QCOSTARICA SPORTS – “Goleada” (trashing) is what happened last night as Costa Rica’s national soccer team lost 4-0 to the U.S. in Copa America play.
In soccer and other sports, goleada refers to a large number of goals a teams gets to another, especially if there is much difference with the amount of goal.
The trashing began early, the U.S. putting in three goals in the first half. Coming off a loss Friday against Colombia, the Americans “could not have been more sizzling at Soldier Field”, said the LA Times.
Before the game Tuesday, speculation was that the U.S., host to the Copa America, were on their way out. A loss to the Ticos would have meant elimination, the best expected was a tie to stay alive.
In dismantling the Costa Rican team, the U.S. picked up three needed points in the Group A standing and with one group-play game remaining, on Saturday against Paraguay, the U.S. could make the quarterfinals.
As to the Ticos, they controlled possession for most of the first half, but a limited defense and no Keylor Navas in the net, the U.S. pounded them. The Ticos only had a couple of opportunities against goalie Brad Guzan.
“The U.S. leaves La Sele in a coma: the aura of Brazil is snuffed out,” was the headline at Telenoticias this morning.
The much awaited “vengeance” (for the March 2013 game in the snow) never happened. In bars across the country and we can safely say across homes in Costa Rica, its was eerily quiet.
Analysts are blaming mostly the defense, calling it a “paper defense with no room for praise” and the “Ticos giving up to the unquestionable superiority of the U.S. team”, a team that has been called the worst in recent years and expected to lose against Costa Rica.
One sports commentator this morning also blamed the refereeing, “it didn’t help in any way”, referring to what are being seen as some bad calls.
With last night’s loss, Costa Rica is at the bottom of the Group A standings. Colombia leads with 6 points, the U.S. is second with 3 points and Paraguay with 1 point, like Costa Rica, but fewer goals against.
The Ticos play Colombia on Saturday, June 11, in Houston, Texas.
