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USA and Costa Rica Share Points
Published by footballholic on October 15, 2009
With three big points on the line, the sides came out fast and showed purpose in the opening minutes. Lots of back and forth possession, but no real chances as neither side seemed to have a good hold on the ball.
The first chance of the game came after only five minutes when the ball was played into the U.S. box by Costa Rican captain Walter Centeno who was able to nudge it ahead to forward Alvoro Saborio, but the two ended up making a mess of it and the ball eventually rolled into Tim Howard’s grateful grasp.
Exchanging the ball for most of the first ten minutes, the teams may have been bothered by the unrelenting rain that was coming down. The pitch was in good shape, but sustaining possession wasn’t something either side wanted to do.
Bob Bradley’s men were willing to hit Costa Rica on the break and in the 9th minute, the minute that the crowd paid homage to Charlie Davies, they had a real chance at opening the scoring.
After some pressure on the U.S. end, the ball was played long to Jozy Altidore who held up three Costa Rican defenders and spotted a streaking Conor Casey in the center of the park. The Hull City forward was able to play the ball to Casey who was in alone on the keeper. Taking it first time, Casey curled the ball high and wide of the goal, when he probably should have taken a touch or two.
It wan’t long before Costa Rica had their first solid chance of the match as in the 11th minute, captain Centeno was in the middle of the action for a second time. Working things down the left side of the pitch, Costa Rica used Esteban Sirias to knock the ball over the top to Centeno who was waiting at the edge of the six-yard box. A thunderous volley later and Howard was forced to parry the ball into touch.
The match continued to flow with a quickening pace, one that neither team seemed to mind. In a similar situation to the Centeno volley, the U.S. was able to work the ball down the flank through Stuart Holden. The Dynamo midfielder then knocked the ball over the top to Altidore who has an open header that the 19-year-old pushes way wide.
Then came the breakthrough in the 21st minute. It wasn’t the home side who were able to get on the scoresheet first, but the visiting Costa Ricans, who were in desperate need of points. Again working down the left, they were able to slip the ball along the edge of the area to striker Bryan Ruiz, who used a nice start-stop dummy on Oguchi Onyewu and was able to slice his way into the area past the AC Milan center back. Cutting the corner around Onyewu, Ruiz was in on Howard and blasted a shot through the keeper’s legs for the 1-0 lead.
Stunned by the opening strike, the U.S. fell back on their heels a bit and allowed Costa Rica to come out at them with more attacking moves. Only three minutes after their first goal, the visitors were able to extend their lead, again through Ruiz.
This time working on the right side of the pitch, the Costa Ricans created a triangle of sorts at the edge of Tim Howard’s box and some more excellent passing resulted in the ball coming to Ruiz’ boots. Streaking in from the corner of the area, Ruiz blasted a powerful left-footed shot that sailed into the far right corner, a shot that gave Howard absolutely no chance.
It may have taken two goals to get the U.S. moving, but after the second they put some genuine pressure on the Costa Rican backline, mainly through the creative vision and poise of one Landon Donovan.
Three end-of-half chances were given to Donovan and co., but none of them were converted. First, Altidore was able to hold the ball up nicely for Donovan who used a few tricks to play himself into the area. His shot was erratic, however, and was sent sailing over the net.
As the first half whistle approached, the U.S. manufactured two more chances through Donovan and Altidore, both with direct shots on Costa Rican keeper Keilor Navas, and both of which he was able to keep out of his net.
Second Half
The second half started just the way the first did, except in this 45 there wasn’t as much rain, as the clouds appeared to have closed up for the game’s remaining stanza.
Playing the aggressor in the early going, the U.S. were working the ball around the pitch well, using both sides of their attack to get the ball into the attacking third. Donovan was the key figure again in the home side’s attempt at pulling one back, but nothing substantial came from the first 10 minutes of the final half.
Costa Rica were the first of the two teams to get a quality chance on goal as the goalscorer Ruiz found himself in a bit of space at the top of the area and decided to have a crack. Shooting low and hard, Ruiz forced a save out of Howard who bobbled the powerful line drive.
The play became a bit choppy as the second half opened up, with the frustration of being down 2-0 at home becoming clear in the way the United States were playing. Deep shots and wasteful balls were the name of the game as the home team didn’t appear to have the patience for much else.
Deciding a change was needed, Bob Bradley first brought on Jose Francisco Torres for Benny Feilhaber and then Robbie Rogers for Stuart Holden. The latter made an immediate on the match as he was able to stretch the Costa Rica back four with his pace down the right flank.
With the U.S. pressure mounting consistently as the second half kept rolling, Costa Rica found themselves playing on the back foot. In the 72nd minute they would crack and allow the United States to pull one back. Playing the ball in from the right, Rogers found Donovan inside the box. A calm touch was needed and Donovan delivered as he played it around his defender and shot it straight at Navas. The keeper was able to stop the initial shot, but he couldn’t control the rebound and Michael Bradley was able to slam it home to cut the lead in two.
Barely allowing Costa Rica to leave their end, the United States kept the pressure up as the game worked its way into the last fifteen minutes. Rogers the super sub was at it again in the 77th minute as this time he worked his way into the middle and found himself on the end of a Steve Cherundolo cross, one that he nodded just wide of the far post.
Jozy Altidore reintroduced himself to the match in the 80th minute when the ball was played along the turf to him on the left side of the box. Following it in to the area, Altidore struck it with his left only to see it float over the net, a chance that he should have done much better with.
A scary moment happened late in the second as a deep ball was played across the area that center back Onyewu tried to latch on to but in his attempt to rise to the ball it appeared his planting knee gave out he fell awkwardly. Calling for a stretcher right away, Gooch was taken off the field in obvious pain.
Playing with 10-men is never an easy task, especially when down a goal, and despite keeping the heat on Costa Rica, it looked like the home side weren’t going to complete the comeback
With five minutes of extra time, the United States threw everyone forward, hoping to make the comeback a reality and with seconds left on the clock, it happened. The Americans forced a corner on the right side of the pitch, this would be their last chance at tying. The ball was played in and the unlikeliest of heroes made the connection that brought the U.S. level. Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was the man who got his head to the ball and was able to knock it home to tie things up.
It was the most dramatic of finishes, but with the point, the U.S. were able to top the Hexagonal group given that Mexico tied Trinidad & Tobago by the same scoreline. Going into next summer’s tournament on a high, the team now has eight months of preparation left after an exhilarating 2009.
Shane Evans, Goal
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