Costa Rica vs Uruguay
Uruguay will march to Central America for an international friendly against Costa Rica to test the waters for the upcoming 2024 Copa America.
It will be an odd site for the fans at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, as they’ll watch their beloved Los Ticos without their legend and skipper, Keylor Navas, who recently announced his retirement from the Costa Rican National Team after what was arguably the most decorated international career of any Costa Rican football player.
With or without Navas, they’ll open the gates to their field to a bright-eyed Uruguayan squad that plan on getting battle-ready for the upcoming tournament in the United States.
La Celeste had a rocky spell during the latest international break due to injuries, but with their star forward Darwin Nunez back in action after a dramatic season with Liverpool in the Premier League, Uruguay can get back to their winning ways even before the 2024 Copa America.
So, read more below as SBOTOP gives an in-depth preview of this pivotal international friendly between these neighbouring rivals.
Talking Points
Costa Rica say goodbye to a Los Ticos legend
Keylor Navas, one of the most decorated men between the sticks in Europe, announced his retirement from the Costa Rica national team just weeks ahead of the 2024 Copa America.
Navas’ announcement doesn’t culminate his legacy as a player; it also puts an end to the most adorned and illustrious career of arguably any Costa Rican in world football.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling, difficult to assimilate. This stage of my life with the national team has come to an end,” the Los Ticos legend expressed. “This chapter of my life, full of challenges, defeats, and victories, comes to an end. I leave with a heart full of gratitude and with my eyes looking forward, always carrying the name of our beloved Costa Rica, a small country in territory but big in heart.
After 114 caps, three World Cups, and countless memories, the former Real Madrid and PSG keeper steps away from Los Ticos with an illustrious international career that’s respected by fans and pundits alike.
It will be hard to replace the former Los Ticos skipper, but Luis Fernando Suárez has the option to deploy one of his budding keepers, Kevin Chamorro or Patrick Sequeira, who are more than capable of providing sturdy International Friendly 2024 results as they go up against Uruguay ahead of the tournament in the United States.
Darwin Nunez back for Uruguay
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez skipped the last few friendlies with Uruguay after suffering a hamstring injury, but the prolific No. 9 is set to return to La Celeste.
Uruguay have been a force in international competition since time immemorial, but the absence of Nunez, who was away from the team during the most recent international break, posed a glaring problem for Uruguay. Despite being the International Friendly 2024 odds favourites against Basque Country, La Celeste weren’t able to close things out and settled for a 1-1 draw.
They then suffered a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in France, where their lack of firepower was also magnified.
The recent international break further magnifies the importance of Nunez to La Celeste, especially since the star forward scored in five straight games for Uruguay before going down with an injury.
Nunez will look to spearhead Uruguay’s attack during the upcoming stretch of friendlies and, of course, in the Copa America itself.
Bunched with Panama, Bolivia, and the United States in Group C, La Celeste have a strong chance to top their cluster if Marcelo Bielsa’s outfit, led by Nunez, live up to their expectations and deliver right from the get-go.
With his rollercoaster of a 2023–24 season with Liverpool finally over, Darwin Nunez can focus all his efforts towards the upcoming 2024 Copa America next month.
However, propagating rumours of Nunez’s apparent exit from the Reds have stormed football headlines as of late. The question for La Celeste fans now is: will these affect the striker’s performance during their upcoming friendlies and even during their Copa America campaign?
History
Since 2009, these teams have been neck-and-neck in terms of their head-to-head record. In six games since 2009, Costa Rica have won two, while Uruguay have also won two and drawn twice to boot.
Their last three matches have been split down the middle as well, with both teams winning one game and drawing once to keep the record even.
In recent form, Costa Rica have won two straight games against El Salvador and Honduras, but they were abruptly stopped in their tracks with a 3-1 loss against the 2022 World Cup champions Argentina. Uruguay, on the other hand, claimed three straight wins to end their World Cup qualification matches but struggled with injuries during the last international break, drawing with Basque and falling short against Ivory Coast.
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