VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed this week that defender Kendall Waston and striker Darren Mattocks have been called up to their respective national teams for upcoming matches in the fourth round of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Waston's Costa Rican national team is grouped together with Mattocks and his Jamaican national side. On Friday, November 13, Costa Rica hosts Haiti at Estadio Nacional in San José, while Jamaica faces Panama at Independence Park in Kingston. Four days later, both of Waston's and Mattocks' teams will be on the road as Costa Rica visits Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, while Jamaica takes on Haiti at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince.
Waston and Mattocks will be away on international duty during the FIFA international break and will not miss any action with Whitecaps FC.
With three senior international caps under his belt, Waston most recently suited up for Los Ticos when he played the full 90 minutes in the international friendly versus the United States last October 13. His two other appearances for the Costa Rican national side came in a 1-0 friendly win over Canada on May 28, 2013, and a 1-0 World Cup Qualifier win over Honduras on June 7, 2013.
The 27-year old centre back was also named to the Central American outfit’s provisional roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Waston previously featured for Costa Rica at the youth level, playing at both the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Waston was voted the 2015 Whitecaps FC BMO Player of the Year and selected as a finalist for 2015 MLS Defender of the Year. He finished the regular season second in the league in aerials won (121), fourth in clearances with 193 (133 of them are headed, second most in MLS), 15th in duels won (183), 13th in interceptions (112), and tied for 11th in blocks (21), while contributing two goals.
Mattocks will be looking to extend his goal-scoring streak in World Cup Qualifying action after finding the net in each of the two legs of the third round series versus Nicaragua last September. The 2012 MLS SuperDraft pick also figured in the score sheet in Jamaica's historic 2-1 CONCACAF Gold Cup win over the United States and the subsequent loss to Mexico in the tournament final last July. In total, the Portmore, Jamaica native has made 33 appearances in senior international play, most recently in the friendly versus South Korea on October 13, and has tallied 12 goals for his country.
The speedy 25-year old striker is the career scoring leader among active Whitecaps FC players with 19 goals in 93 regular season appearances. He has scored three goals in MLS play this season, including the April 18 match-winner at Real Salt Lake. Mattocks most recently found the net in the 2-2 draw at Montreal Impact in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship on August 12 and also assisted on the match-winner in the 1-0 win versus C.D. Olimpia in CONCACAF Champions League action on September 16.
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