No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCONCACAF Round-upFrance wins 3-0 over Honduras, the first CONCACAF team to lose at...

France wins 3-0 over Honduras, the first CONCACAF team to lose at the World Cup

PORTO ALEGRE — Karim Benzema scored twice as France beat 10-man Honduras 3-0 in a bruising World Cup clash on Sunday where goal-line technology awarded the first international goal in history.

Honduras became the first team to lose in the World Cup from North and Central America, after Costa Rica defeated Uruguay, 3-1, yesterday and Mexico held off Cameroon, 1-0, on Friday. The United States, the fourth and final team in the oft-maligned region known as CONCACAF, plays Monday at 4 p.m. against Ghana.

Three minutes into the second half between Honduras and France, the GoalControl computer referee was called into action when a Benzema volley hurtled off a post.

The ball flew across the face of the goal before hitting Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares and then rebounding into the goal.

Valladares tried to scoop the ball to safety, but Brazilian referee Sandro Ricci awarded the goal — classed as an own-goal — after consulting the instant technology.

“I saw that the ball crossed the line,” said Benzema. “I don’t know if having technology like this is good for football but the most important thing was that we have won.”

France coach Didier Deschamps was supportive of the new technology, but also concerned at the confusion caused as replays inside the stadium first showed Benzema’s initial shot had not gone in before confirming the ball had crossed the line after hitting Valladares’ hand.

Benzema opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Wilson Palacios was sent off for two bookable offenses on Paul Pogba.

And the Real Madrid striker rounded off a fine afternoon with an emphatic finish 18 minutes from time.

Victory moves France above Switzerland on goal difference in Group E after the Swiss beat Ecuador 2-1 earlier. The two European sides are set to meet next Friday in Salvador.

France’s game began in bizarre circumstances as neither sides’ national anthem was played before kick-off. Normality was restored once proceedings got underway as France dominated from the initial whistle.

 

Trending Now

Cost of living in Costa Rica from a U.S. Expat

Paradise doesn’t come cheap. Cars, gas, appliances, phones, TVs often cost more in Costa Rica. But not everything. Here’s a simple, like-for-like look at...

Costa Rica Approves Extradition of Ex-Minister Gamboa and Associates

A Costa Rican court has approved the extradition of former Security Minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez to the United States on charges of international cocaine...

Costa Rican Hotels Warn of Job Risks Amid Drop in Tourists

Hotels across Costa Rica face mounting pressures as tourist numbers dip and a sluggish dollar exchange rate eats into their earnings. From January to...

Heavy Rains in Costa Rica Trigger Landslides and Floods

Costa Rica faces tough conditions lately from ongoing heavy rains that have sparked deadly landslides and major flooding over the last few days. In...

Celebrate 128 Years of Costa Rica’s National Theater

The National Theater turns 128 this month, and starting Sunday, October 12, it opens its doors for a week of events that mix music,...

Guatemala Joins Costa Rica and Ecuador in Building Anti-Gang Prisons

The Guatemalan government has put forward a new bill aimed at hitting gangs harder, with steeper sentences and a dedicated high-security prison, as the...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica