ARLINGTON, Texas — With eyes set on reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, Costa Rica and Canada are wary of each other’s abilities ahead of their meeting on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“It will be a game where both teams have nothing to lose, they can put it all on the line,” Canada head coach John Herdman said. “With Costa Rica, I think they're an experienced team. They've got a core of players that know how to fight together, who have been to some big competitions and big tournament scenes in football. We've got a bit of a balance in there of young players that [for them] this is their first experience and [they are] guys that are desperate to take this team to the next level.”
Costa Rica head coach Luis Fernando Suarez, who reached the semifinals in the 2011 and 2013 editions as the head coach of Honduras, shares the same respect for Canada.
“It will be a very difficult game,” said Suarez. “It is a very aggressive team. It is a team that is constantly pressing. Their high pressure is very good. An orderly team. They have density in attack. They attack you with four or five, they are very fast so you have to be very careful.”
Under Suarez, Los Ticos are having one of their best Gold Cup defensive campaigns with just two goals allowed. Oscar Duarte, part of the clean sheet performance against Jamaica, thinks the unity in the team has helped to be solid in the back.
“Not only defenders defend,” Duarte told Concacaf.com. “I think the most important thing is the group. I think the group is very strong. I think that if we all put forth individually what we know and our abilities, I think we will do better.”
Maxime Crepeau knows the Costa Rica attack will also be a challenge, but the Canadian goalkeeper says the tournament is theirs for the taking.
“In the group stage it was a few games that you would have seen a team dominate the other one and it's the opposite way now,” said Crepeau. “It's everyone's cup, and every team has some quality, every team can hurt their opponent.”
