Costa Rica’s men’s under-20 soccer team qualified for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup on Tuesday after defeating Haiti 5-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout. The quarterfinal finished 1-1 after regulation and extra time, leaving Costa Rica’s World Cup hopes to be decided from the penalty spot.
Goalkeeper Ian O’Rourke became the hero of the night. After helping Costa Rica survive several dangerous Haitian attacks during the match, he stepped forward to score the decisive fifth penalty and send the young Ticos into the semifinals of the Concacaf U-20 Championship.
Haiti struck first in the ninth minute through Clavens Exantus. The forward received the ball with his back to goal, turned past the Costa Rican defense and fired a powerful shot into the net. Costa Rica pushed for an equalizer but struggled to break down a physical Haitian side during the remainder of the first half.
The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when Costa Rica received a penalty following a foul inside the area. Yerlan Sosa converted the kick to level the match at 1-1. Haiti created several of the better chances after the equalizer and repeatedly tested Costa Rica’s defense. O’Rourke made key interventions to keep the score tied and force the match into extra time.
Neither team found a winner during the additional 30 minutes. Costa Rica was perfect in the shootout. Sosa, Dax Palmer, David Garro and Yamil Leal converted the team’s first four attempts. Haiti scored its opening two kicks before Marckidens Tanis sent his attempt over the crossbar.
O’Rourke then took responsibility for Costa Rica’s fifth penalty. The goalkeeper calmly scored to complete the 5-3 shootout victory and trigger celebrations among the Costa Rican players and coaching staff. The result gives Costa Rica one of Concacaf’s four places at the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
It will be Costa Rica’s 10th appearance in the tournament and its first since the 2017 edition in India, ending a nine-year absence from the under-20 world championship. Costa Rica, coached by Randall Row, will face the United States in the semifinals on Friday, August 7. The United States advanced with a 3-1 victory over Guatemala.
The semifinal also keeps Costa Rica in contention for a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Only the winner of the Concacaf championship will claim the region’s available Olympic qualification place. The tournament final is scheduled for Sunday, August 9.
