Gonzalo Segares didn't follow the typical route to the Costa Rican national team. Instead of playing for a first division club in his native land, Segares attended college in the United States and turned professional with the Chicago Fire. Today, he finds himself as a vital member of his MLS team and with his country's national team.
Spotted by an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University while playing at home for one of Deportivo Saprissa's youth teams, Segares decided to accept a scholarship to attend University instead of battle for a place on his club team. "It's really important for me," he said. "There are not many kids back home who get the chance to study and play soccer. You do one or the other. I had so many teammates. … They were 18 years old and still were in the first grade. I had a good opportunity. I studied and kept playing soccer."
Fire coach Denis Hamlett, a native Costa Rican, felt Segares could not have made a better choice. "It worked out great for him," Hamlett said. "He was able to get an education but also play a different style here in America at the college level. It's different than playing back in Costa Rica. That helped him. He was able to experience a different culture and develop as a person, but also develop as a soccer player." On Wednesday, Costa Rica plays the USA at Estadio Saprissa, Segares' old stomping ground.