‘Bronze medal, but a team of gold’: Ticas finish third at Pan American Games

An 82nd-minute goal from Daniela Cruz was enough to propel Costa Rica’s women’s national soccer team to the bronze medal at the Pan American Games.

Cruz’s late goal gave the Ticas a 1-0 victory over Paraguay and established Costa Rica among the best sides in the Americas.

The result marked Costa Rica’s first medal in women’s soccer in 20 years.

🥉Medalla de Bronce, Equipo de ORO!
Imágenes de la victoria de #LaSeleFemenina🇨🇷 ante la selección de Paraguay en #Lima2019 📷 Juegos Panamericanos Lima 2019.#VamosTicas pic.twitter.com/aS4nMiW2Lt

— FEDEFUTBOL Costa Rica (@fedefutbolcrc) August 10, 2019

With La Sele’s third-place finish, Costa Rica has now accumulated four medals at the 2019 Pan American Games, highlighted by Andrea Vargas’s first-place finish in the 100m hurdles.

Nishy Lee Lindo earned bronze in the taekwondo women’s under-57 kg class, and the duo of Felipe Camacho and Andrés Acuña took home the bronze in racquetball.

Costa Rica has participated in every iteration of the Pan American Games, which were first held in 1951.

Tico athletes have now earned a total of 24 medals: six gold, six silver and 12 bronze.

Watch the game-winning goal (and the full match) below or on YouTube.