Costa Rican soccer club Deportivo Saprissa has been summoned to Montevideo, Uruguay, this week for a tournament of friendlies between the Ticos and Olimpia de Paraguay, Liechtensteiners Vaduz and Uruguayans Defensor, Nacional and Peñarol.

The championship “will serve to extend our friendly ties,” said Uruguayan Soccer Association President José Luis Corbo. “And it will definitely put on some good shows.”

Vaduz, from Liechtenstein but enlisted in the Swiss league, join Peñarol and Nacional in Group A; Saprissa, Olimpia and Defensor are battling it out in B.

Two matches are scheduled per day, starting today and continuing Saturday, next Monday and Wednesday, in Montevideo's Centenario stadium.

At home, Costa Rican soccer continued this week to leave much to be desired, with Tico summertime Torneo de Verano off to a start of draws: Saprissa, Alajuense and Herediano all played home games that ended in a tie.

Meanwhile, the Costa Rican national team coach Hernán Medford has announced a 22-man squad for the Jan. 30 friendly against Iran. The crew added Brujas midfielder Daniel Jiménez to substitute an injured Roy Myrie of Alajuela.

“I'm so happy, it took me by surprise and I'm really glad,” Jiménez told the daily La Nación.