skill on the pitch will still be the greater deciding factor.
Key Matchup -- Carlos Salcedo (Mexico) vs. John Jairo Ruiz (Costa Rica)
Ruiz brings a wealth of European experience to Costa Rica’s side, as he’s currently working his way into being a regular for top Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk after playing for Lille in France and a strong loan spell in the Belgian Pro League with Oostende. He’s a tricky forward who can play up top or cut in from the wing, meaning that Salcedo will have to keep his head on a swivel to keep track of Ruiz. Of course, Salcedo isn’t without talent himself, as he’s the best of a solid crop of young Mexico defenders called up for this tournament, and if anyone can keep Ruiz at bay, it’s him.
Match Date/Time: Friday, 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. local
Venue: StubHub Center, Carson, California, United States
TV: Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish), UnivisionTDN, Canal 5 Televisa (Mexico)
Online: NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra (U.S. - Spanish)
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