Not many football fans had Costa Rica players in their fantasy team of the World Cup. But after a rousing display propelled the team into a quarterfinal match against the Netherlands, some of the players are emerging as world class.
“We have shocked the world,” midfielder Christian Bolanos said after Sunday’s penalty-shootout victory over Greece in which Costa Rica played almost an hour with only ten men. “Now the world has to respect us.”
It’s not only fantasy football teams that will want the bright new stars on their roster. From Barcelona to Borussia Dortmund, and from Manchester to Madrid the highly paid scouts of the football world will be casting an eye on the Costa Rican heroes.
Top of their shopping list is probably Keylor Navas, who along with Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers at the tournament.
Both can be picked up relatively cheaply. Ochoa is a free agent and Navas reportedly has an 8-million-Euro release clause in his contract with Spanish side Levante.
That has alerted the likes of Barcelona, Madrid, and Porto, as well as Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton, all of whom are on the look out for goalkeeping reinforcements. Bryan Ruiz, the Costa Rica captain, who scored his side’s goal against Greece with a sublime finish from the edge of the box, will also see his reputation soar following the tournament. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder is currently on the books of Fulham, but was loaned out to PSV Eindhoven for the second half of last season in which Fulham were relegated from the English premier league.
In his three seasons at Fulham he struggled to make a sustained impact and his future in club football is uncertain. But after showing the world what he can do by leading his team to victories over Italy, Uruguay and Greece on the biggest stage, there will surely be a line of top managers looking for his signature.
Young Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell is also hoping that his performances in Brazil will boost his club fortunes. The 22-year-old striker signed for Arsenal in 2011, but apparently never made much of an impression on Arsene Wenger.
He has not played a single minute for the Gunners’ first team and was loaned to Lorient in France and Real Betis in Spain before a spell at Olympiakos in Greece.
In fact, his only appearance in England to date came for the Greek side last season, when he played against Manchester United in a Champions League last-16 tie in March.
“Joel really wants to go back to Arsenal and play,” said Paulo Wanchope, the former Derby, West Ham and Manchester City striker, who is now assistant manager of the national team. “I told him that the only way to do that was by performing well on the pitch at this World Cup. He has done well, but he can perform even better. Arsene Wenger is watching him.” Campbell is not alone in seeing the World Cup as an audition for club success.
“I know for sure that a few of the players will want to do well and end up in the Premier League,” added Wanchope. “I know that the players want to impress the world.”
