ORLANDO, Florida.- Costar Rican midfielder Celso Borges started his Concacaf Gold Cup trajectory with 2-1 loss against El Salvador in Group A in the 2009 Gold Cup, but that inauguration initiated a decade-long affair with Concacaf’s most important international tournament.
In his first participation in the Gold Cup, he played five games. Two years later in 2011, he added another four to his resume, plus four games in 2013 four games, another four in 2015 and four games in 2019.
Monday night in the game against Suriname, Borges became the Costa Rican player with the most games played in the Gold Cup with 22 games over six tournaments.
With many Gold Cups under his belt, Borges says the one that brings him some of the best memories was in 2019 when for the first time in the tournament’s history, group stage matches were played in Central America at the Estadio Nacional, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
“Well, I think that having played a Gold Cup in one's country has a lot of meaning. It was when we played the first game there in the Nacional[stadium] against Nicaragua. It is very special to be with your fans in a Gold Cup in such a beautiful contest because that is the one that I remember the most,” said Borges in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com
Twice Borges has scored in Costa Rica’s opening match in a Gold Cup, the first time being that 2019 4-0 win over Nicaragua and Monday’s 3-1 win over Guadeloupe.
Perhaps the most eye-opening of all is that every time the 33-year-old midfielder has scored in a Gold Cup game, his team has always won (1-0 against Jamaica in 2009), the triumph against Guadeloupe in the quarterfinals in 2009, the 4-0 victory over Nicaragua in 2009, and the last game against Guadeloupe, a triumph 3-1. Monday’s win was also the second time that Borges has scored Guadalupe in the Gold Cup.
When asked what Borges' secret is to still be at a prime level, a starter and a key player to the Ticos, Borges gave a sweet and short answer; his love for the game.
“I think that most of all I have not lost the taste that I have always liked. I have a lot of passion for this. I really like what I do, I think it is the most beautiful thing to enjoy at all times,” concluded Borges.
