Ricardo Peña (Costa Rican footballer)
Ricardo Allen Peña Gutiérrez (born 15 July 2004) is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Fútbol Consultants and the Costa Rica national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ricardo Allen Peña Gutiérrez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Limón, Costa Rica[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Colorado Rapids 2 (on loan from Fútbol Consultants) | ||
| Number | 42 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Limón | |||
| 2019–2020 | Fútbol Consultants | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020– | Fútbol Consultants | 0 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Real Betis C (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2023 | → Spartak Trnava (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Malženice (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2024– | → Colorado Rapids 2 (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Costa Rica U15 | 1 | (0) |
| Costa Rica U17 | |||
| 2022– | Costa Rica U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2023– | Costa Rica U23 | 4 | (0) |
| 2023– | Costa Rica | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 August 2023 | |||
Club career
editBorn in Limón, Peña joined the academy of Segunda División de Costa Rica side Fútbol Consultants at the age of fifteen.[2] Having made his debut at the age of sixteen, he trialled with German and Portuguese clubs Hannover 96 and Braga, respectively.[2]
In August 2022, having trialled with them earlier in the year, Peña joined Spanish side Real Betis on a two-year loan, alongside fellow Costa Rican Santiago van der Putten.[2] While van der Putten was immediately brought into the squad with no work permit issues due to his Dutch heritage, Peña had to wait to receive his visa.[3]
Throughout his first season in Spain, Peña featured mostly for the club's third team, Real Betis C, who were playing amateur football in the Spanish ninth division.[4] He featured once for the club's under-19 team, as they went on to win the national title.[5]
The following year, he joined Slovakian side Spartak Trnava, on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy.[6] He made his debut for the club on 3 August 2023, coming on as a substitute for Lukáš Štetina in a UEFA Europa Conference League qualification match against Latvian side Auda. However, a mistake by Peña allowed Auda's South Sudanese forward Manyumow Achol to take the ball and go on to score, though it was ultimately only a consolation as Spartak Trnava went on to win 4–1.[7]
International career
editHaving represented Costa Rica at youth international level, Peña was called up to the senior squad for the first time in June 2023 for a friendly against Ecuador, following an injury to Youstin Salas.[8] Having made his debut in the 3–1 loss to Ecuador, he was a surprise inclusion in the Costa Rican squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[9][10]
Career statistics
editClub
edit| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Betis C (loan) | 2022–23 | Tercera Andaluza | 4 | 1 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Spartak Trnava (loan) | 2023–24 | 1. liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Malženice (loan) | 2023–24 | 2. liga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
- Notes
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League qualification
International
edit- As of 11 August 2023[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
References
edit- ^ a b Ricardo Peña at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b c "Ricardo Peña jugará a préstamo con el Real Betis" [Ricardo Peña will play on loan with Real Betis]. futbolconsultants.com (in Spanish). 25 August 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Alvarado, Sergio (23 August 2022). "Este es el plan del Betis para Santiago Van Der Putten y Ricardo Peña" [This is Betis' plan for Santiago Van Der Putten and Ricardo Peña]. lateja.cr (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Fonseca Cabalceta, Joseph (29 November 2022). "Santiago Van der Putten y Ricardo Peña viven realidades muy distintas en el Real Betis" [Santiago Van der Putten and Ricardo Peña live very different realities at Real Betis]. hoyeneldeportecr.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Santiago van der Putten y Ricardo Peña campeones con el Betis de España" [Santiago van der Putten and Ricardo Peña champions with Betis from Spain]. everardoherrera.com (in Spanish). 7 May 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Spartak Trnava so zaujímavou posilou. Do klubu prichádza kostarický reprezentant" [Spartak Trnava with an interesting reinforcement. A Costa Rican representative is coming to the club]. sportnew.sme.sk (in Slovak). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Spartak nedal súperovi v odvete žiadnu šancu. V 3. predkole EKL narazí na poľský klub" [Spartak did not give the opponent any chance in retaliation. In the 3rd preliminary round of the EKL, they will face a Polish club]. sport24.pluska.sk (in Slovak). 3 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Costa Rica viajó para amistoso con Ecuador" [Costa Rica traveled for a friendly with Ecuador]. benditofutbol.com (in Spanish). 13 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Monge Matamoros, Alejandro (12 June 2023). "El desconocido jugador de Costa Rica que estará en Copa Oro sin haber debutado en primera división" [The unknown player from Costa Rica who will be in the Gold Cup without having debuted in the first division]. espn.co.cr (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Rocca, Pablo (13 June 2023). "Ricardo Peña: la gran promesa que jugará la Copa Oro con Costa Rica sin debutar en su equipo" [Ricardo Peña: the great promise that will play the Gold Cup with Costa Rica without making his team debut]. futbolcentroamerica.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Ricardo Peña at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- ^ Ricardo Peña at Soccerway
- ^ Ricardo Peña at National-Football-Teams.com