Costa Rica vs. Jamaica
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
July 8 | 8 pm ET | StubHub Center, Carson, Calif.
TV: FOX Sports 2, UniMás, UDN in US, Sportsnet World in Canada
Costa Rica are looking to build off their quarterfinal run from last summer’s FIFA World Cup with their first Gold Cup title. Now the highest-ranked team in CONCACAF (14th in the FIFA World Rankings), the Ticos start Wednesday in their Group B opener against Jamaica at StubHub Center.
Jamaica are entering the tournament in the midst of some upheaval, having lost all three of their Copa América matches last month and then seeing players boycott their Monday training session due to since resolved pay issues.
- Group B Preview: Costa Rica claim favorite tag
TROUBLE IN PARADISE: Missing a precious training session before a tournament isn’t exactly a recipe for success, but at least an agreement was reached between Jamaica’s players and management after players skipped Monday’s training session in protest. The Jamaica Gleaner reported that players worked out on their own at the team hotel, but no organized team session was held.
“All is well that ends well,” Jamaica Football Federation president Horace Burrell told the Gleaner. “It took a longer time than we first anticipated, but in the end I’m very happy to report now that all has been settled, and so all players will make themselves available for the start of the Gold Cup tomorrow.”
TOUGH ROAD: Despite their lofty ranking, Costa Rica are not exactly coming into the tournament riding high. They’ve lost three and drawn two in their last five, albeit against powerhouse opponents Colombia, Spain and Mexico. But manager Paulo Wanchope, a legendary former striker for Costa Rica, who succeeded Jorge Luis Pinto after the World Cup, said facing that tough competition has engendered confidence in the group.
“Each match, we see improvement in ourselves,” Wanchope told CONCACAF.com following their 2-2 friendly draw against Mexico on June 27. “Against Colombia, it is true that it was neither a good or bad match. Against Spain, we also had Spain in their half, which is not at all easy. Mexico has always been a tough opponent for us, and nevertheless we were able to dominate them for at least a half, and that gives us a glimpse into what we can do at the Gold Cup.”
