They've definitely got the talent -- star striker Jean Carlos Solorzano and perhaps the top goalkeeper in the tournament in Alfonso Quesada -- to compete with the top guns in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
About the only thing that could keep the Ticos from a solid showing in Canada is their lack of experience and the tough luck of playing in one of the toughest groups in the tournament. Costa Rica failed to qualify for the past two under-20 World Cups, but if this group can perform like it did at the Under-17 World Championship in Peru in 2005 when they made the quarter-finals, head coach Geovanny Alfaro will be a hero back home.
"We are technically very sound and physically ready for this World Cup," Alfaro said following a light training session Thursday at Bullen Park in Esquimalt.
"We have a lot of spirit but we are young and inexperienced at this level, so that is something we'll have to overcome."
Alfaro, or "Doctor," as he's called by his players, guided his team to a second-place finish in Group B of CONCACAF qualifying for the U-20 World Cup. The Ticos beat St. Kitts and Jamaica before playing Mexico to a 1-1 draw.
It's Alfaro's third year at the helm of this group of players who will take on Nigeria, Scotland and Japan in Group F action at Royal Athletic Park beginning tomorrow. And he thinks this could be a big year for Costa Rica soccer.
"We have a skilled group of players who have been together for a while now and they have the capabilities to do well here. We and the people of Costa Rica are very excited about this tournament."
The Ticos are made up mostly of 19-year-olds, with three 20-year-olds -- midfielder Jose Cubero, defender Pablo Herrera and striker Argenis Fernandez -- sprinkled into the lineup. The 19-year-olds are led, of course, by the fleet-footed Solorzano up front. The man with the curly hair and headband has explosive speed and a deadly shot from long range that will cause goalkeepers havoc. Solorzano flourished at the Under-17 Worlds and the same is expected from him in Canada. A nagging knee problem has limited his practice time leading up to the tournament.
"His recovery has gone very well and he's in great spirits," Alfaro told FIFA.com earlier this month. "He's further along in the recovery process than we'd initially expected and that's great news for us."
The other great news is the man who feeds Solorzano the ball from the midfield is in top form. Celso Borges, son of former Costa Rican national team star Alexandre Guimaraes, had a great performance at the Busan Cup in South Korea earlier this spring and the same is expected from him here.
And while the Costa Ricans should have little trouble scoring goals, other teams may have plenty of trouble putting the ball in the Ticos' net. The 6-foot-2 Quesada can grab any ball that comes near him. He stunned the Mexicans in qualifying and will keep the Ticos in every game.
