MARGAO: Costa Rica, after years of staying in the shadows of the USA and Mexico, finally has a prominent presence in the world of football. With their resurgence in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and goalkeeper Keylor Navas becoming a star at Real Madrid, the nation is nurturing a number of talented footballers.
At the U-17 World Cup here, Costa Rica seems to have come with the motto of developing players.
With the senior team having already confirmed qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they need to have a bench ready looking ahead to 2022. There is no better way than developing the young U-17 team. But, you also need an example like Navas in the senior team.
The prospect they have is their captain, Jose Alfaro. He may look like a calm teenager playing for his country, but he is captain for a reason. He is Costa Rica’s rising star. Back home, they call him Costa Rica’s Luis Figo, for similarity in style of play.
“It’s true that they call me ‘Figuito’ or Luis Figo of Costa Rica. The one who called me that was my coach at my club AD Carmelita, Guilherme Farinha. He says I have the same playing style as Figo’s. I take that as a great compliment. It’s an honour. I have to work very hard to play even slightly like him.”
Farinha may not have been woefully wrong in his assessment. Watch highlights of Alfaro and you can figure out why. At 17, he has already made senior team debut for his club, AD Carmelita, in the Costa Rican premier division. In his limited time off the bench, Alfaro has impressed fans. Against Deportivo Saprissa, he made his debut and in the 10 minutes he got, he nutmegged two players, ran down the right, and chipped in a pass.
Alfaro believes the game-time for the senior club team will help him get better in the U-17 World Cup. Against Germany, he had an average game but he is still developing. “Playing time was extremely helpful for development. I made it to the national team and it’s an honour to be the captain in a World Cup. It’s a dream come true. But I need to work hard to develop my skills,” he said.
He already has Ricardo Cabanas, who also represents Navas, to represent him. With a big agent helping him out, he also has a chance to impress scouts from different clubs. “National team comes first and I’m fully focused on that. But the presence of scouts from big clubs motivates me. It’s great to know you are being watched,” he said.
krishnendu@newindianexpress.com