PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers midfielders Andy Polo and David Guzmán have been called up by their respective national teams for friendly matches, it was announced today. As both players continue to prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Polo will join Peru for friendlies against Croatia on March 23 and Iceland on March 27, while Guzmán has been called up for a pair of international friendlies, with Costa Rica set to take on Scotland on March 23 and Tunisia on March 27.
Both players will miss the Timbers’ league match against FC Dallas on Saturday, March 24, but will return to the team ahead of Portland’s away contest against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, March 31.
Receiving his first international call-up since signing with the Timbers on Jan. 17, Polo, 23, will join Peru for a friendly against Croatia on Friday, March 23. Beginning at 5 p.m. (Pacific), Peru’s game against Croatia will take place at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. On March 27, Peru will travel to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., to take on Iceland for its second friendly match of the new year, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. (Pacific). Since making his senior team debut for Peru in March 2016, Polo has earned 15 caps and scored one goal at the international level. Most recently, the midfielder helped Peru earn a berth in the 2018 World Cup, appearing in both matches of a two-game playoff against New Zealand on Nov. 10 and Nov. 15, 2017.
Guzman, 28, and Costa Rica will face Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday, March 23, beginning at 12:45 p.m. (Pacific). Four days later, Costa Rica will travel to Nice, France, to face Tunisia at the Allianz Riviera, with kickoff set for 12 noon (Pacific). Since making his senior team debut in 2010, Guzmán has earned 42 caps on the international stage, representing Costa Rica at the 2011 Copa America, the CONCACAF Gold Cup (2011, 2015, 2017) and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
