Hearts star scores in rout as he provides verdict after helping put side on brink of tournament qualification
There was a senior international goal for a Hearts star over the weekend as his country moved closer to qualifying for a major competition.
Hearts star Kenneth Vargas racked up a career landmark over the weekend when he grabbed a senior international goal in Costa Rica’s 7-0 demolition of Belize.
Los Ticos were overwhelming favourites to progress through their two-legged Concacaf Gold Cup qualifier tie with a side sat in 178th place in the official FIFA rankings - and they lived up to their tag with a straightforward win at Belize’s FFB Stadium.
With new head coach Miguel Herrera in charge for the first time, Costa Rica wasted little time in breaking through their opponents as Manfred Ugalde opened the scoring with seven minutes on the clock before doubling his tally from the penalty spot after Vargas had been upended. The Hearts forward’s moment arrived five minutes before half-time as he provided a simple finish following some neat approach play from New York City FC winger Alonso Martinez.
That laid the foundations for a second-half romp as a brace from Alvaro Zamora and a goal apiece from Jeyland Mitchell and Josimar Alcocer helped Herrera kick off his reign in spectacular fashion and ensured his side have one foot in the Gold Cup Finals that will be held in Canada and the United States this summer. Speaking after helping his side to the brink of qualification, Vargas praised the impact his new head coach had made in the early days of his reign and set his sights on sealing a place in this summer’s tournament.
He told Yashin Quesada: "I'm really happy with the result. We knew we had to come here to respect, to play our game, and it helps a lot for what's coming up. The coach is very clear about the work he wants each of us to do on the field. The important thing is that we're all feeling comfortable with what's being asked of us, and that's good because little by little we're getting to know each other better and playing the game that's meant for us.
“We've been linking up, trying to find space. We all know we have to go to the Gold Cup. It gives us a lot of motivation for what's next, to continue getting to know each other, to continue getting to know each of our teammates, to keep working, to accumulate work; that's important. We have to be more decisive, we have to respect the opponent, and then play our game accordingly. We'll see what the coach asks of us, and that's it."
Vargas will return to Edinburgh following early Wednesday morning’s second leg against Belize with Hearts visiting current Premiership leaders Celtic on Saturday afternoon.