From World Cup quarterfinalist Costa Rica to Gold Cup finalist Jamaica, MLS is helping develop stiffer competition for the U.S. and Mexico
Marco Urena knows what it's like to come up against the "wall."
For the 27-year-old Costa Rica striker, there was a time when facing a regional powerhouse like the United States came with a mental block of sorts. As a player whose club career had taken him from Costa Rica to Russia and Denmark, it was natural to be daunted by a squad packed with experience from top-five European leagues.
This past January, Urena left Danish side Brondby to sign with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS.