Portland Timbers midfielder Rodney Wallace and New York Red Bulls defender Roy Miller have been named to the Costa Rica national team roster for the 2014 UNCAF Copa Centroamericana tournament, it was announced Monday.
Interim boss Paulo Wanchope, who took over for Jorge Luis Pinto recently, trimmed his preliminary roster to 25. Since teams can only have 23 players on the final competitive rosters for the tournament, the remaining two players will be reserves should replacements be needed.
Costa Rica will square off against Group A opponent Nicaragua at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 3 before concluding the group stage against Panama on Sept. 7 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
The top two teams from Group A and Group B automatically qualify for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while the Copa Centroamericana champion qualifies for the 2016 Copa América Centenario. The tournament, the championship for Central American national teams being played on US soil for the first time in its 13 editions, runs through Sept. 13.
For Wallace, it marks a return to the national team after undergoing knee surgery this winter, forcing him to miss the Ticos’ historic run to the quarterfinals of the World Cup earlier this summer.
He has 16 caps and scored three goals for Costa Rica since making his international debut in 2011. Since returning to the Timbers lineup in late June, he has tallied one goal and one assist in nine appearances (four starts) this season.
Miller, who has 48 caps, was on Costa Rica’s World Cup roster, but his tournament was cut short following a leg injury suffered while going the full 90 in a scoreless draw against England (pictured, above) that concluded group play on June 24.
Miller, who has two assists in 15 appearances (14 starts) for the Red Bulls this season, made his debut with Costa Rica in 2005 and made two appearances for the Ticos in their successful qualification period before the 2006 World Cup. He made three appearances for Costa Rica in last year’s hexagonal.
