José Porras
A stalwart Costa Rican goalkeeper whose reliable hands anchored his national team during a golden era of CONCACAF competition.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Costa Rican footballer·Birthday: November 8·Generation X
Biography
José Francisco Porras, known as "Puro," stood as a pillar of consistency in goal for Costa Rica throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. His career unfolded primarily in his homeland, where he became a fixture for clubs like Herediano and Saprissa, winning domestic titles and earning a reputation for sharp reflexes and calm leadership. Porras's true legacy, however, was written with the national team. He seized the starting role during the crucial qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, delivering a series of clutch performances that helped send Los Ticos to the tournament. In South Korea and Japan, he started all three group stage matches, facing the attacks of Brazil and Turkey. While his club career later included a stint with Carmelita, it is his role as the last line of defense for a historic Costa Rican side that cemented his place in the nation's sporting memory.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
José was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When José Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
José's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was Costa Rica's starting goalkeeper in all three of their matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
- Earned over 30 caps for the Costa Rican national team during his international career.
- Won multiple Costa Rican league championships with clubs including Deportivo Saprissa.
- Played a key role in Costa Rica's successful qualification campaign for the 2002 World Cup.
Did You Know?
His nickname "Puro" translates to "Pure" in Spanish.
He played for Costa Rican club Carmelita at the end of his professional career.
He conceded a goal from a free-kick by Brazilian superstar Roberto Carlos during the 2002 World Cup.
“A clean sheet is the foundation; from there, the team can build.”
