Costa Rica Faces Trinidad and Tobago in Crucial World Cup Qualifier
The match marks a significant step in the Concacaf World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Costa Rican national football team encountered a challenging start against Trinidad and Tobago in their recent qualifier.
Within the first five minutes of the match, the Caribbean side made its intent clear, as they struck the left post with an effort targeting Keylor Navas, Costa Rica's veteran goalkeeper.
In a last-minute development, Costa Rica confirmed they would be without Alonso Martínez due to a severe illness.
In his absence, Warren Madrigal was included in the starting lineup, while Santiago Van der Putten joined the squad.
The Costa Rican team implemented two changes from their previous match against The Bahamas.
In that game, they had lined up with Keylor Navas; Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo, and Jeyland Mitchell; Joseph Mora, Kenay Myrie; Orlando Galo, Alejandro Bran, and Josimar Alcócer; alongside Manfred Ugalde and Alonso Martínez, who was later replaced by Madrigal.
The match against Trinidad and Tobago is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
A victory for Costa Rica would secure their position at the top of the group, allowing them to advance as leaders to the final phase of the Concacaf qualification process.
Currently, Costa Rica leads Group B with nine points, followed closely by Trinidad and Tobago with seven points.
The match holds significant implications for the standings as Costa Rica aims to maintain their lead.
The potential lineup for Costa Rica remains largely unchanged, closely mirroring the team that achieved a commanding 8-0 victory over The Bahamas.
Predicted starters include Keylor Navas; Joseph Mora, Francisco Calvo, Jeyland Mitchell, Juan Pablo Vargas; Kenay Myrie or Carlos Mora; Orlando Galo, Alejandro Bran, Josimar Alcócer; Alonso Martínez, and Manfred Ugalde.
The final match in the second phase of the Concacaf qualifying tournament will take place on Tuesday, June 10, determining the twelve teams that will progress to the third round.
From this stage, three teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
National broadcasters will air six matches, including the clash between Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago at the Estadio Nacional.
Currently, nine national teams have secured their place in the next round, namely Panama, Jamaica, Honduras, Curacao, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Suriname, and Costa Rica.
Trinidad and Tobago also appear close to securing their advancement, while Cuba and Bermuda in Group A and El Salvador and Puerto Rico in Group F are vying for the remaining qualification spots.
Within the first five minutes of the match, the Caribbean side made its intent clear, as they struck the left post with an effort targeting Keylor Navas, Costa Rica's veteran goalkeeper.
In a last-minute development, Costa Rica confirmed they would be without Alonso Martínez due to a severe illness.
In his absence, Warren Madrigal was included in the starting lineup, while Santiago Van der Putten joined the squad.
The Costa Rican team implemented two changes from their previous match against The Bahamas.
In that game, they had lined up with Keylor Navas; Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo, and Jeyland Mitchell; Joseph Mora, Kenay Myrie; Orlando Galo, Alejandro Bran, and Josimar Alcócer; alongside Manfred Ugalde and Alonso Martínez, who was later replaced by Madrigal.
The match against Trinidad and Tobago is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
A victory for Costa Rica would secure their position at the top of the group, allowing them to advance as leaders to the final phase of the Concacaf qualification process.
Currently, Costa Rica leads Group B with nine points, followed closely by Trinidad and Tobago with seven points.
The match holds significant implications for the standings as Costa Rica aims to maintain their lead.
The potential lineup for Costa Rica remains largely unchanged, closely mirroring the team that achieved a commanding 8-0 victory over The Bahamas.
Predicted starters include Keylor Navas; Joseph Mora, Francisco Calvo, Jeyland Mitchell, Juan Pablo Vargas; Kenay Myrie or Carlos Mora; Orlando Galo, Alejandro Bran, Josimar Alcócer; Alonso Martínez, and Manfred Ugalde.
The final match in the second phase of the Concacaf qualifying tournament will take place on Tuesday, June 10, determining the twelve teams that will progress to the third round.
From this stage, three teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
National broadcasters will air six matches, including the clash between Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago at the Estadio Nacional.
Currently, nine national teams have secured their place in the next round, namely Panama, Jamaica, Honduras, Curacao, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Suriname, and Costa Rica.
Trinidad and Tobago also appear close to securing their advancement, while Cuba and Bermuda in Group A and El Salvador and Puerto Rico in Group F are vying for the remaining qualification spots.
