COLUMBUS, Ohio – Celso Borges scored in the 64th minute against short-handed Jamaica for a 1-0 victory in the second match of Group A play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday (July 7).
Costa Rica improved to three points while Jamaica lost its second straight with one match remaining.
Borges got the goal off a service from Pablo Herrera, who entered the match 11 minutes earlier. Herrera’s cross from the right flank found an open Borges for a volley from 6 yards. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts got a hand on the shot but could not stop it.
With Jamaica pushing for the equalizer, Costa Rica had several chances to ice the match but Warren Granados could not get on the end of a Herrera pass in the 81st and Ricketts saved a shot from Walter Centeno the following minute.
Those misses nearly cost Costa Rican in the 90th minute but Jamaica’s Demar Phillips failed on a volley deep in the penalty area after a service from Omar Cummings.
The match was scoreless at the half but there was plenty of activity with each side getting three shots on goal and a straight red to Jamaica’s Rudolph Austin in the 35th minute. He was sent off by referee Jair Marrufo after his challenge on Borges near midfield. Austin appeared to kick Borges as he was on the ground.
Costa Rica looked for cracks with the extra man and found one in the 43rd minute when Froylan Ledezma’s side volley near the penalty spot was on target only to be saved by Rickets. He also snuck behind the defense on the left side for a near-side shot that Ricketts denied in stoppage time.
The Jamaicans made two changes to start the second half with forward Ricardo Fuller coming off for midfielder Jason Morrison and midfielder O’Neil Thompson replacing Nicholas Addlery.
Costa Rica countered in the 53rd minute when Granados came on for Ledezma and Herrera spelled midfielder Armando Alonso in a swap of midfielders. Cummings squandered a glorious opportunity for the game’s first goal in the 51st when he had a solo attack on Gonzalez. Cummings waited for support then tried to dribble and shoot around the keeper but Gonzalez was able to smother the attempt.
Jamaica had control early and produced four corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes. Ricardo Gardner had a shot deflected over the crossbar in the 13th and the ensuing corner resulted in a shot by Cummings. A minute later Cummings’ strike from 22 yards was saved by Gonzalez.
Costa Rica found its form in the 19th minute and Armando Alonso found himself open on the right side of the box for a low drive that Ricketts knocked aside for a corner. Costa Rica kept pressuring and Centeno followed with a header that skimmed the crossbar.
Costa Rica, the leader in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying was beaten 2-1 by El Salvador on Friday in Los Angeles, while Canada downed Jamaica 1-0.
Group play ends July 10 in Miami at FIU Stadium with Costa Rica facing Canada and El Salvador playing Jamaica.
