SCOTLAND v COSTA RICA
Scotshave bigHearts
SCOTLAND kick off their Euro Under-19s Elite Round group today with a daunting encounter against hosts Germany.
But boss Donald Park insists there’s no way his talented group of kids will be overawed by the occasion this evening in Lippstadt.
Scotland’s kids will have to top a group that contains the Germans, Holland and Norway to make this summer’s finals in Finland.
Park has included 13 Old Firm players out of his 20-man squad and the likes of new Rangers signing Glenn Middleton, Celtic striker Jack Aitchison and Everton playmaker Fraser Hornby will be vital to their hopes.
The young Scots recently beat both Denmark and Austria in warm-up friendlies for the Elite Round and the former Hibs and Hearts coach is confident his lads will be up for the task.
Park said: “I don’t think any team in our group will run away with this. It could be a tight group.
“All the lads can’t wait to play Germany in their homeland. It will be a great experience for them and I can assure you no one in our team thinks we are going to make up the numbers.
“If you look at the squad we have a lot of players who have had first-team experience at big clubs.
“It’s all about developing and about how the young players get to the next level.
“But we’ll go over to Germany with a strong squad to do well.”
Scotland qualified for the Elite Round on the back of a win against Luxembourg, draw with Armenia and narrow defeat to Czech Republic. SCOTLAND Under-17 manager Brian McLaughlin insists with Hearts pair Harry Cochrane and Anthony McDonald in tow his kids can live up to expectations.
Midfielder Cochrane, 16, and winger McDonald, 17, have returned for the Euro Elite Round in Greece.
Scotland begin their quest to reach this summer’s finals in England with a clash against the hosts today.
And McLaughlin said: “I’m so glad Craig Levein allowed these two boys to come and the take part. I know they’ll perform.” of his kid pulling on a dark blue shirt one day.Cristian and wife Melissa have been so impressed by life in Scotland since the right-back moved to Parkhead in August 2016 from West Brom that it is almost an adopted country.
The Hoops defender has also lived in Norway, Denmark and England after leaving Central America eight years ago to make his career in Europe.
And while Gamboa and his Costa Rica team-mates are very much on a high as they wait for a World Cup summer of dreams – which will include a date with Brazil – the clash with the Scots at Hampden is the first vital step in the preparations for the finals in Russia.
Four years ago Costa Rica were a huge hit in Brazil by reaching the quarter-finals after topping a group that contained Italy, England and Uruguay.
But when the Costa Ricans stunned Scotland 1-0 in the first match of the 1990 finals no one had heard of them.
Gamboa said: “Our coach now, Oscar Ramirez, was in that team. He always remembered that game because back then Scotland was one of the best teams in Europe. Nobody thought Costa Rica had a chance and we beat them to finish second in the group and reach the last 16.
“I was only a year old when those finals were played but the people in Costa Rica always remember the team. That was the first time we’d reached the finals. We also qualified in 2002.
“The 1990 side are our famous team but we made history too by reaching the quarter-finals in 2014.
“I’ve been in Scotland almost two years and, as a country, you really get to appreciate everything.
“Especially at a club like Celtic where everyone helps you. You feel very welcome. My wife Melissa and I love it here. Especially the countryside.
“One of my kids was born
My son is ‘Scottish Costa Rican’ and I will always have Scotland in my heart
here in Glasgow. “So Julian is ‘Scottish Costa Rican’ and wherever I go I will have this piece of Scotland in my heart. “Julian is almost two years old. And Felipe is five. So the boys are raised in Glasgow. Maybe Julian could play for Scotland one day. That would be good if he was chosen. You never know in football.” Gamboa played in all five of Costa Rica’s glory run of games in 2014 before Holland cruelly ended the dreams of the little nation of just 4.85million people in a last-eight penalty shoot-out. And the 28-year-old reckons the football big boys took their eye