Randall Leal photo courtesy Fede Fútbol de Costa Rica.
Welcome to Boys in Not Gold, with updates on Nashville SC players when they’re playing for other people. This is an international edition, with two NSC standouts suiting up in different arrangements of Red, White, and Blue.
Winger Randall Leal
In Costa Rica participating with Le Sele’s pre-Olympic camp
Leal was called back to the home country for Costa Rica’s pre-Olympic camp. The Federation even published a mini-feature on him.
Thanks to the FIFA decision to make the 2021 Olympics an under-24 tournament (rather than the U-23 it typically is – and was scheduled for had the Olympics happened as-planned in 2020), the 1997-born Leal is age-eligible for La Sele. That probably means he’ll not only participate in qualifying (March 15-28), but should Costa Rica earn one of Concacaf’s two bids (obviously Mexico and the US are favored, however), the Olympics themselves take place July 23-Aug. 8.
The Ticos are not planning any international friendlies during this camp.
Defender Walker Zimmerman
Called in for the USMNT’s December friendly against El Salvador
Zimmerman was called in to the United States’ December camp, and was subbed into the friendly against El Salvador in the 83rd minute – since there was no stoppage time in the 6-0 laugher, he played seven total minutes. He also took the captain’s armband from the player he replaced, fellow RCB Aaron Long.
There were two corner-kick plays set up for him. On one, service was corralled by the keeper before the ball could get the flick-on to the back post, and on the other, the service was really bad and cut out before it got close to the intended area. He had one headed clearance, one loose-ball recovery, and a 3/4 passing mark in the brief appearance.
