No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaCosta Rica ties Paraguay in Copa América opener

Costa Rica ties Paraguay in Copa América opener

The final whistle on Costa Rica’s 0-0 tie with Paraguay in Saturday’s Copa América opener seemed to come out of mercy, ending an ugly game that La Sele was fortunate to leave from with a tie.

“We didn’t have control of the ball like we wanted and they really disrupted our rhythm,” head coach Óscar Ramírez told television reporters after the game. “I wasn’t happy to see that but Paraguay is a great team, too, and that’s what we can expect from South American teams.”

Costa Rica started the match off extremely slow as Paraguay controlled possession and pace for much of the first half. The Paraguayans should have scored twice in the 13th minute, once off a breakaway opportunity and then again off a set-piece header from captain Paulo da Silva that went just wide of the net.

In the 70th minute, Paraguay looked as if it was going to score again when the ball deflected off a corner kick and rolled towards goal, but keeper Patrick Pemberton made a diving save to keep his sheet clean.

Joel Campbell Copa America
Hector Retamal/AFP

The loss of all-star goalie Keylor Navas only would have mattered if Navas was planning on lining up at forward for La Sele. Marco Ureña and Joel Campbell were completely erased from the game and failed to keep possessions going or threaten Paraguay’s goal at all.

In the first half, Bryan Ruíz put a header on goal but it went right to the stomach of keeper Justo Villar. Costa Rica barely put a scare into Paraguay’s defense again until the 78th minute when defender Kendall Waston came close to putting in a goal.

Wing defenders Ronald Matarrita and Cristian Gamboa were the only players showing consistent activity for La Sele, as they did well in funnelling the ball up field.

Fellow defenseman Waston was thrown out of the game with a red card in extra time, but Paraguay didn’t have enough chances left by that point to take advantage of being one man up. Waston will now be suspended for the next game against the United States, leaving a huge hole for The Ticos to fill at the center back position.

With the tie, Costa Rica earns one point in Group A. La Sele is now tied with Paraguay for second place in the group after Colombia beat the U.S. 2-0 on Friday.

Costa Rica will now travel to Chicago where it takes on the home team United States this Tuesday with kick off at 5 p.m. Costa Rica time.

Trending Now

Costa Rican Court Orders Release of Migrants Deported Under Trump Deal

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants who had been detained in a shelter after being deported under an...

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...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

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....

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...
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