The Costa Rican Women’s National Soccer Team lost 1-0 against Jamaica in the third-place game of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.
Las Ticas did manage to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. However, they will not be able to continue to fight for a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Costa Rican National Team started the match against Jamaica with an aggressive attack. At the beginning of the first half, they had two very clear options that could not be scored by the Costa Rican forwards.
At the end of the first half, the score was 0-0 despite the dominance and constant attacks by the Costa Rican team.
In the second half, Jamaica was more aggressive. The offenses led by Drew Spence and Jody Brown complicated the game for Costa Rica.
Costa Rican goalkeeper Daniela Solera was the second-half star. Her excellent skills denied Jamaica’s goals.
During the third minute of added time, Raquel Rodríguez shot in front of the goal, and the ball smashed against the post.
The game then went to extra time, and in the 102nd minute, Kalyssa Vanzanten shot on goal, making it 0-1.
In the end, the Costa Ricans left heart, soul, and life on the field. Even though exhaustion was noticeable during the overtime, they did not stop running and trying to tie the game. Determination and desire to qualify for the Olympics moved them, even when the heat and physical exhaustion seemed to tear them down.
Although the United States and Canada are the strongest teams in the area, several teams have proven their growth.
Costa Rica’s coach, Amelia Valverde, acknowledged the progress of CONCACAF’s national teams.
Valverde also commented on the match, mentioning it was hard-fought, physically demanding, and indicated areas for improvement. She also said that she was disappointed with fourth place in the tournament.
“Of course, I’m not going to be happy; we were aiming to be in the top three. We had some chances but didn’t score; it is how it is. Unfortunately, in a careless mistake, we conceded the goal. We tried to get back on track, we changed the system towards the end, but it didn’t work out,” said Valverde.
