Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Bryan Ruiz (L) celebrates a goal with team mates during their 2014 World Cup round of 16 game against Greece at the Pernambuco arena in Recife June 29, 2014. Reuters/Yves Herman

Costa Rica will face Jamaica tonight at the StubHub Center at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Ticos enter to the 2015 Gold Cup as the highest ranked side in the confederation as 14th overall by FIFA and will start one of the favorites along with USA and Mexico. However, Costa Rica fall to Honduras at the quarterfinals stage the two previous tournaments. After Jamaica, Los Ticos will face El Salvador July 11 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas and Canada on July 14 at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada to complete group B.

Captain Bryan Ruiz says Costa Rica opener against Jamaica perhaps will be the most crucial match of its Gold Cup campaign at the Central American champion seeks a winning start.

In July 2013 the JFF announced Winfried Schafer as Head Coach for the continuity of the 2014 World Cup qualifications campaign. The JFF continued changing their technical staff following the resignation of Alfredo Modesto as Technical Director. However, Jamaica won the Caribbean Cup in November and qualified for the Copa America. So Jamaica appeared at the 2015 Copa America in Chile last month as an invited team. The team was eliminated after losing all three of its group matches, 1-0 to Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

For Group B Costa Rica is favorite to win despite their lofty ranking, Los Ticos are not exactly coming into the tournament riding high. They’ve lost three and drawn two in their last five. But manager Paulo Wanchope, a legendary former striker for Costa Rica, who successes Jorge Pinto after the World Cup, said facing that tough competitions has engendered confidence in the group.

Prediction are 3-1 favorite Costa Rica

Live stream the games at: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, UniMas, Univision.com

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