Our coaching staff is second to none. It includes Hernán Medford; the head coach of the Costa Rican National team, Jeaustin Campos, the head coach of Deportivo Saprissa, and several legendary Costa Rican soccer players. All have played professionally and on the Costa Rican National team. Several have played in the FIFA World Cup and/or the Olympic Games representing Costa Rica. Our student athletes and their coaches will have an unprecedented opportunity to train with and learn from these extraordinary coaches on a daily basis. Additionally, current Saprissa players will make appearances at our camp and train with our players. All biographies below can be found on www.wikipedia.org.
Hernán Evaristo Medford Bryan (born May 23, 1968) is a Costa Rican soccer player and coach. Nicknamed “el Pelicano”, he played in
several different leagues worldwide, including Serie A of Italy (Foggia Calcio), the Yugoslavian first division (Dinamo Zagreb), the Austrian Bundesliga (SK Rapid Wien), la Liga in Spain playing for Rayo Vallecano, and the Mexican premier league, with CF Pachuca, León and Necaxa. Pachuca decided to retire Medford’s number 17 after he was transferred to a different team in the late 1990s.
In Costa Rica’s first division, he played for Deportivo Saprissa, were he won three national championships and the 1993 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He was part of the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship. Medford also played in two World Cups, Italy 1990 and Japan-Korea 2002. He scored a goal against Sweden in the 1990 World Cup, which resulted in qualification for the second round, Costa Rica’s best World Cup performance. He also scored the winning goal at the Azteca Stadium against Mexico in the qualification for the 2002 World Cup, the only home World Cup qualifier game that Mexico has ever lost.
After retiring from professional football in 2003, he entered coaching. He first coached Deportivo Saprissa with great success, where he has won several championships, including 2 national tournaments, the Uncaf Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, giving Saprissa the right to compete in the second FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup in Japan, in december of 2005, in which Saprissa finished 3rd.
As of October 28, 2006, the Costa Rican Football Federation, or Federación Costarricense de Fútbol, announced him as the new head coach for the Costa Rica national football team.
Jeaustin Campos Madriz (born June 30, 1971) is a Costa Rican soccer player and coach. He was one of the most famous Costa Rican soccer midfielders during the 1990s and played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa, where he won four national championships and two CONCACAF Champions Cup, in 1993 and 1995. He also played for Municipal Pérez Zeledón and FC Seoul of the Korean K-League, then known as LG Cheetahs, and during the 90's played frequently for the Costa Rica national football team.
After retiring from professional football, Campos was appointed as Football Operations Manager in Saprissa, during the years that Hernán Medford was head coach, and played a very important role in the achievements accomplished by Saprissa during that
period, such as 2 national tournaments, the Uncaf Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, giving them the right to compete in the second FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup in Japan, in December of 2005, in which Saprissa finished 3rd.
Since Hernán Medford and his coaching staff were announced by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol as the new coaches for the Costa Rica national football team, Campos was named by Saprissa as their new head coach. Mr. Campos is the Director of
Soccer Operations for Saprissa Soccer Academy.
CARLOS SANTANA ____________________________________________
Carlos Santana is considered one of the best Costa Rican football midfielders during the 1970s and 1980s. He played his entire career for Deportivo Saprissa, and was the team's captain for several seasons. Santana was a very quick, and talented player, with awesome shooting and passing skills.
Santana helped Saprissa win several national titles during the 1970s and 1980s, and was part of the mythical Saprissa team that won 6 national championships in a row during the 70's. He played with Costa Rica’s national team as well, and was the captain of the team that beat then 1982 FIFA World Cup champions Italy in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After his retirement, Santana briefly coached the club, and has worked with both Saprissa’s minor league system, as well coaching several Costa Rican U-17 and U-20 national teams.
Enrique Rivers became one of the most famous Costa Rican soccer players during the 1980s. He played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa, as well as for CSD Comunicaciones in Guatemala. He is mostly remembered for scoring the goal against Italy’s national team during the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. At that period of time, the Italians were the World Cup
champions, and their defeat against Costa Rica was a historic event in the soccer world.
After retiring from professional football, Rivers was assistant coach for Alexandre Guimaraes in Saprissa, where they won the 1998 and 1999 local championships. He was head coach of Deportivo Saprissa for a short period of time as well, but decided to focus on the coordinating tasks for Saprissa’s minor league system, where he has been able to discover and recruit young talented soccer players and launch them into successful football careers.
Rónald González Brenes (born August 8, 1970) is a Costa Rican soccer player. He has mostly played for Deportivo Saprissa in Costa Rica, but has played internationally as well. In the early 90’s, he played with Dinamo Zagreb in Yugoslavia and Sturm Graz in Austria. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, he starred for the CSD Comunicaciones of Guatemala.
Playing for Saprissa he won almost everything he could pursue, as the team’s captain. With CSD Comunicaciones he was captain and champion of the Guatemalan tournament several times as well. González was a usual member of Costa Rica during the 90’s, even being the captain during the (Catalan). At 19 years old, González played with Costa Rica’s national team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, were he scored a goal against Czechoslovakia, becoming the youngest player to score a goal in that World Cup. In 1989, as captain of Costa Rica’s U-20 national team, he played in the under-20 Football World Youth Championship held in Saudi Arabia, where he scored a goal against Colombia.
Currently, González just retired and works as assistant coach in Saprissa’s coaching staff. In his playing days with Saprissa, he won five national championships and three CONCACAF Champions Cup, and was part of the team that played the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup, where Saprissa finished third behind São Paulo Futebol Clube and Liverpool F.C.
ROY MYERS ________________________________________________
Roy Anthony Myers Francis (born April 13, 1969 in Limón) is a former Costa Rican soccer player who played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa.
Myers was known as “El Maravilloso” (The Marvelous) due to his natural talent to play the game, becoming a typical number 10.
In his country he played mostly with Saprissa, winning three national championships with them, as well as two CONCACAF
Champions Cups. He also played with his hometown team, Limón. He was an international too, playing in Uruguay with Peñarol
in the early 90’s, Pachuca of Mexico in the mid 90’s, and later in Major League Soccer, where he played with the MetroStars and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
With his national team, he played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy, as well as the 1997 Copa America in Bolivia. He was capped 45 times, scoring two goals for his country. He collected his final cap in 2000 in a World Cup qualifier against Barbados.
Hernán Evaristo Medford Bryan (born May 23, 1968) is a Costa Rican soccer player and coach. Nicknamed “el Pelicano”, he played in
several different leagues worldwide, including Serie A of Italy (Foggia Calcio), the Yugoslavian first division (Dinamo Zagreb), the Austrian Bundesliga (SK Rapid Wien), la Liga in Spain playing for Rayo Vallecano, and the Mexican premier league, with CF Pachuca, León and Necaxa. Pachuca decided to retire Medford’s number 17 after he was transferred to a different team in the late 1990s.
Jeaustin Campos Madriz (born June 30, 1971) is a Costa Rican soccer player and coach. He was one of the most famous Costa Rican soccer midfielders during the 1990s and played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa, where he won four national championships and two CONCACAF Champions Cup, in 1993 and 1995. He also played for Municipal Pérez Zeledón and FC Seoul of the Korean K-League, then known as LG Cheetahs, and during the 90's played frequently for the Costa Rica national football team.
Enrique Rivers became one of the most famous Costa Rican soccer players during the 1980s. He played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa, as well as for CSD Comunicaciones in Guatemala. He is mostly remembered for scoring the goal against Italy’s national team during the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. At that period of time, the Italians were the World Cup
champions, and their defeat against Costa Rica was a historic event in the soccer world.
Rónald González Brenes (born August 8, 1970) is a Costa Rican soccer player. He has mostly played for Deportivo Saprissa in Costa Rica, but has played internationally as well. In the early 90’s, he played with Dinamo Zagreb in Yugoslavia and Sturm Graz in Austria. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, he starred for the CSD Comunicaciones of Guatemala.
Roy Anthony Myers Francis (born April 13, 1969 in Limón) is a former Costa Rican soccer player who played most of his career with Deportivo Saprissa.
