After four consecutive matches against the best teams from Europe and South America, the U.S. Men’s National Team will face off against Costa Rica on Groundhog’s Day, February 2nd, 2019, in the U.S. at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California. With Costa Rica looking to continue their momentum from last year, and the U.S. hoping to start strong in this important series, it’s a match fans are looking forward to.
The regional rivalry will be televised on both Univision and FS1 for fans to follow. The event time is yet to be determined, as is the replacement for U.S. Men’s National Team coach Dave Sarachan. Also in question is whether or not we will see composed and talented midfielder Tyler Adams play in the match against Costa Rica, which can lead to changes in the odds as seen on sites like BettingTop10. Tyler Adams has been an integral part of rebuilding the USMNT following their failed bid for a World Cup spot in 2018.
This friendly match is part of a series leading up to the 2019 Gold Cup. The Gold Cup begins the 2022 World Cup cycle. This will be the second match in the annual January Camp (the first match is yet to be named). The U.S. / Costa Rica match occurs outside a FIFA international window, meaning the teams are not required to release players’ names ahead of time. January Camp will be the as-yet-unnamed new coach’s first opportunity to judge the strength of players in the pool.
The U.S. and Costa Rica have met on 37 previous occasions with an overall record of 14-17-6. This 38th match will happen on the anniversary of the 0-2 U.S. victory over Costa Rica at the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup final. Far from a blow out, that celebrated match remained scoreless for 71 minutes. The two goals went in within the next ten minutes, one a result of a free kick. The history of these two teams, not the least of which includes that last Concacaf Gold Cup meet up, will certainly add a dose of passion to the February 2nd match.
The last time the USMNT was in San Jose, they celebrated a solid 6-0 victory over Honduras. The U.S. is unbeaten at the San Jose stadium, with a 3-0-2 record. While questions remain, such as who will coach and whether Tyler Adams will take the field, there is no question that the game will provide plenty of action and thrills for fans on both sides.
