Costa Rica makes three roster changes for Gold Cup

July 2, 2009

CARSON, California – Costa Rica won’t have the services of Andy Furtado, Christian Bolanos or Michael Umana at the Gold Cup, replacing them on its roster with Josimar Arias, Warren Granados and Pablo Salazar.

The Costa Rican federation late last week announced that Furtado’s “A” sample had tested positive for a banned substance during the Costa Rican league finals, while Bolanos wasn’t released by his club team, IK Start of Norway, and Umana sprained a left knee ligament June 27 against Venezuela.

Furtado has scored two goals in three games for Costa Rica during its World Cup qualifying bid, helping them to the top of the CONCACAF final round standings at its midpoint.

“The whole situation is unfortunate but we have to apply the FIFA regulations and doping regulations and there’s not very much we can do,” Costa Rican football federation General Secretary Joseph Ramirez said.

The circumstances deal a blow to Los Ticos’ hopes of winning its first Gold Cup and potentially its World Cup qualifying chances.

Manager Rodrigo Kenton also will have to adjust to the loss of Bolanos and Umana as his squad heads into its Gold Cup opener against El Salvador on Friday.

Kenton called on Bolanos, who expressed interest in playing, but the club refused to release him claiming Bolanos didn’t want to participate in the Gold Cup.

That prompted Costa Rica to drop Bolanos and send a complaint to FIFA.

“We are in the final stretch and it’s not a good time for a club to start acting in this way particularly for the players,” Ramirez said. “The coaching staff is going to figure out who’s going to play and is going to participate in the World Cup, so it’s matter of opportunities and priorities.”

Despite the changes, particularly the loss of Furtado, Kenton has no plan to alter his team’s style of play heading into the Gold Cup.

“We go with the same approach to all the different teams, be it El Salvador, USA or Mexico,” Kenton said. “We try to have a pattern and style and we don’t change it depending on the opponent. We always continue straight and want consistency and keep the same rhythm and the same speed.”

By Vijay Setlur

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Tags: Andy Furtado, arias, California, CARSON, carson california, christian bolanos, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Costa Rica, El Salvador, federation general, final stretch, football federation, general secretary, gold cup, good time, Joseph Ramirez, josimar, june 27, knee ligament, left knee, los ticos, Manager Rodrigo Kenton, Mexico, Michael Umana, midpoint, pablo salazar, rodrigo, roster, three games, USA, venezuela, Warren Granados, World Cup

Furtado scores two, Costa Rica beats Panama 3-0 in Central American Nations Cup

January 25, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Andy Furtado scored twice in the first 15 minutes and Costa Rica beat Panama 3-0 on Friday, opening its bid for a fourth straight Central American Nations Cup title.

Alvaro Sanchez also scored for Costa Rica, which has won three times more titles in the Copa de Naciones Digicel de UNCAF, six, than any other nation.

Panama took the initiative from the kickoff, testing the Costa Rican defense and goalkeeper Kellor Navas. But on Costa Rica’s first serious foray in the eighth minute, Carlos Johnson’s ball found Furtado, who at the top of the penalty area turned inside and unleashed a low left-footed shot inside the right post.

Furtado doubled the lead seven minutes later, running on to a back-heeled ball from Josimar Arias on the right side of the area, and sending a low ball from the edge of the 6-yard box past Panamanian keeper Jaime Penedo and inside the far post.

The Ticos never appeared seriously threatened and added another goal when Sanchez dribbled across the face of the goal before turning to shoot left-footed from just beyond the 6-yard box in the 55th.

Costa Rica, which won all six of its games in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying, is playing the UNCAF cup without several of its regulars with the final round of World Cup qualifying due to begin February 11 against Honduras.

Costa Rica can assure itself of a place in the semifinals and berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday with a draw against Guatemala. Panama will face Guatemala on Tuesday to complete the Group B schedule.

The UNCAF cup was to resume Saturday with Belize playing El Salvador and host Honduras facing Nicaragua.

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