Costa Rica and Nicaragua’s rivalry will be revived today in the soccer field, as “La Sele” measures up against their northern neighbor in a match part of the Central American Soccer Cup (UNCAF) and where both teams expect to qualify to the Gold Cup.

Nicaragua’s head coach, Henry Duarte, is actually Costa Rican, he has directed the Central American team since 2014 with good results. Under his direction, Nicaragua managed a historic win 3-2 against Jamaica in September 2015.

Historically, when it comes to sports, Nicaragua has excelled in baseball and boxing, but this story began to change after that win over Jamaica; the president, Daniel Ortega, turned his eyes towards this sport and began believing in their local talent and decided to invest in it.  This has raised the level of their players, and has earned them team respect in the region.

Costa Rica and Nicaragua last met in the soccer field in December 2015 in a match that ended with a 1-0 result in favor of Costa Rica.

Duarte has stated to the press that getting a win over Costa Rica would be a huge victory for Nicaragua, “Costa Rica is the team Nicaragua demands we beat”, confirmed Duarte; and he also confirmed his biggest goal is earning the pass to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and for this he will be making some changes in his lineup to prevent injuries prior to facing El Salvador and Belice.

On the other hand, Oscar Ramirez, head coach of “La Sele” will continue to test different strategies, and has said he will present a more offensive team against Nicaragua tonight.

The Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua soccer match will take place in Panama at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium, beginning at 6:30 p.m.