Costa Rica coach Ronald Gonzalez turned 41 on Monday 8 August, more than half of those years were spent creating an exciting and successful way in football. As a player, he was part of the golden generation of Ticos, who played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy under the wily Bora Milutinovic, a mentor who had a significant influence on her only foal time.
And even if he is the youngest of the team responsible for FIFA U-20 World Cup this year, Gonzalez is currently working to control his eleventh match the entire event, an undertaking that he would see in a top ten young coaches considered which includes such illustrious names such as José Pekerman Inaki Saez, Victor and Carlos Queiroz pua mm.
But the battle on Tuesday is not just a statistic, because the Americans against the power plant in Colombia, the host country and one of the leading candidates for the U-20 crown. On paper, the collision an uneven look to it: Los Cafeteros fled with the group A, collecting nine points in nine, while the Costa Ricans finished third in Group C with a win and two losses to show for their efforts.
We have to show a better organization, initiative and concentration that have done so far.
Costa Rica coach Ronald Gonzalez
"We achieved our main objective, though certainly not happy with the results so far," Gonzalez told FIFA.com. "Losing twice as strong as it was not part of our plan, so I was pretty bored. But this is done and dusted now. The group stage is over and now we have to take the game to Colombia, because our goal is go as far as possible, "continued the former international defender.
How it intends to proceed against the hosts? ! "Good question," he exclaimed, and added: "No team has already done, so we will not be easy to demonstrate a better organization, initiative and concentration that we have done so far We must also improve our finish ..."
The lesson of history subjects
If the Colombian fans thought that the outcome of the next 16 throughout the match was inevitable, you might have to revise their views on Tuesday nights, if Gonzalez's attitude is anything to go by. Milutinovic learned many things, including the ability to contemplate defeat any opponent, regardless of size.
"21 years ago, Bora said that the game of football is only eleven men against eleven players and say the same thing. Teams have narrowed the differences, there is a much more level playing field these days c ' is really no secrets, and is very. easy to learn and obtain information about the opponents, "he said.
To prove that the theory does not trust the Serbian strategist, just look what happened at the same time Cup 2009 FIFA U-20 World, such as Costa Rica, after the authority Gonzalez, were hosts Egypt in Cairo. Fans, press and media, both predicted a comfortable victory for the home team at the last meeting-16, but Los Ticos drew a fine 2-0 win and went on to reach the semi-finals.