Nagbe may be in U.S. plans vs. Costa Rica

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Anything less than a victory against Costa Rica tonight, and the United States will likely be facing first-round elimination from the Copa America Centenario, a tournament U.S. Soccer hoped would showcase American players and this country as a potential host for the 2026 World Cup.

The Americans, who opened with a lackluster 2-0 loss to world No. 3 Columbia, have a chance to redeem themselves at Soldier Field in Chicago against a familiar foe that will be missing injured Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas and key defender Kendall Waston of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who was red-carded in the Costa Rica’s scoreless tie with Paraguay.

If the U.S. team can get four points between Tuesday’s today’s match and Saturday’s game against Paraguay in Philadelphia, they are it is in good shape to advance.

It remains to be seen whether U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will stick with his lineup from the Colombia match or make some tweaks.

Trailing by two goals in the 66th minute, Klinsmann put in Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic in place of Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. The subs added a spark to the attack, as they had in the tuneup friendlies. Nagbe, 25, led the Portland Timbers to the MLS Cup last season and is an excellent passer who keeps the ball at his feet as well as — if not better than — anyone else on the roster. Nagbe scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Ecuador a few weeks ago, and he completed all 33 of his passes. Pulisic is the 17-year-old wunderkind who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and has pace and poise that bring instant energy when he steps on the field.

There is little question those two players figure into the team’s future. The question is: Does Klinsmann have enough faith in them to start them in a must-win game? Or, will he stick with his veterans and hope they show more creativity and finishing touch than they did against Colombia?

The United States has not lost to Costa Rica on American soil in an official match since 1989, a span of 15 matches, but Costa Rica has won the past two meetings, including a 1-0 victory in a friendly in New Jersey in October.