While Thanksgiving celebrations up north are so often synonymous with watching pigskin, the other kind of football rules supreme in Costa Rica.
And an absolute golazo on Thursday from Costa Rican captain Bryan Ruíz for his European club gives Ticos everywhere reason to be thankful for the 30-year-old forward. Ruíz gave his team Sporting Lisbon from Portugal an early 2-1 lead over Lokomotive Moscow in the group stages of the UEFA Europa League by chipping in a gorgeous side volley in the 38th minute of the match at Lisbon’s José Alvalade Stadium.
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Sporting Lisbon won 4-2 over Moscow, which currently leads Group H of the Europa League. Lisbon’s win gives it seven points in group play, just behind Turkey’s Besiktas which is in second place with eight points. The two teams meet on Dec. 10 in a game that Sporting Lisbon needs to win in order to advance to the elimination stages.
The captain for Costa Rica’s men’s national team also scored in his last appearance for “La Sele,” a crucial 2-1 World Cup qualifying win last week over Panama, when he hammered home a 65th minute goal that led the Ticos to the top of CONCACAF’s Group B in the qualifying rounds. The score was Ruiz’s 18th for his country and today’s goal marks just his second score for Sporting Lisbon after joining the club in July.
