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SANDY, Utah (Thursday, June 27, 2013) - Real Salt Lake Captain Kyle Beckerman, DF Tony Beltran, GK Nick Rimando and FW Alvaro Saborio have all been called up to next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Beckerman, Beltran and Rimando will report to the U.S. Men's National Team on Sunday, following RSL's Saturday match at Toronto FC. Saborio will depart Salt Lake City to join up with the Costa Rican squad today.
Real Salt Lake fans will have an opportunity to see all four players in action on Saturday July 13, when Rio Tinto Stadium will host a Gold Cup doubleheader featuring a U.S.-Cuba tilt and a Costa Rica-Belize match. A limited number of tickets to the Gold Cup doubleheader are available for purchase at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RioTintoStadium.com/events/gold-cup.php or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup will begin on July 7 and run until July 28. Beckerman, Beltran and Rimando will miss a minimum of two MLS games while at the tournament and Saborio will be gone for at least three league matches. Both the U.S. and Costa Rica are in Group C of the Gold Cup. Group C will kick off the tournament on July 9 in Portland, with the U.S. taking on Belize and Costa Rica taking on Cuba. They will then head to the Wasatch Front for Rio Tinto Stadium's Gold Cup doubleheader on July 13. The U.S. and Costa Rica will close out the Group Stage on July 16, facing off against each other in the Group C finale at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.
Beckerman has 25 appearances for the United States and was called in for the U.S.'s 1-0 World Cup Qualifying win over Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 18. The 31-year-old holding midfielder captained the U.S. in its 0-0 draw against Canada on Jan. 29 in Houston, a game that featured a very similar roster to the group called into the Gold Cup. Called in for the last two games of the U.S.'s recent World Cup Qualifying run, Rimando has six career caps with the U.S. The veteran ‘keeper is one of three goalies on the U.S. roster and will likely start ahead of youngsters Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire) and Bill Hamid (D.C. United) in the Gold Cup.
Beltran has one cap with the U.S. senior national team, starting and playing the first half in the Americans' scoreless draw against Canada on Jan. 29. The 25-year-old fullback was called up to the U.S. for its March World Cup Qualifiers against Costa Rica and at Mexico.
One of Costa Rica's most important players, Saborio captained the Ticos side that qualified for the Gold Cup by winning Copa Centroamericana in January. Now fully healthy, the 31-year-old striker played with Costa Rica during its recent World Cup Qualifying run, coming off the bench while recovering from injury in Costa Rica's 1-0 win over Honduras on June 7 and its 0-0 draw at Mexico on June 11 before playing the full 90 in Los Ticos' 2-0 win over Panama on June 18.
The winner of the 2013 Gold Cup will compete in a playoff with the winner of the 2015 event for the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The U.S. has reached the final of the Gold Cup in five of the last six tournaments, winning three titles. Costa Rica has never won the Gold Cup.
Real Salt Lake will return to action this Saturday, traveling north of the border to take on Toronto FC at BMO Field. The Claret-and-Cobalt has a quick turnaround following this weekend's match, hosting the Philadelphia Union in a fireworks game next Wednesday, July 3 at 8:00 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets are available to next Wednesday's match at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
