Five days after scoring for his country in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Costa Rica defender Dennis Marshall was killed in a car accident on Thursday.
Marshall, who plays for Aalborg in the Danish league, was killed in a head-on collision with a truck on a mountain road in Costa Rican capital San José.
Marshall’s wife also perished in the accident, which occurred while they were travelling home from Marshall’s grandfather’s funeral.
Five days previously, Marshall scored his first ever goal for the national side in the Gold Cup quarter-final against Honduras, which Costa Rica lost on penalties.
A statement from the Costa Rican football federation read: “The Costa Rican Football Federation deeply laments the death of the national team player Dennis Marshall Maxwell and his wife Meylin Masis Castro.
“The thoughts of executive committee, selection committee, technical staff and his team-mates, and sporting and administrative personnel of FEDEFUTBOL, are with their families.”
National team coach Ricardo La Volpe paid tribute to Marshall, saying: “It’s a tough blow. He was a young guy with a big future and I send my most heartfelt condolences to his family.”
Marshall’s team-mate Randall Brenes added: “To hear of a team-mate that has died really affects us. It’s hit us hard.
“We were in shock hoping that it wasn’t him, but it’s already been confirmed. It’s very sad. He was like a brother to all of us.”
Aalborg cancelled training on Friday and will wear black armbands in their next three games. A minute’s silence will also be held before their meeting with AGF, their first home fixture of the campaign.
Aalborg sporting director Lynge Jakobsen said: “We received the tragic news late last night and are obviously deeply moved by the situation. Our thoughts go first and foremost to their families.”
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