Gold Cup: What’s It Like Training In Costa Rica
[Written by Don Burgess]
Bermuda’s players are enjoying the top class training facilities in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Yesterday, while Haiti was training on a soggy grass field with a few mud patches and hour away from the Estadio Nacional in San Jose, Bermuda were playing on the hybrid grass/astro turf pitch at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, home to one of the two most popular clubs in Costa Rica – Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.
The club’s nickname is La Liga, and they play in the Primera Division de Costa Rica. It is one of two clubs to have never been relegated, a marvelous accomplishment considering the club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
It has won the Costa Rican National championship 29 times, two Concacaf Champions League titles, and three Copa Interclubes UNCAFS.
They are also the first club in the world to reach 100 points in any national league when they scored 102 points in 1998, a feat they have now done three times.
Bermuda player Osagi Bascome told Bernews the club’s facilities are “amazing! We can’t complain a bit. Just to be training in stadiums like this that hold so many people “is amazing.”
Teammate Donte Brangman, the goal hero from the Guyana match, added that the facilities are great saying “there are great people around getting us going and I couldn’t ask for better.”
Bermuda’s team includes Nahki Wells, Dante Leverock, Jonte Smith, Reggie Lambe, Dale Eve, Oliver Jalen Harvey, Calon Minors, Roger Lee, Kacy Milan Butterfield, Jaylon Bather, Lejaun Simmons, Donte Brangman, Chikosi Basden, Zeiko Lewis, Willie Clemons, Jahquil Hill, Osagi Bascome, Cecoy Robinson, Justin Donawa, Wendell Tre Ming, Liam Evans, Marco Warren, and Quinaceo Hunt.
The Gombey Warriors will take on Haiti on June 16th in Costa Rica, then Costa Rica on June 20th in Dallas, and then match up against Nicaragua on June 24th in New Jersey, and in an effort to provide comprehensive coverage of Bermuda’s debut in this highly prestigious regional competition, Bernews has a dedicated reporter traveling with the team in order to bring all the latest action and insights, with the special coverage thanks to the support of Butterfield & Vallis, One Communications, and Bermuda Security Group.
If you want additional coverage, please feel free to join Bernews new Sports Facebook group, where our traveling reporter is providing daily updates and some ‘behind the scenes’ coverage.
