Keylor Navas’s Unexpected Preseason Role: From Goalkeeper to Striker Against Querétaro
A remarkable story has emerged as Keylor Navas prepares for a potential debut with Pumas in Mexico’s Liga MX, recalling a time when the Costa Rican international lined up not as a goalkeeper, but as an attacker against Querétaro during a Saprissa preseason.
Keylor Navas has arrived in Mexico to bolster Pumas’ squad, and his first match could come against a familiar foe – Querétaro, a team he faced while playing for Saprissa, albeit in a highly unconventional role. The veteran goalkeeper first gained recognition in his native Costa Rica, captivating fans with his performances for the Tico team’s youth squads, including a standout showing against Pedregoso, a local club from his hometown of Pérez Zeledón.
A Preseason Necessity Leads to a Striker Experiment
Between 2003 and 2010, Saprissa was affiliated with the Onmilife Group, owned by the late Jorge Vergara, who also controlled Chivas Guadalajara. This connection led to annual preseason trips to Mexico, as explained by Keylor Navas’s former trainer, Roger Mora, in an interview with ESPN.
“We were practically children of Guadalajara, from Chivas,” Mora stated. “Every year we were going to make the preseason to Mexico…we did about six, seven games. To make matches in the preseason you had to have a very extensive form and on those trips we carried 24 or 25 players.”
As the preseason progressed, the team began to suffer from fatigue and injuries, dwindling the available players. During a match against Querétaro and another against Aguascalientes, the situation became critical. “We had two games, one against Querétaro…And in that game we had four field players on the bench and one goalie, Keylor Navas,” Mora recalled. Fausto González was the starting goalkeeper, leaving Navas as the lone substitute, but with a twist – he was given a field player’s jersey.
Navas Takes the Pitch as a Forward
The need to inject fresh legs into the game led to an unexpected decision. “The need was to enter but not as goalie, he did front,” Mora explained. Navas entered the match in the 70th minute as a striker. Despite initially receiving a “socollón” – a violent blow – upon receiving the ball, he quickly adapted and impressed onlookers.
“Keylor entered to play as a striker…because he was, he had an impressive leap and was skilled with his feet,” Mora said. “The first ball they give him, they have hit a socollón…but then the guy stopped and was a show, it was a show to see him play from striker there in Querétaro.”
Mora believes Navas’s athleticism and skill with his feet allowed him to thrive in the unfamiliar position. The team’s depleted roster even forced the physical trainer, Pierre Luigi, to play on the field. “Even our physical trainer, Pierre Luigi, had to play extremely right, because we had very few people,” Mora concluded. This unique preseason experience highlights Navas’s versatility and adaptability, qualities that will undoubtedly be valuable as he embarks on his new chapter with Pumas.
