VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that centre back Kendall Waston and midfielder Christian Bolaños have been called up to the Costa Rican national team for the fifth and final round of qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also called The Hex.
Waston and Bolaños depart for 10 days to join the Ticos on Sunday, June 4, and return on Wednesday, June 14. The pair will not be missing any Whitecaps FC matches while away on international duty.
Costa Rica currently sit at second place with a 2W-1L-1D record. They host Panama on Thursday, June 8, then Trinidad and Tobago five days later. Both matches will be played at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in Waston's and Bolaños' native city of San Jose.
The duo combined on a second-half equalizer to help the Ticos earn a 1-1 road draw with Honduras in their most recent outing in The Hex.
Waston has now appeared in seven 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers dating back to November 2015. In those matches, the Ticos have posted an undefeated 5W-0L-2D record, including four clean sheets. Bolaños, meanwhile, has appeared in all 10 of Costa Rica’s qualifiers, recording four goals and three assists.
The six teams in The Hex play home-and-away round-robin matches in one single group. The top three teams will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fourth-placed team will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.
Whitecaps FC are back in action this Tuesday when they visit Montreal Impact for the second and decisive leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal series. The 'Caps hold a 2-1 aggregate lead and can advance to their third consecutive Canadian Championship final with any draw or win in Montreal. Catch the match live on TSN and TSN Radio 1410.
