BACOLET, Tobago – Celso Borges scored two second-half goals and lifted Costa Rica to a 3-2 victory over Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday, giving the Ticos command of the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
Borges, who scored in the 13th minute Wednesday night in San Jose in a 3-1 victory over the United States, scored in the 52nd and 69th minutes, to give Costa Rica 12 points atop the standings as the final round of qualifying reached its midpoint.
Three of the six teams will qualify automatically for the 32-team field in South Africa with the fourth-place finisher entering a playoff with the fifth-place finisher from South America for the last berth.
Borges’ first goal gave Costa Rica a 2-1 lead before second-half substitute Collin Samuel equalized in the 63rd. Borges then restored the advantage, finishing unmarked from the middle of the penalty after Pablo Herrera drove a cross from the right side through the box.
Trinidad, playing its first game under player-coach Russell Latapy who replaced Francisco Maturana in April, remained with two points after four games and precariously in last place.
Trinidad started quickly, dominating the first 15 minutes before a home crowd in Dwight Yorke Stadium and taking the lead in the 30th minute when Gonzalo Segares gave away a free kick 35 yards from goals and Carlos Edwards drove a right-footed ball past an apparently misplaced wall. The shot was well left of the wall, skipped twice and entered just inside the left post past slowly reacting Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas.
Costa Rica reacted by testing Clayton Ince two minutes later, forcing the Trinidad keeper to tip Alvaro Saborio’s header over the bar.
But Saborio converted in the 41st, appearing to mis-hit a cross by Esteban Sirias by missing with his right leg but deflecting it inadvertently with his right thigh, dribbling it between Ince and the far post.
Borges capitalized on a Trinidad mistake to put Costa Rica ahead in the 52nd, reacting to Dennis Lawrence’s attempted headed clearance. Lawrence cleared the ball up the middle, where Borges ran on and drove a ball from inside the area.
Samuel, who replaced Hayden Tinto to start the second half, restored the life to the crowd in the 63rd. Kenwyne Jones had the ball at the top of the area before Segares forced the ball wide, where Samuel ran on and drove a ball that Navas was able to partially block, but not stop from bouncing into the goal.
Costa Rica next will enter the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July before returning to World Cup qualifying in August. Trinidad must travel to Mexico on Wednesday to face an opponent it has only beaten three times in 15 matches.
