Welcome to the new CONCACAF classic. A few decades ago, football matches between the national teams of Mexico and Costa Rica were the most exciting in the region. The strong development of Major League Soccer in the United States and its national team gave way to Mexico vs. U.S. as an interesting alternative. It only took a snowy day in Colorado earlier this year to crown the new CONCACAF classic: Costa Rica vs. U.S.

The new classic is not due entirely to the extreme climate conditions that day and the three points lost by Costa Rica. The teams are the reason this is the new CONCACAF classic. Both teams feature world-class rosters and excellent players, particularly when it comes to their offensive lineups. Friday, September 6^th, promises to be a challenging day for the defensive players and goalkeepers of both teams thanks to what promises to be an impressive display of attacks.

The U.S. will rely on the triple threat of Donovan as playmaker with Dempsey and Altidore as executioners. Costa Rica will rely on the explosiveness of Campbell, the maturity of Ruiz and the strength of Saborio when it comes to shots on goal. Both Alvaro Saborio and Jozy Altidore are world-class strikers feared by opposing teams, and all eyes will be on these two players this Friday because they both have the power to light up the Chinese-donated National Stadium of Costa Rica.

This is how Saborio and Altidore match-up:

Alvaro Saborio – Costa Rica

Born: March 25, 1982 in Ciudad Quesada, province of Alajuela

Current team: Real Salt Lake, Major League Soccer (U.S.)

Advantage: Saborio has been one of the most important players in the National Football Team of Costa Rica in recent times. With his first professional football team, current First Division leader Deportivo Saprissa, Saborio scored almost 100 goals in five years. Most sports analysts agree that Saborio could have a cumulative 500 goals if he had stayed in Costa Rica instead of going abroad.

It is easy to describe Saborio’s style of play: He is constantly on the lookout for scoring opportunities and he takes chances when he sees them. He is all about shots on goal at any distance from the box and is not shy about muscling his way in for headers. He is not shy on the assists, but he often prefers to explore goals opportunities on his own.

Disadvantage: Saborio has amassed a prodigious army of haters in Costa Rica, and he seems to be sensitive in this regard. Haters are always there to remind him of the missed goals and flubbed penalty kicks in CONCACAF games. When Sabo is confident, he is definitely on; but, when haters pounce on him, he tends to lose that confidence and fails to see opportunities orchestrated by wingers.

Jozy Altidore – U.S.

Born: November 6, 1989 in Livingston, New Jersey

Current team: Sunderland, Premier League (U.K.)

Advantage: In the last few games played by the U.S. national football team, Altidore has been on fire. He has scored in the last five games, and he seems to be getting warmed up. His weapons are speed and strength, and he dominates in the air. He seems to enjoy dribbling the ball past defenders all the way in, but he is not always successful in this regard. He makes excellent use of assists, particularly when they come from super-smart players such as Donovan.

Disadvantage: Luckily for the national team players in Costa Rica, Altidore is not at 100 percent for Friday. He has been medically cleared after a hamstring injury, and he is holding one yellow card. Tico defenders plan to neutralize Altidore and test his patience during the game, but the key is to not let him get any services from Donovan.