USMNT continues Copa America Centenario vs. Costa Rica on Tuesday

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Men’s National Team faces regional rival Costa Rica in a critical match on Tuesday as Group A action continues in the 2016 Copa America Centenario. Kickoff from Soldier Field in Chicago is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on FS1, UniMAS, and UDN.

Both teams will push for three points in match that will go a long way in determining their chances of advancement to the knockout phase. Following the defeat to third-ranked Colombia, the United States needs a result. While the Costa Ricans took a point from its 0-0 draw in the opener against Paraguay, they still have the high-powered Colombians on the horizon.

The U.S. hasn’t lost to Costa Rica at home in an official competition since 1989 – a span of 15 matches. That includes a pair of 1-0 shutouts in 2013, starting with Clint Dempsey’s game-winner in the Snow Clasico in Denver during World Cup Qualifying in March, followed by a Brek Shea strike that kept the U.S. on the path to the 2013 Gold Cup title.

MNT COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO ROSTER: The U.S. roster is loaded with experience, boasting 14 players from the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad and a total of 18 who have already appeared in Qualifying for Russia 2018. Veterans like team captain Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey marshal the group that has collected an average of 37 caps. There are five players with 50 or more and an equal number with five or less. Meantime, John Brooks, Bobby Wood and DeAndre Yedlin lead a youth contingent that includes five players who are 23-years-old or younger.

U.S. Roster by Position :

GOALKEEPERS (3) : 1-Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), 12-Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), 22-Ethan Horvath (Molde IK)

DEFENDERS (8) : 5-Matt Besler (Sporting KC), 3-Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), 6-John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), 20-Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), 21-Edgar Castillo (Monterrey), 23-Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 14-Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)

MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (12) : 15-Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), 11-Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), 8-Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), 13-Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), 16-Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), 10-Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), 17-Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), 18-Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), 7-Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV), 20-Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), 19-Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)

MNT IN COPA NOTES:

• The U.S. deployed a 4-3-3 formation in the opener against Colombia: Guzan, Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson; Bedoya, Bradley (capt.), Jones; Zardes, Dempsey, Wood
• Brooks earned Budweiser Man of the Match honors
• Bedoya received a yellow card in the 57^th minute. The next yellow card would result in one-match suspension
• Bradley and Zardes are tied for the team lead with seven caps this year

GROUP A STANDINGS

USA ROSTER NOTES:

• A total of 14 players were part of the team that reached the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup: Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Chris Wondolowski, DeAndre Yedlin and Graham Zusi all played important minutes in Brazil while Brad Guzan was the always reliable backup at goalkeeper.
• MLS and the German domestic leagues predominately make up the 23 players on this roster. 12 players feature in MLS and five players participate in either the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga. In addition, three players hail from the English Premier League.
• Clint Dempsey is the leading cap-winner on the roster with 125 appearances. His 49 career goals are good for second on the USA’s all-time scoring list.
• Bobby Wood finished the 2. Bundesliga season with 17 league goals for Union Berlin, setting a single-season record for a U.S. international in Germany. His performance led to a May 15 transfer to Hamburg SV in the German Bundesliga.
• Brad Guzan boasts a 10-5-4 record in official competition for the United States, which includes matches in World Cup Qualifying, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the Gold Cup and Copa America.
• Fabian Johnson completed the Bundesliga campaign with Borussia Monchengladbach with six goals, including two in the Champions League. ‘Gladbach finished the season in fourth place and earned a spot in Champions League qualifying for next year.
• Alejandro Bedoya finished the second half of the Ligue 1 season with four goals and two assists for Nantes.
• Geoff Cameron completed the year with 30 appearances for Stoke City, helping the club finish in the top half of the Premier League.
• DeAndre Yedlin capped off a successful loan spell at Sunderland by helping the Black Cats retain their place in the Premier League. Having spent 237 days in the relegation zone, the team secured another year in the top flight on the second-to-last matchday of the season.
• After extending his contract with Hertha Berlin, John Brooks dealt with nagging injuries at the end of the campaign. The capital club finished in seventh place, meaning the road to the Europa League will begin with qualifying in late July.
• Tim Howard joins the squad after having played his final match as a member of Everton. Having ended his 10-year career at the club, he will join the Colorado Rapids following the Copa America Centenario.
• Kyle Beckerman has played in six competitions for the senior team. He and Guzan are the only two players on the roster to have participated in a previous Copa America, having played in the 2007 edition.
• Jermaine Jones is back in the U.S. fold after a fine run of form with his new club. Since joining the Rapids, he has tallied three goals in seven games.
• Chris Wondolowski sits in fourth place on the MLS scoring charts this season, his seven goals are just one behind the league leaders.
• Gyasi Zardes recorded a team-high 19 appearances in 2015, tying Claudio Reyna for the most appearances by a U.S. player in his debut year.
• Christian Pulisic is the youngest player in the squad at 17 years old. He made his senior team debut in the 4-0 win against Guatemala in World Cup Qualifying in March. After breaking into Dortmund’s first team in January, he scored against Hamburg in April, becoming the fourth youngest player to score a Bundesliga goal. He also made three appearances in Dortmund’s run to the Europa League quarterfinals.
• Steve Birnbaum has earned four of his five career caps this year. His first career goal proved to be the game-winner in the 3-2 victory against Iceland, then he earned his first World Cup Qualifying start against Guatemala in Columbus.
• Perry Kitchen made the most of his winter move to Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League, appearing in all 10 of the club’s league matches following his arrival in March.
• Sporting KC and Colorado Rapids each send two players to the squad, both World Cup veteran duos in Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, and Howard and Jones.
• The United States has played six games in 2016, and seven of the 10 USA scorers are on the roster.
• Five players from the state of California are on the roster: Birnbaum, Michael Orozco, Wondolowski, Wood and Zardes.

USA-COSTA RICA CONNECTIONS

• The players on the MNT roster are no strangers to Tuesday’s opponents, as 17 of them have played at least once against the Ticos since 2011. Geoff Cameron, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones and Michael Orozco each have three games under their belt.
• Clint Dempsey is the lone goalscorer against Costa Rica on this roster. The second of his two career goals against them came in his 100^th appearance for the United States, a 3-1 defeat at their National Stadium during qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
• Brad Guzan earned a clean sheet in the Snowclasico. Altidore, Cameron and Jones also contributed to the win.
• The United States is 13-14-6 all-time against Costa Rica. All 13 wins have come on U.S. soil.
• In addition to their snow experience, the Costa Ricans probably haven’t forgotten Jonathan Bornstein’s 95th minute header in the last game of Final Round Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It propelled the U.S. to a first-place finish in CONCACAF and made Bornstein a national hero in Honduras by giving them the third automatic bid to South Africa while sending Costa Rica to a playoff, which it would lose to Uruguay.
• Several of the players suit up against each other in MLS. Defender Ronald Matarrita plays for New York City FC. The Vancouver Whitecaps send Kendall Waston and Christian Bolaños, while fellow Canadian club Montreal Impact contributes Johan Venegas. Finally, D.C. United and former Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio has 35 international goals in a 14-year career.

COSTA RICA UPDATE
The Costa Ricans earned praise on the international stage following their performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarterfinal stage for the first time in history. Reaching as high as No. 16 in the world rankings, increasingly Costa Rican players are finding success in Europe.

Led by head coach Oscar Ramirez, a legendary Costa Rican player who is no stranger to Copa America having played in the 1997 edition, the Ticos now have high expectations from their supporters. A scoreless draw against Paraguay in their opener has left them in a precarious spot, having to face the tournament hosts as well group favorite Colombia. They will do so without defensive stalwart Kendall Waston, who was shown a red card in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Costa Rica Roster by Position

GOALKEEPERS (3): Dany Carvajal (Saprissa, CRC), Leonel Moreira (Herediano, CRC), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense, CRC)

DEFENDERS (9): Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense, CRC), Francisco Calvo (Saprissa, CRC), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol, ESP), Cristian Gamboa (West Bromwich Albion, ENG), Ronald Matarrita (New York City FC, USA), Bryan Oviedo (Everton, ENG), José Salvatierra (Alajuelense, CRC), Michael Umaña (Persepolis, IRN), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CAN)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Randall Azofeifa (Herediano, CRC), Christian Bolaños (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CAN), Joel Campbell (Arsenal, ENG), Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruña, ESP), Esteban Granados (Herediano, CRC), Bryan Ruiz (Sporting Lisbon, POR), Yeltsin Tejeda (Évian Thonon Gaillard, FRA), Johan Venegas (Montreal Impact, CAN)

FORWARDS (3): Álvaro Saborio (D.C. United, USA), Marco Ureña (Midtjylland, DEN), Johnny Woodly (Deportivo Carmelita, CRC)