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These two had met in Guatemala City two weeks earlier, when today’s visitors had inflicted a 1-0 scoreline on Costa Rica thanks to a decisive goal from the penalty spot a few minutes before the half-time break. Needless to say Costa Rica could ill afford to drop home points on this occasion, as they sought to avenge the result from back then. Guatemala had defended well last time out, and would surely consider a point here a massive achievement. 

Footage shows how there appears to be quite a noticeable wind across the length of the pitch, with the home side playing into it during the opening 45 minutes. 

The major talking point in Costa Rica since last time around had been the change in management. Gustavo de Simone had been axed after the loss in Guatemala City, and in had come Antonio Moyano and Marvin Rodríguez as a tandem. This was 60 year old Moyano’s third time in charge of the national team, and he had until recently been with topflight club Herediano. 54 year old Rodríguez had arrived to his new post from Municipal Puntarenas, another member of the top league in Costa Rica. He had previously had no less than three brief spells as the national side manager. 

Since the encounter in Guatemala, Costa Rica under their new joint managers have made no less than four changes to their starting line-up, with Jara, Solano, Guimarães and Medford paving way for Obando, Ramírez, Hidalgo and Cayasso. Three from four starting midfielders in Guatemala City have been left out. For todays visitors, there are two changes from the eleven which took to the pitch last time around, with no Funes and no Westphal around. Coming into their side are McDonald, who came on as a substitute then, and Paniagua.

Costa Rica (4-3-3)

Player	Notes	Age	Club
1 Luis Gabelo Conejo		29
2 Vladimir Quesada	sub 73′	22
3 Róger Flores (c)		29
4 Mauricio Montero		25
5 Marvin Obando		28
6 Carlos Hidalgo	sub 55′-60′ (?)	26
8 Germán Chavarría		31
11 Evaristo Coronado		28
12 Óscar Ramírez		24
14 Juan Cayasso	56′	27
15 Enrique Díaz		30

Substitutes
10 Enrique Rivers	on 55′-60′ (?)	28
16 Gilberto Rhoden	on 73′	26

Managers: Antonio Moyano and Marvin Rodríguez

Guatemala (4-4-2)

Player	Notes	Age	Club
22 Ricardo Jérez		32
3 Allan Wellman		34
4 Alejandro Ortíz		30
5 Víctor Monzón (c)		31
6 Juan Dávila		25
7 Carlos Castañeda	9′	26
8 Raúl Chacón		24
9 Adán Paniagua		33
10 Marvin Ceballos	82′
13 Félix McDonald	sub 62′	34
17 Julio Rodas		22

Substitutes
11
12
14 Sergio Rivera	on 62′	33

Manager: Jorge Roldán

Tactical line-ups

Match report

First half: 

We have access to limited footage only: About 35 minutes in total, of which some 16 minutes are from the opening half, and approximately 19 from the second period. 

The introduction is being made by Eurosport commentator George Hamilton, who omits the fact that Costa Rica are with a new management team since the two combatants’ previous meeting two weeks earlier. This should have been presented as a major piece of information ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifier. 

In Guatemala City, Costa Rica had turned out in a 4-4-2 formation. This time around, they are playing with a lone striker, though it is fair to dub their formation 4-3-3 rather than 4-5-1, as they have attacking intentions. Not under any circumstances are they taking the opposition lightly, having lost two weeks ago. They wish to keep it secure at the back, steady in midfield, and apply pressure on the visiting rear lines through their striker and wide men. 

Captain Róger Flores is the big lynchpin at the heart of the Costa Rican defence, where he sits behind his combative central defensive partner Mauricio Montero, easily recognizeable through his curly mane. Flores doesn’t pick the ball up in order to mount from the back like we see from Montero or even defensive midfield man Germán Chavarría. Due to his qualities in the air, though, Flores is pushed forward whenever there’s a set-piece situation inside the opposition’s territory, and to a degree the same goes for Montero. Combined, they lend a steady impression. 

The lean, tall Luis Gabelo Conejo is between the sticks, and from the first half footage which we have available, he’s not put to the test even once. As part of the defensive backbone, he, too, appears to be someone calm and collected. Right-back Vladimir Quesada typically sits back, but then again he has a difficult opponent in the physical Rodas, while gangly left-back Enrique Díaz leaves a somewhat untidy impression the way he looks wobbly in possession. Still, he provides an outlet along the left, and does join in operations inside the opposition’s half. 

The Costa Rican eleven’s most senior member is Germán Chavarría, and the moustached, deep-lying midfield man can be seen moving back to pick the ball off his goalkeeper, as they seek to instigate from the back. He’s clearly vital to the team’s defensive stability, and does well in chasing and harrying the opposition’s midfielders. He can even be seen having an early pop goalwards, although he doesn’t connect cleanly, and there’s no danger. 

Around Chavarría, the home side have brought in Óscar Ramírez and Carlos Hidalgo to boost their attacking credentials. In particular Ramírez seems comfortable in possession, and can be seen to the advanced left of their deep-lying midfield alibi. He’s someone very willing to connect with the front runners, and the way he pushes on from midfield means Costa Rica have an added threat from midfield. Similar could be said of Hidalgo, though he is not as frequently portrayed through this first half footage, even if at one point he goes down in the opposition area as he’s chested Coronado’s pass to accelerate past Wellman. The Canadian referee wants none of it. 

In dubbing the Costa Rican formation 4-3-3 lies the expectation of their wide men to push forward, and with the elegant Juan Cayasso as their attacking outlet along the right, they are clearly allowing both him and Marvin Obando to the left attacking leniency. Perhaps is the latter even more contributive through these images, as he twists and turns his opposing player on a couple of occasion, looking to deliver with his left foot. That he does to the utmost effect about three minutes from half time, when Costa Rica have been awarded a free-kick in the left hand channel. Obando swings a deep cross towards the back post where his captain connects with a bullet-like header that finds its way into the back of the net diagonally. He wasn’t even challenged by his captain adversary Monzón, who, along with Wellman, could not prevent Flores from heading freely. Obando’s serve had been impeccable, and to go in 1-0 up at half time courtesy of a late goal must have reassured players, management and fans alike. 

The two teams appear to be evenly matched. As one might have expected from Central American teams, they do not rely first and foremost of aerial strength, although both sides have relatively tall and robust players in their ranks. Up top, in the striker’s position, Costa Rica have 28 year old Evaristo Coronado, who has some strong tussles with visiting captain Monzón, although we do not see Coronado being particularly involved during the exchanges from the opening half. His mere presence, though, is something which the Guatemalan defence must pay attention to. 

Guatemala are certainly in San José to more than just make up the numbers. They’ve done well to proceed to the group stage of the qualification, and particularly the second round win against Canada, who had of course competed at the 1986 World Cup, had been an excellent achievement. After their opening day of the group stage win against Costa Rica at home, they were looking to build for the rest of the qualification with at least another point on their journey to further south in Central America. 

Between the sticks is the Ricardo Jérez whom had been seen keeping a clean sheet in the first clash between these two countries, and the 32 year old seemed reliable enough. He had the somewhat complacent looking Allan Wellman directly in front of him, as the relatively short in size central defender swept behind his captain, the sturdy figure of Víctor Hugo Monzón. Both were in their 30s, and so too was left-back Alejandro Ortíz, who isn’t challenged to a great extent defensively as per the footage we’re privy to, at least in this opening half. Right-back is again the long-haired Juan Manuel Dávila, who has greater reason for concern as Costa Rica look to attack down his side through the tricky Obando. Dávila might not be your most raffined full-back, but he gets the job done, and he puts his foot through the ball when needed. 

This is our third viewing of Jorge Roldán’s Guatemala in the current World Cup qualification, and they can once again be seen in their by now customary 4-4-2 formation. In the heart of their midfield sit once again Carlos Castañeda and Marvin Ceballos, the former of who had been yellow-carded for an early infringement against Costa Rica right-back Quesada. From the available footage alone, one can’t see much in terms of possessional play from the Guatemalans’ central midfield pair, as they rather seek to engage players in wide positions, or even attempt to hit the ball forward in a rather direct manner, prefering the shorter route towards goal. 

To the right in their midfield constellation is Félix McDonald, who had been brought on as a second half substitute last time around. He might have a big heart, but he’s hardly someone revolutionary when he’s on the ball. McDonald’s forte is not taking his full-back on and speeding towards the byline for swinging a cross into the centre. He’ll rather check and move in field, and on one such occasion he does manage to dart past Ramírez and fire goalwards with his left foot, although his effort rolls harmlessly to the right of Conejo’s goal post. Julio Rodas, the junior team member at 22, in the wide left position is much more of a presence with his physique, and he does appear to have some freedom of movement, as he can also be seen in more central attacking areas during the course of the half. 

Raúl Chacón, who had converted the penalty to seal the 1-0 win in their home leg two weeks earlier, is again a presence up front, this time working alongside Adán Paniagua, who has come into the team in place of Edwin Westphal. Neither striker manages to exert themselves and pose a goal threat during the opening half, and Guatemala don’t cause much worry in the Costarican rear lines. Disappointingly from their perspective, they went behind following that late Flores header, and in order to retrieve something from the game, they would need to up their performance after the break. 

Half time score: Costa Rica 1, Guatemala 0. 

Second half: 

Both teams return on to the pitch sporting the same elevens which had started. Guatemala get the final 45 minutes under way through their attacking duo. 

Establishing a timeline of events when you’re exposed to selected highlights with no on-screen clock is difficult. It is officially known, though, at what times the goals came, and when Guatemala build from the right hand side through Paniagua in a wide position, the ball makes its way into the area for Chacón to play it low to his left, where a crisp Rodas finish low into the bottom right of the goal suddenly sees the visitors equalize seven minutes into the final half. It is an excellent finish by the young player, and Conejo couldn’t get down quickly enough to keep it out. 1-1 will suit Guatemala perfectly should it stay this way. 

On the touchline, two Guatemalan substitutes had been seen ready to make their way on to the pitch prior to the equalizer, wearing shirt numbers 11 and 14. With the goal occuring, Roldán was reluctant in making an immediate change, although footage shortly thereafter showed the number 14 still stood in his manager’s vicinity, as prepared to come on. However, it is among the home ranks we first notice that a substitute has been brought on, with a figure wearing the number 10 appears in a frame. He is quickly identified as midfielder Enrique Rivers, and he has replaced Hidalgo in the inside right midfield position. At what time, though? We have no sources revealing exactly when, but he is seen in frames well before a clock showing 64 something minutes is displayed. It is likely that Rivers was introduced around the hour mark. 

Prior to the 65th minute we also see Guatemala bring on their substitute Sergio Rivera, who was even introduced in the first encounter in Guatemala City. On that occasion he had replaced left-back Ortíz, while we see wide right midfielder McDonald leave the pitch as another of the old guard is introduced in the shape of 33 year old Rivera. They have the point which they had surely come for at this point, so perhaps was the decision to withdraw McDonald made to shore things further up. 

The second home goal arrives eleven minutes from time, and it is worked as substitute Rhoden picks up a ball inside the Guatemalan penalty area, upon which he moves towards the byline to the right of Jérez’ goal. He pings his cross which takes a deflection off Dávila as it reaches the exposed back stick, where Coronado hangs in the air and guides the ball into the back of the net off his forehead. Costa Rica have regained the lead, and they had made that second substitution at some point prior to the goal, replacing right-back Quesada with said forward Gilberto Rhoden. Quesada had been spotted receiving some ice spray to his left thigh prior to exiting, though we do not have the exact point of time for Rhoden’s introduction. It is given as 73 minutes in a couple of sources, and this seems likely. 

With the visitors now frustrated having conceded with such relatively little time left, there is almost a ruckus occuring in the centre circle after Ceballos decides to take out his disappointment on Ramírez. He unannouncedly kicks the Costa Rica midfielder in the thigh region, and Ramírez goes down injured. With some players coming together and displaying their testosterone levels, the Canadian referee could have lost grip of the plot had they not calmed down almost as suddenly as they’d brawled. The altercation ends with Guatemala’s midfield man deservedly seeing yellow for his actions. Ramírez is able to dust himself off and resume play. 

When Quesada had come off, possibly enforcedly so, with a thigh injury, Cayasso had moved back into the right-back slot for the hosts, with substitute Rhoden moving into the right-sided attacking role.

There is to be no late dash goalwards from the visitors, who seem beleaguered towards the end. They could so easily have conceded a third goal after Rivers, apparently quite influental after coming on earlier, hit a free-kick from deep down their left hand side directly at goal, where the ball seemed to catch Jérez by some surprise, and when the ‘keeper couldn’t hold on to it, the ball rolled almost along the goalline. Had Flores, who was the nearest Costarican player, connected with his toe, he’d have prodded it over the goalline, but Wellman made sure to take him out, and Monzón could instead boot it away for a corner. This next set-piece would see Obando set Rivers up for a cross at which Jérez would need to fling himself to divert it away to safety. 

Not long after, the proceedings are brought to an end, and as the on-screen clock makes another appearance at the final whistle, we see that six and a half minutes have been added. Ultimately, the extra time is futile for the visitors, who must return home empty-handed. The new Costarican management will be delighted at the immediate effect which their arrival has had.