No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCentral America CupTicos salvage 2-2 tie with Panama after Pemberton save

Ticos salvage 2-2 tie with Panama after Pemberton save

It wasn’t pretty, but Costa Rica’s national men’s football team scraped out a 2-2 tie Sunday against Panama, in Group B’s battle to the Central America Cup final on Sept. 13 in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.

Panama nearly won the match at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, with a 90th-minute penalty called on La Sele, giving Panama’s Gabriel Gómez a free shot on goal with little time remaining. But Costa Rica’s Alajuelense goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton guessed correctly, diving right and swatting the shot wide of the goal.

Panama always is a tough rival for the Ticos, and Pemberton said going into the match that his squad wouldn’t underestimate their southeastern neighbors. However, the Canaleros had beaten La Sele only once in 10 previous Central America Cup matches.

Both teams held each other scoreless in the first half, but Panama came on strong in the second, blasting in two goals past a disorganized Costa Rican defense in minutes 50 and 69.

Costa Rica waited until the last 10 minutes of the match to mount its comeback, with La Sele newcomer Johan Venegas scoring at minute 81 and World Cup player Celso Borges nailing a penalty shot five minutes later.

Costa Rica now leads Group B with four points, followed by Panama with one. Panama will need a high-scoring game on Wednesday, when it takes on the group’s last-place team Nicaragua, whom the Ticos beat 3-0 last week.

All seven countries in Central America compete in the cup, which is taking place in the United States for the first time. The top two teams in each group secure an automatic berth to next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Group A contains the remaining sides: Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador.

AFP contributed to this report.

Trending Now

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Costa Rica Hunts for Nicaraguan Hit Squad After Exile’s Assassination

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is investigating whether a hit squad tied to Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime is targeting exiled critics on its soil....

Celso Gamboa Allegedly Ran Drug Ring with Costa Rican Government Ties

Celso Gamboa, once Costa Rica’s Security Minister and a Supreme Court judge, now faces extradition to the U.S. for leading a major cocaine trafficking...

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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