This list needs to be trimmed down to the definitive lucky 23 who get to represent their country in the old world by the 15th of May. The other three nations to lay their cards on the table are fellow Concacaf squads Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. Van Basten’s Holland followed suit.

Of the 28, no less than 15 – more than half the total squad – come from just two Costa Rican clubs: eight coming from Deportivo Saprissa, national champions this weekend after beating Alajuelense, who field the other seven nationals.

Costa Rica forms the underdog underbelly of Group A, although Ecuador have a similar Cinderella label, with the unenviable task of being drawn with the hosts – and playing the opening match against the Mannschaft on the 9th of June in Munich. The fourth group member is Polnad.

Goalkeepers: José Francisco Porras (Deportivo Saprissa), Wardy Alfaro (Alajuelense), Adrián de Lemos (Brujas/BEL) and Alvaro Mesén (Herdiano)

Defenders: Jervis Drummond and Gabriel Badilla (Deportivo Saprissa); Luis Marín, Harold Wallace and Michael Rodríguez (Alajuelense); Carlos Johnson and Leonardo González (Herediano); Michael Umaña (Brujas/BEL), Gilberto Martínez (Brescia/ITA), Roy Miller (Bodo Glimt/NOR) and Douglas Sequeira (Real Salt Lake/USA)

Midfielders: Walter Centeno, Christian Bolaños and Randall Azofeifa (Deportivo Saprissa); Cristian Montero and Carlos Hernández (Alajuelense); Dany Fonseca Bravo (Cartaginés), Kurt Bernard (Puntarenas) and Mauricio Solís (Comunicaciones/GUA)

Strikers: Rónald Gómez and Alvaro Saborío (Deportivo Saprissa); Bryan Ruiz González (Alajuelense), Víctor Núñez (Cartaginés) and Paulo Wanchope (Herediano)

Aaron Marcus