Costa Rica was left to lament two disallowed goals, as their 2-2 draw against Panama ultimately saw them eliminated from the CONCACAF Nations League with a 3-2 aggregate defeat. In team news, interim head coach Claudio Vivas made two changes from last week’s defeat, with Alejandro Bran replacing the injured Juan Pablo Vargas and Ariel Lassiter coming in for Alonso Martinez, as Francisco Calvo reverted to his customary center-back position.
First-half
After just four minutes, Costa Rica got off to the dream start when they were awarded a penalty after Edgardo Fariña hacked down Manfred Ugalde in the box. But Warren Madrigal was unable to convert the spot-kick, with Orlando Mosquera comfortably saving the tame effort.
The miss seemed to rouse the home team, with Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira making several good saves afterward, and in the 13th minute, the pressure finally took its toll when Panama scored the opener through defender Cesar Blackman, who bundled the ball home from close range.
10 minutes later, Los Ticos equalized, and what a goal it was. Alejandro Bran let rip a speculative strike from over 30 yards out, and Mosquera could only watch as the effort nestled inside the right-hand post. A wonder goal out of nowhere, and game on!
The half looked like it was going to finish all square until, on the stroke of stoppage time, when Panama winger José Rodriguez’s exquisite curling effort from 25 yards out went past Sequeira’s fingertips and into the top left corner of the net, an effort worthy of matching Bran’s earlier one.
A sucker punch for La Sele, as it meant they had to score two goals without conceding another to progress—a monumental task.
Second-half
At half-time, Claudio Vivas made two substitutions, with Alexis Gamboa replacing captain Francisco Calvo and Joel Campbell taking the place of Jefferson Brenes, as Vivas changed to an even more attacking line-up in the hopes of getting back into the tie.
In the 58th minute, Los Calaneros should have finished off the contest when defender Fidel Escobar’s powerful volley from close range crashed against the bar—a real let-off for Los Ticos.
Just as the game looked like it was slipping out of La Sele’s reach, the substitute Alonso Martinez bundled the ball in from close range, but it was excruciatingly disallowed for handball, a defeating moment. But the players didn’t let it affect them, as just minutes later, they finally scored, again through Martinez! When he converted Julio Cascante’s header across Panama’s six-yard box.
Things appeared to get even better when, with just 15 minutes to go, Martinez calmly converted Kenneth Vargas’s cross, but it was again heartbreakingly disallowed with Vargas being offside in the build-up.
The bedlam continued when, in the 80th minute, Escobar was given a straight red after karate-kicking substitute Anthony Contreras on the edge of the box when he was clear through on goal.
In the 96th minute, Contreras had the chance to score the winner, but he agonizingly headed over from close range, and that concluded a truly absorbing match, with Panama advancing to the semi-finals while Costa Rica were left to ponder what could have been.
Player Ratings
1) Patrick Sequeira – 7.5/10 (MOTM)
3) Jeyland Mitchell – 6/10
6) Julio Cascante – 6/10
15) Francisco Calvo (C) – 3.5/10
11) Ariel Lassiter – 3.5/10
19) Kenneth Vargas – 6/10
10) Brandon Aguilera – 5.5/10
16) Alejandro Bran – 7/10
13) Jefferson Brenes – 3.5/10
17) Warren Madrigal – 3.5/10
9) Manfred Ugalde – 6/10
Substitutes
12) Joel Campbell (for Jefferson Brenes 45th minute) – 4/10
4) Alexis Gamboa (for Francisco Calvo 45th minute) – 6/10
14) Alonso Martínez (for Manfred Ugalde 62nd minute) – 7.5/10
8) Randall Leal (for Brandon Aguilera 66th minute) – 6/10
7) Anthony Contreras (for Warren Madrigal 73rd minute) – N/A
Coach
Claudio Vivas- 4/10
He has demonstrated that he does not have the tactical acumen to guide this side forward in the long term. His team selection was naively void of any defensive solidity, and they were picked off by the shrewd Panama at ease. The home side should have scored more goals, and the 2-2 final scoreline flattered La Sele in all truth.
The midfield was bypassed entirely, with the coach’s entire game plan relying on long balls in the hope that the frontline could produce something from loose balls.
Such a talented crop of players are too good for such a rudimentary system, and Los Ticos must appoint a coach who can unlock their full potential, and Vivas certainly is not that man. The team spirit was definite, but there was a distinct lack of quality, and going forward, Thomas Christiansen’s Panama would be an excellent blueprint for the Costa Rican Football Federation to heed—an attractive footballing side with a specific and organized style of play combined with a united mentality.
