BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (June 6, 2019) – Chicago Fire Soccer Club defender Francisco Calvo has been named to Costa Rica’s national team for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Calvo, 26, and Costa Rica will open group play against Nicaragua on June 16 at 7:30 p.m. CT at the National Stadium of Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica. The team will then travel to the United States for a game against Bermuda on June 20 at 8:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. On June 24, the team will wrap up the group stage with a match against Haiti on June 24 at 8:00 p.m. CT at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
Calvo has earned 46 caps for Costa Rica since making his senior team debut in 2011. During the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, he started in five straight matches for Costa Rica, helping to lead the team to a semifinal appearance against the U.S. Men’s National Team. The defender also featured in two matches for his home country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, starting and playing the full 90 minutes against Serbia before notching an appearance against Brazil in the Ticos’ second match of the tournament.
The 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup will kick off on Saturday, June 15, at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and is set to be the biggest-ever edition of the event, with more participating nations (16 up from 12 in 2017), more host countries (three, including first-time matches in Costa Rica and Jamaica), and more stadiums (17 up from 14 in 2017, eight of which are in contention to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup), including Chicago's Soldier Field, which will host the tournament final on July 7.
