Few people can discuss the state of play in the Costa Rican international set-up more authoritatively than Ronald Gonzalez. It was his knack for developing young talent that laid the foundations for the current Ticos side, the most successful in the country's history.
Gonzalez led Costa Rica to a historic fourth-place finish at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009, where the team included current full internationals such as Marco Urena, Bryan Oviedo and Cristian Gamboa. He was also at the helm for the next edition, Colombia 2011, where they performed very creditably before falling to the hosts in the Round of 16. Joel Campbell and Yeltsin Tejeda were among those involved on that occasion.
"The work done with those two groups has really paid off. It was all about influencing their character and personality," the 45-year-old San Carlos native told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. "They are players who had what it takes and who have ultimately become not just professionals, but integral figures on and off the pitch. They had the raw materials back then, it was just about moulding them a bit and convincing them of their potential."
Gonzalez's secret? Having himself walked the walk – he achieved big things when his own playing career was in its infancy – he has subsequently been able to talk the right talk, finding the formula to instil in his charges the maturity that he showed as a youngster, when he did not let his success go to his head. Not after becoming Costa Rica's very first goalscorer at the U-20 World Cup at Saudi Arabia 1989, nor when, a year later, he earned himself an even bigger place in the history books at the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™, as the youngest Costa Rican to feature and score in the senior showpiece.
"It's always a great joy to look back at all those achievements. The support from my family and my team-mates was very important in keeping my feet on the ground. They always guided me; I never felt I was better than anyone or different because of what I'd accomplished," he said.
The former defender went on to play in Yugoslavia, Austria and Guatemala in addition to winning several titles while with Saprissa. In his last season before hanging up his boots, he was part of the team that claimed bronze at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2005. Soon afterwards, he became a coach and made an almost instant splash with his aforementioned accomplishments at U-20 level. "All the experiences I gained stood me in very good stead," he added. "I hadn't been coaching for long because they were some of my first adventures in the dugout, but being able to draw on those moments helped me."
Building on Brazilian memories
Time passed and those two youth generations nurtured by Gonzalez meshed in the senior ranks. So it was that the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™ came around and he had great expectations. It is safe to say that these high hopes were more than fulfilled.
"I felt very proud to be Costa Rican, because my national team were in the mix and I could see that the lads had kept improving over the previous five years. I was away in Mexico with Saprissa for pre-season and it was a little tough to communicate because we were travelling from one place to another, but after the World Cup I congratulated most of them," said the man who has also coached the Purple Monster, as Saprissa are nicknamed, and Guatemalan outfit Comunicaciones to glory.
Their exploits in Brazil provide very pleasant memories, but time never stands still in football and Costa Rica are already looking ahead to their next challenge: Russia 2018. On this note, next month they will wrap up their fixtures in the fourth round of CONCACAF qualifying against Haiti and Panama, on 2 and 6 September respectively. Sitting at the summit of Group B with a three-point lead over the Panamanians, they have every reason to feel confident: the top two will move through to the final stage, the Hexagonal.
"They're looking very good to me and the slightly more seasoned players, like Keylor Navas and Bryan Ruiz, are complementing the rest well. They offer that extra bit of experience. That combination is going to serve the team really well," Gonzalez said.
That is not to say that everything is absolutely rosy when it comes to Costa Rican football. As a youth football specialist, Gonzalez harbours concerns about what will happen when the current batch of stars have to hand over the baton.
"We're going through a tough time at youth level right now," he said. "We've stopped making it to international competitions. We've got to bide our time – this generation are going to have to stick around for longer. A good plan needs to be devised so we can return to the youth World Cups and then enable the players to make the step up to the senior squad."
Nevertheless, Gonzalez remains highly optimistic about Russia, where the present golden generation will bid to add to the history they have already made. As he put it in his parting words: "I think the best is still to come. They're united and have conviction. They've achieved great things as a group and are on the right track. I'm sure they'll reach the final Hexagonal round and will be serious contenders."