Costa Ricans Plan FIFA Protest Citing Belfast World Cup Postponement

USA 1 : 0 Costa Rica

Match Report by Paul Crabbe at DSG Park

See Corbin Elliott’s Match Photo Gallery

Crisis in the locker room? Losing the first match of qualifying? Snow problem.

Call it Snowmageddon, SnOMG, the Rocky Mountain Whiteout, or the Abominable Snow-Match (just a few of the many ways this match would be described by the many media outlets that covered this match):

For the 19,374 who came from all four corners of the country to brave the elements at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on a cold snowy Friday night in suburban Denver, they witnessed the USMNT turn around their fortunes after a poor start to the hexagonal phase.

In 90 minutes, they jumped from the cellar to 2nd place in the table with a 1-0 win against Los Ticos in Matchday 2 of the Hexagonal Phase of the 2014 World Cup Qualifying for CONCACAF. This match was a reason why we as people watch sports, as it will always create memories that will live in folklore and will be engraved in the hearts of fans for years to come.

With Mexico slipping up against Honduras earlier in the day blowing a 0-2 lead to draw 2-2 and Jamaica and Panama running to a 1 all draw earlier in the day, taking all 3 points to both sides involved in the match were very critical as both sides have a long way to travel for their matches on Tuesday (albeit Costa Rica gets their Tuesday match at home to Jamaica).

As the match drew nearer, the snow started to fall harder. Even with the best efforts of the regular Colorado Rapids groundskeepers (which did an amazing job all match keeping the important lines shoveled and visible): except for the touchlines, midfield line, center circle, and the penalty areas, the pitch was like a scene out of a Christmas card with plenty of snow.

As the match progressed, the snow and the temperature dropped together faster in succession.

One of the main talking points of the match for days to come will involve the man US boss Jurgen Klinsmann put his faith in wearing the captains armband in midfielder Clint Dempsey.

Sidelined the past few weeks at his Tottenham Hotspur club with a calf injury and only playing half of that match, Deuce played the full 90 in the cold and altitude, and provided the lone, but all important goal in the 16th minute.

After Dempsey shot a prayer that just barely sailed wide left of the Tico net, the ensuing goal kick went straight to Graham Zusi, who started a counter attack with a pass to Dempsey, which Dempsey passed off to Jozy Altidore, who made an attempt on goal, which ricocheted off defender Roy Miller, bounced right into the middle, and Dempsey, following the play, finished into a wide open net which put the Yanks ahead and for good.

Around the 42nd minute, the Yanks had the cause for a penalty when Dempsey was blatantly tripped up in the box, but no call was made.

Dempsey didn’t feel much that there was a penalty on the trip, but did comment the ensuing handball in the box as play went on should’ve been ruled a penalty.

As one would expect, the patience and frustration with the Tico players and technical staff fell just as quickly as the snow did.

Tico Captain Bryan Ruiz was quoted that the match “should’ve been suspended in the 16th minute”.

Costa Rica Manager Jorge Pinto couldn’t hold back his feelings about the conditions after the match:

“It disrespected the integrity of the game and the integrity of the players. I feel it is an embarrassment. We’re going to talk about our options.”

Costa Rica’s Federation Vice President Jorge Hidalgo doubled-down on his manager’s comments, stating that his federation plans to protest this match to FIFA.

He expressed that his frustration that this match wasn’t suspended but over in Europe earlier that day a qualifier between Russia and Northern Ireland in Belfast was in lesser conditions (and today Saturday, the same fixture was postponed again to another date TBD).

“You can’t play in that. In these conditions, the referee has to suspend the game. For sure there is going to be a protest [to FIFA].

We hope this referee is going to be suspended for a month at least. Today another game was suspended in Europe [Northern Ireland-Russia] in less conditions than this one.”

Around the 55th minute, Salvadoran referee Joel Aguilar and Victor Daniel, FIFA’s Appointed Match Commissioner from Grenada, stopped the match to discuss continuing the match considering the snowing was falling even harder and accumulating more than earlier in the match.

The match continued after about 3 minutes of debate. After the match Klinsmann admitted that he was not going to let this match be abandoned over snow.

“I grew up in the snow. I played those games when I was little for many, many years. You adjust to the conditions. You try as much as you can to push it to their half and start the game from there.

You can’t pass through the channels to the midfield” Klinsmann had to say about playing in the snow…which he pushed further why he ran out of his box towards the referee when the match was stopped in the 55th minute.

“That’s why I went on the field with my bad Spanish…I didn’t want them to stop the game. They were only lines. Clear them up and keep playing.”

As the snow dug deep into the patience of all the players, it also caused for some nervy defense from the yanks, which also caused about the last exciting moment of this match and almost led to both sides sharing points in this fixture.

HEXAGONAL UPDATED TABLE
POS		TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A		GD	Pts
1		Honduras	2	1	1	0	4	3		1	4
2		USA	2	1	0	1	2	2		0	3
3		Mexico	2	0	2	0	2	2		0	2
4		Panama	2	0	2	0	3	3		0	2
5		Jamaica	2	0	2	0	1	1		0	2
6		Costa Rica	2	0	1	1	2	3		-1	1

Around the 68th minute, Jermaine Jones, after beating Bryan Ruiz to a ball, lost his mind and gave Ruiz an elbow and was lucky enough to not see yellow or red, setting up a dangerous free kick deep in the final 3rd.

Despite being cleared away easily, Herculez Gomez gave up the ball easily back to the Ticos and Michael Bradley had to throw himself in to concede a corner after a hard Roy Miller attempt on goal.

The defense still struggled on the ensuing corner to defend and it looked like Costa Rica drew level after Michael Umana headed in a goal from a great cross in from Michael Barrantes, but Joel Aguilar’s assistant William Torres, right on top of the play, correctly ruled the play to be offside, and the goal was called back.

Lineups:

USA : 1-Brad Guzan; 20-Geoff Cameron, 21-Clarence Goodson, 7-DaMarcus Beasley; 13-Jermaine Jones (6-Maurice Edu, 83), 4-Michael Bradley; 19-Graham Zusi (18-Eddie Johnson, 75), 8-Clint Dempsey, 9-Herculez Gomez (5-Kyle Beckerman, 90+4); 17-Jozy Altidore

Subs not used: 22-Sean Johnson, 12-Nick Rimando, 2-Tony Beltran, 14-Matt Besler, 3- Omar Gonzalez, 15- Justin Morrow, 10-Joe Corona, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 11-Brek Shea, 23-Terrence Boyd

Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

CRC : 1-Keylor Navas, 2-Christian Gamboa (6-Juan Diego Madrigal, 81), 3-Giancarlo Gonzalez, 4-Michael Umaña, 7-Cristian Bolaños (12-Joel Campbell, 62), 8-Bryan Oviedo (16-Diego Calvo, 73), 9-Alvaro Saborio, 10-Bryan Ruiz (capt.), 11-Michael Barrantes, 13-Ariel Rodriguez, 19-Roy Miller

Subs not used: 18-Patrick Pemberton, 5-Celso Borges, 14-Christopher Meneses, 15-Osvaldo Rodriguez, 17-Yeltsin Tejeda, 20-Kendall Waston, 21-Keylor Soto, 22-Jairo Arrieta

Head coach: Jorge Luis Pinto

Stats Summary: USA / CRC
Shots: 6 / 8
Shots on Goal: 1 / 5
Saves: 5 / 0
Corner Kicks: 2 / 4
Fouls: 16 / 15
Offsides: 1 / 5

Misconduct Summary:

CRC – Roy Miller (caution) 49^th minute
CRC – Giancarlo Gonzalez (caution) 90

Officials:
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: William Torres (SLV)
Fourth Official: Marlon Mejía (SLV)