Preview

Three weeks on from their encounter in San Salvador, which ended in dramatic fashion when the home fans threw all sorts of objects on to the pitch to get the match abandoned six minutes from time, it was time for Costa Rica and El Salvador to clash again. This was the hosts’ final one from eight group stage qualifiers, while the visitors were still maidens, making their only second appearance. The way the game had ended last time around, with the home fans irate following a disallowed goal which would have meant 3-3 late on, there was an added dimension to this encounter. Costa Rica knew that another win would all but guarantee them World Cup participation, as they would have such a handy lead, and with the chasing pack all facing one another in the remaining matches. Could they do the El Salvadorians for a second successive game and qualify for Italy? The visitors had a new Yugoslav coach since that home defeat in Kiril Dojčinovski, a 45 year old. 

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Costa Rica	7	4	1	2	9	6	9
2	USA	4	2	1	1	4	3	5
3	Guatemala	3	1	0	2	3	4	2
4	Trinidad&Tobago	3	0	2	1	2	3	2
5	El Salvador	1	0	0	1	2	4	0

Following their excellent 4-2 win in El Salvador, and also thanks to their rivals’ inability to consistently achieve results, Costa Rica have put themselves in a very favourable position. Should they claim yet another win, and if so their fifth of the campaign, they look a very sound bet to claim one of the two CONCACAF World Cup berths. Naturally, the home support is very vociferous in the minutes leading up to the kick-off, and the atmosphere within Costa Rica’s national stadium is almost at a boiling point, as they can sense just how close their team are to an historic World Cup participation. 

We remember from San Salvador how Costa Rica lost striker Evaristo Coronado to injury as he was stretchered off. It was clearly serious enough for him to miss this match. In El Salvador, Álvaro Solano had come on in Coronado’s place, so one would’ve thought for him to be in line for a start on this occasion, but he is also not in the matchday squad. In their absence, manager Marvin Rodríguez opted for the previously uncapped Pastor Fernández, who had scored bucketloads of goals in the domestic league with Cartaginés. One of the main criteria for this choice was said to have been Fernández’ characteristics, which were similar to Coronado’s, meaning the new boy had great presence in the area and was good in the air. Otherwise, the team remained identical, while none of the five players on the bench were recognized strikers. 

The loss three weeks earlier had been El Salvador’s first appearance in the qualification series, so they had plenty of time and opportunities to make up for it, and still be a force to be reckoned with in the quest for a berth at Italia ’90. With the scandalous end to the game last time around and since learning that they’ll need to play their final three home matches outside of El Salvador, today’s visitors may feel somewhat disjointed already. If they intend to make a fight for it, they’ll need to be mentally prepared for the tasks ahead. Costa Rica have won their previous three home qualifiers, so the size of the job in front of them is huge. 

El Salvador’s now former Yugoslav manager Miroslav Vukašinović, like he’d informed on the eve of the home game, had stepped down from his post, leaving it up to fellow Yugoslav Kiril Dojčinovski to take over. The new supremo had rung the changes for this fixture, replacing no less than six players in the starting XI since the 4-2 loss. During that game they had lost centre-half Giovanni Trigueros to injury, and Leonel Cárcamo, who had come on as a substitute, would keep his place and start this time around. Goalkeeping veteran and a World Cup 1982 perfomer, Luis Guevara Mora, midfielders Alfredo Vásquez Flores and Ricardo García, as well as forwards Luis Ramírez Zapata (their solitary goalscorer at España ’82) and José María Rivas, had all been axed. 

30 year old ‘keeper Carlos Rivera was brought in between the sticks, with 31 year old Jorge ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles and teenager Guillermo Rivera coming into midfield. The same applied for 26 year old Otmaro Huezo (no relation to Norberto Huezo, the El Salvadorian captain at España ’82), a defensive player. The attacking Óscar Ulloa was also given a starting role. 

In the wake of the home loss against Costa Rica, then El Salvador supremo Vukašinović had lamented the loss of ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles, who had not been released by his Spanish topflight club Cádiz. The Yugoslav coach had said (and he wasn’t alone) that the Spain based midfielder, with five seasons behind him in the country’s highest level, is “the best player in Central America”. The new chief was lucky enough to have him on board for this fixture. 

Costa Rica (4-3-3)

Player	Notes	Age	Club
1 Luis Gabelo Conejo		29
2 Vladimir Quesada		23
3 Róger Flores (c)		32
4 Mauricio Montero		25
7 Claudio Jara	sub 62′	30
8 Germán Chavarría		31
9 Leony Flores		24
11 Pastor Fernández	10′	26
14 Juan Cayasso		28
15 Enrique Díaz		30
19 Héctor Marchena		24

Substitutes
x Jorge Hidalgo		25
12 Óscar Ramírez		24
18 Carlos Mario Hidalgo	on 62′	26
x Marvin Obando		29
x Edwin Salazar		26

Manager: Marvin Rodríguez

El Salvador (4-1-3-2)

Player	Notes	Age	Club
23 Carlos Rivera		30
3 Leonel Cárcamo		24
4 Nelson Rivera	56′, 76′	27
5 Jaime Rodríguez		30
7 Mauricio Cienfuegos	24′	21
8 Guillermo Rivera	sub 82′	19
11 Salvador Coreas (c)	29′	28
12 Jorge Ábrego	24′, sub h-t	24
16 Jorge ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles		31
20 Óscar Ulloa		25
22 Otmaro Huezo		26

Substitutes
9 Ricardo García	on 82′	23
14 Jaime Murillo	on h-t	25

Manager: Kiril Dojčinovski

Tactical line-ups

Match report

First half: 

Before the game could commence, the fussy referee and his pair of officials, joined by a representative from the Costarican FA, felt they needed to clear the running track on the near side from photographers and journalists, as they were present in numbers. Hence the game kicks off a few minutes late, though when it finally happens that the visitors get the party started, it is captain Salvador Coreas Privado and ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles who are the initiators. As the majority of those present feel, Costa Rica may just be 90 minutes of action away from their historical first ever World Cup participation. 

Three weeks earlier, Costa Rica’s left-sided forward Leony Flores had come head to head against El Salvador right-back Jorge Ábrigo, and it is possible that the pair were not the best of friends prior to the return match. Just after three minutes in, Ábrego goes in hard from behind on Flores, who goes down heavily, but one thinks it is to his credit when he immediately bounces back up again. However, his intention is of a sinister nature, as he seeks out Ábrego off the ball and retaliates by jumping on him and seemingly elbowing him to the ground. This particular piece of action seemed to be missed by commentator Leonel Jiménez, and it was barely captured in the side of the frame as the ball was elsewhere, but it was a nasty bit of work by the Costa Rican forward. Mind you, the initial ‘tackle’ had been very worthy of a yellow card, too. How did the linesman on this side miss out, though? It takes the visiting right-sided defender a minute and a half to return to action. 

There are numerous stops in play in the initial phase, and the game finds no rhythm, with neither team able to settle down and play. There is plenty of aggression on display from players in both sides, with some over the top tackles and little niggles, which ultimately prompts the referee to have a chat with the two respective captains, in hope that their teams focus on football rather than fouls. After the Ábrego/Flores incident, there’s a three minute long stop in play after El Salvador goalkeeper Carlos Rivera goes down claiming he’s been kicked in the head by Pastor Fernández, who attempted to connect with a Leony Flores cross from the left. The ‘keeper got to it, but seemed to fumble the ball, something which inspired the Costa Rica striker to try and reach it. From the replay there looks to be no touch from Fernández’ boot, and certainly not to the head. Rivera may be accused of play acting. It all seems part of a bigger plan with El Salvador clearly pleased that the game is a start-stop affair. Oh, and the Costa Rica debutant striker is booked, by the way, as the referee deemed him to have connected with goalkeeper Rivera. 

Since the clash in San Salvador, today’s visitors had reinforced their defensive in adding a holding midfield man, thus lining up in a formation akin to 4-1-3-2. The new national team coach, Kiril Dojčinovski, had brought Otmaro Huezo into this position. He was sitting just in front of the pair of central defenders, and his presence also meant that their more creative midfield outlets, such as Mauricio Cienfuegos and ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles, could concentrate more on tasks further up the pitch. 26 year old Huezo was combative, and early doors it took the home side’s two more attacking midfield men, Germán Chavarría and, to a larger extent, Juan Cayasso, some time before they were able to locate flaws in El Salvador’s defensive set-up. 

With the first half at its midway stage, the game has settled somewhat, but the hosts still find it difficult to get into their usual rhythm. El Salvador will be very pleased with their game plan, which clearly is to stifle the home side’s fluency, and to take the pace out of the game at any opportunity. That said, this is not by any means a poor El Salvadorian side, as they have players in their midst well capable of being creative, too. So far we have not seen the mythical ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles much, perhaps a couple of set-piece deliveries apart. Whenever the visitors look to mount, we see how Héctor Marchena monitors Gonzáles’ movements. The Costa Rican defensive midfield man is a fearsome battler, and he certainly has the ability to give any star player the run for their money. 

During the course of this World Cup qualification, we have become familiar with Costa Rica as a 4-3-3 unit, and their set-up again mirrors what we’ve seen in their recent matches. The backbone is solid, with Conejo in goal, captain Róger Flores and Mauricio Montero at the heart of the defence, and indeed with said Marchena in front of them in that holding midfield position. Both full-backs, Vladimir Quesada to the right and Enrique Díaz along the left, are dependable players who do not mind to cross the halfway line. The workmanlike Germán Chavarría works in the inside left midfield role, and the so far relatively quiet Juan Cayasso to Marchena’s advanced right. The front trio again have Claudio Jara as the right-sided option, with the speedy and, as he’s shown, feisty Leony Flores to the left, and on this occasion debutant Pastor Fernández in the centre. So far the latter has mainly been kept quiet. 

With so many new players coming into the El Salvadorian line-up for this first match for new head coach Dojčinovski, the interesting thing was to pinpoint their shape and the positioning of the players. Coming in between the sticks was Carlos Rivera, who had made the most of that earlier ‘clash’ with Fernández. So far he had not been put to any tests in a half bereft of chances either way. ‘Chelona’ Rodríguez, who had scored that wonder goal to draw the game level at 1-1 in San Salvador was their commanding centre-back, and alongside him was Leonel Cárcamo, who had been brought on for the injured Giovanni Trigueros last time out. The full-back pairing were once again Jorge Ábrego, whom we’ve already mentioned, and Nelson Rivera. 

The key to their defensive stability, at least judging from the opening 22-23 minutes, was the addition of a holding midfield man. The job had gone to Otmaro Huezo, who shielded his pair of centre-backs very well so far. Fairly powerfully built, he seemed to position himself well, and he would put himself about whenever the opportunity arose. This would allow ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles and Mauricio Cienfuegos ahead of him in central midfield to get on the ball, or at least in theory. Cienfuegos had been the livelier of the pair hitherto. Teenager Guillermo Rivera had mainly kept himself towards the left in midfield so far, and had not been brought into play a whole lot. Up top, skipper Salvador Coreas Privado was easily the more eye-catching, as he would constantly be on the move, typically working towards the right hand channel on this occasion. Óscar Ulloa as his forward partner had hardly been in the game at all until now. 

On 24 minutes, there’s a double booking for the visitors, when Ábrego is shown a yellow card for booting the ball away after the whistle has gone for a foul by Huezo on Leony Flores, and we also see Rodríguez uttering a couple of words in the direction of the referee, though he’s not reprimanded. Cienfuegos, though, has his name taken, although we have no video verification what his crime had been. It is likely he had said something which señor Orellana had not taken a liking to. Somehow, though, it felt ironic how Ábrego had not been prosecuted for that earlier foul on Flores, while his kicking the ball away was deemed a greater incrimination. It could, of course, well be that an accumulation of infringements had caught up with the El Salvadorian right-back. 

The home side steadily increase their grip on the game, and they even begin to create opportunities in front of Rivera. On 25 minutes, a Quesada free-kick from near the right wing corner flag reaches Jara, who needs to lean back somewhat, but he still gets decent power on his header, which goes straight at the goalkeeper from nine yards out, and a minute later Marchena lets fly from distance, albeit he doesn’t strike it cleanly, and so doesn’t trouble Carlos Rivera at all. When on 29 minutes Fernández flicks Jara through, the forward appears to be in a good position for a chip over the goalkeeper as he enters the area, but left-back Nelson Rivera recovers very well after he’d initially been found out through some indifferent positioning, and he gets a saving tackle in before Jara can finish. He gets mowed down by his namesake in goal for his efforts, but thankfully isn’t injured. 

While El Salvador continue to sit deep in their 4-1-3-2 formation and thus show a necessary level of collective discipline, some of the individual indiscipline on display is staggering. They receive a third caution in five minutes when Coreas on 29 minutes raises his arms and tries to prevent Conejo from quickly throwing the ball out to a team mate. This is not the kind of booking you want from one of your leading players. 

Since there is hardly any onus at all from the visitors to go on the attack, or at least to do so committing several players simultaneously, it is noticeable how Costa Rica increasingly allow Chavarría to participate inside the opposition’s final third of the pitch. He may not have the stylishness of his midfield compatriot Cayasso, but the stocky, moustached 31 year old has plenty of endeavour and effort, and he makes runs on the ball deep into enemy territory on a couple of occasions. As this had not been part of the hosts’ tactics earlier, it seems to confuse the El Salvadorians as to which player should look out for these runs from the Costa Rican #8. 

The home side wish to enter the dressing rooms for the half-time break with a goal’s advantage, and they do continue to tighten the screw on the visitors, pinning El Salvador deep inside their own half. However, with so many bodies in the way, Costa Rica find it difficult to worry goalkeeper Carlos Rivera, now sporting a headband following that earlier collision with his left-back Nelson Rivera when the latter made the crucial intervention to deny Jara.

In a rare foray by the visitors, we see how Coreas attempts a shot from just inside the left corner of the area, although it never threatens goalkeeper Conejo, while at the other end there had earlier been futile claims for a penalty as Leony Flores had gone down following a challenge in the area by Cienfuegos. With the referee well positioned to allow play to continue, the calls quickly petered out. And then, three minutes from the break, left-back Díaz is returned the ball from Fernández and takes a right-footed shot from 27-28 yards which touches Rodríguez on its way towards the goal frame. With Rivera beaten, the ball kisses the outside of the post almost by the angle where it connects with the bar, and goes out for a left wing corner. It had been the best chance of the half. Yet!

The earlier time wasting by the visitors caught up with them at the end of the half. Referee Orellana had no intention of sending the pair of teams into the dressing rooms by the end of regulation time, as play continued. There was in total an unprecedented eight (!) minutes of extra time being played, and on 53 minutes indeed, Costa Rica carved out an even bigger goalscoring opportunity than the one which Díaz had arrived at, when Flores’ free-kick from the left into the area was only partially cleared by Rodríguez for Cayasso to head back in, and Marchena flung himself at the ball with a bicycle kick, drawing a strong reaction save from Rivera to tip it over for yet another flag kick. So close! 

The video cuts thereafter, though the half time score is nil apiece. Perhaps had the game continued even beyond the just mentioned corner kick. 

Second half: 

Despite the first 45 minutes, or 53 plus as it turned out, having been a tepid affair in terms of opportunities created, it had still been rather eventful, with a number of noteworthy incidents. Towards the end there had even been some decent goalscoring chances by the Costaricans, and they’ll want to continue where they had let off, with Marchena’s bicicleta being the highlight, as it drew a fine reaction save from Rivera. No changes in the home side’s set-up for the start of the second half, as they look to get that elusive win which they feel will more or less guarantee them a place at Italia ’90. For the visitors, though, there is a change with Ábrego departing and 25 year old Jaime Murillo coming in for the right-back. Ábrego was on a yellow, and had taken a couple of first half knocks. 

The start to the second half is no fireworks. The tempo is low, and there are few initiatives off the ball. Pitchwise it is hard and bumpy, and far from as green and lush as could have been prefered, though obviously the conditions are identical for both parties. 

For the visitors, substitute Murillo has been a straight swap for Ábrego, slotting in at that right-back berth. The threat from Flores has not been significant in the opening ten minutes of the half, and so Murillo has rarely been put to the test, although he sloppily conceded a corner at one stage. In midfield, Cienfuegos and Gonzáles seem to participate more actively early in the second half than what had been the case for the majority of the opening 45 minutes. Surely, this could only benefit El Salvador, as the pair clearly are gifted technically. However, the great ‘Mágico’ had not displayed much when it had come to closing down opponents. It had been an underwhelming performance from the Spain based ace so far, although the negative tactics surely had something to say in that. Cienfuegos, a schemer, had often given chase out of possession, but was also someone more favourable to his surroundings when he was brought into play. Nothing had come of it attack wise so far, though. 

In the home camp, Fernández had looked to rid himself of those debutant nerves which had played their part in keeping him quiet for the first half an hour. He had worked the channels better towards the end of the first half, and continued now after the break. He was being tracked by Cárcamo, and whenever Costa Rica’s centre-forward took his marker out of position, gaps would appear in the centre, where Rodríguez would need Huezo’s assistance in keeping it tight. The latter would need to attend to Marchena, though, and wasn’t always available. Not that the hosts could yet profit. One got the impression that they were playing with the handbrake on, perhaps a sign of just how much was at stake for them; they couldn’t quite stop being affected by the circumstances. 

56 minutes in, Fernández has pulled wide to the right, and he’s won a free-kick off let-back Nelson Rivera, who then is booked for not retreating when told to do so. From the right of the penalty area, six-seven yards from the byline, Leony Flores swings over the free-kick, and by the edge of the six yard area debutant Pastor Fernández has gained half a yard on his marker Cárcamo to unchallengedly guide his header into the back of the net. He had connected sweetly and directed the ball to the left of Rivera, and Costa Rica had finally got their goal. The stadium erupted with celebrating supporters, and the players rushed to congratulate the marksman with his goal. Should this scoreline remain through to full time, only thin theory can deny Costa Rica a trip to Europe next year. 

El Salvador do not raise their game immediately, as they seem to be stuck in their defensive mindset. With this their only second game of the series, it was understandable that they saw a point away at the group leaders as a good result, but by the look of things there was no ‘plan B’ prepared for any eventualities. And now, a goal down, they continue to labour, struggling to string passes together in midfield, with players like Gonzáles and Coreas too rarely involved. 

The hosts are adrenaline-fuelled after their massively important goal, and it appears to have done the goalscorer good, which is hardly a surprise. Fernández had indeed looked increasingly more involved, and through his headed goal he had totally justified the coach’s belief in him as a natural successor for the injured Evaristo Coronado. On 62 minutes, Marvin Rodríguez decides to introduce Carlos Mario Hidalgo, an attacking midfielder, for Jara, who has had an average afternoon out along the right hand side in their attacking trio. As it turns out, and we’ve seen this earlier in the qualification, the substitution sees Cayasso move from his inside right midfield position and into the wide right forward role left vacant by Jara, while Hidalgo slots into Cayasso’s previous role. 

Straight after the home side’s substitution, El Salvador manage to arrive at a couple of scares with ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles first coming close as he picks up Murillo’s poorly executed shot from a distance, skips past Róger Flores, before he delivers an angled attempt which only just clears the upright from a wide right position inside the area, upon which the otherwise invisible Ulloa gets up above Montero to head Coreas’ right wing cross over the bar from six yards out. Conejo was livid at how this drop in concentration levels all of a sudden had nearly seen the El Salvadorians get back on equal terms. 

Costa Rica steady the ship again after these pair of opportunities for the visitors. Chavarría, whom had been seen in a more roving role in the second part of the first half, had dropped deeper again in support of Marchena at the base of their midfield, something which denied the El Salvadorians space, and Hidalgo would settle into the rhythm of the game. Costa Rica would almost expose the away side midway through the half, as Quesada joined in operations coming forward before feeding Cayasso, who could have had a pop himself, but who directed the ball onwards to Leony Flores, whose flying header went well over the bar. 

It turns out El Salvador have nothing to offer as an attacking capacity, and so the game continues along a rather modest pattern, with the hosts pleased with their single goal advantage. Marchena remains a vital platform at the base of their midfield, and anything attempted from the visitors which comes through the centre of the pitch is left for the Costa Rica hard man to deal with. He is very effective, and appears to be such a big player in Rodríguez’ plans. Substitute Hidalgo still doesn’t arrive at much, and it could be argued how Cayasso had been a bigger influence in that very midfield role. As a wide right forward, the latter was less of a threat. And on the topic of wide forwards, the streetwise Leony Flores attempts to sneak a low shot in at the near post with about a quarter of an hour remaining, although to his credit, Carlos Rivera has his post covered and saves well. 

If the game isn’t over as a contest yet, the away side are their own worst enemies when they have left-back Nelson Rivera sent off for what had initially looked like an innocuous foul on Cayasso, but upon viewing the replay from an alternative angle, it can be seen how the defender, who was already on a yellow, had gone in rather nastily on the now wide right forward with a stamping attempt. Rivera had looked quite grumpy as the game had progressed, and the referee had had just about enough at this point. He needs to be shown the way to the touchline by ‘Mágico’ Gonzáles, and El Salvador must see the game out a man short. 

In the wake of the sending off, centre-back Cárcamo moves out to left-back, and holding midfielder Huezo, whose influence on the game has probably vaned somewhat after a fine 20-25 minutes of the first half, drops back into central defence alongside Rodríguez. This leaves El Salvador with a reduced presence in the centre of the pitch, as neither Cienfuegos nor Gonzáles appreciate claiming heavy defensive responsibility. However, it is a couple of right wing corners in quick succession which pose the next threat against the visitors, as Leony Flores first draws a flying save on his near post by the ‘keeper, before the custodian again comes into work from the next bit of action, as Flores again is in the thick of the action, lifting a cross towards the back stick. Rivera tips the ball on to his own crossbar and out of harm’s way. 

Eight minutes from time, Dojčinovski introduces his second and final substitute for the day. Young midfielder Guillermo Rivera, who had not really done a whole lot during the game, at least not in a creative capacity, is taken off and replaced by Ricardo García. The 23 year old had started in the home fixture against the Costa Ricans, and perhaps had it been a surprise when he was omitted from the starting eleven here in San José. He would slot directly into the position left vacant by his predecessor. 

In the final few minutes, both teams are just playing through the motions, and there is little noteworthy happening out on the pitch. The home support are in a feverish mood, and they are hardly bothered that the game is at a walking pace. We see lanky left-back Díaz strike on goal from all of 30 yards a few minutes from time, although El Salvador’s best player on the day, goalkeeper Rivera, has it covered, and he also needs to tip a lofted ball from Cayasso over his own bar thereafter. 

The referee lets the game continue until a minute into injury time, though upon the final whistle, players, management and fans alike can finally let their emotions loose, as they feel they have already secured a place in the World Cup. It should be noted how it is still possible for both USA and Trinidad&Tobago to also reach a tally of 11 points, which could ultimately decide qualification on goal difference, even if this appears an unlikely scenario. The way the Costa Rican supporters feel, the bars and the joints in San José will run dry in a few hours. The carneval atmosphere is a joy to behold. 

Final score: Costa Rica 1, El Salvador 0. 

Table: 
1. Costa Rica 8 5 1 2 10-6 11
2. USA 4 2 1 1 4-3 5
3. Guatemala 3 1 0 2 3-4 2
4. Trinidad&Tobago 3 0 2 1 2-3 2
5. El Salvador 2 0 0 2 2-5 0