For the first time since 2017, the U.S. Men’s National team will return to Rio Tinto Stadium when it hosts Costa Rica in a friendly match (5:00 p.m. MT; ESPN2, Univision, TUDN) in its last scheduled match prior to the commencement of this summer’s Gold Cup.
On Sunday, the USMNT claimed a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over Mexico in the inaugural Nations League Final in Denver, Colorado by fielding the youngest starting lineup in a tournament final in its history with an average age of 24 years and 206 days. The victory also marked the USMNT’s first trophy since the 2017 Gold Cup.
Wednesday’s contest against the Ticos will be the second meeting between the two teams on Utah soil following a contest in 2006 that saw the Stars and Stripes claim a 3-0 victory. All-time the United States carries a 17-16-6 record over Costa Rica since the teams first met in August 1975. Costa Rica and the USA will meet twice during the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The USMNT will host the Central Americans in October before the Ticos return the favor on the final Match Day of the competition in March 2022.
Real Salt Lake’s 20-year-old goalkeeper David Ochoa remains in camp with the U.S. and has yet to feature with during the nearly three-week camp where it has faced Switzerland, Honduras and Mexico during the international window thus far. Ochoa is still seeking his first cap with the senior national team having played previously with the U-17, U-20 and U-23 national teams in the past.
Tickets to the match are still available by visiting RSL.com or by calling 844.REAL.TIX (844-732-5849).
