Preview

The group stage of the CONCACAF World Cup qualification, which also acted as the 1989 CONCACAF championships, was turning out to be a tight affair, with four home wins by a single goal margin and two draws so far. While El Salvador had yet not begun their campaign, Costa Rica were already about to play their sixth from eight fixtures, and with home advantage seemingly a massive feature, they could ill afford to drop points against a Trinis outfit which had drawn both of their matches so far, most recently, two weeks earlier, 1-1 at home to today’s opponents. Thus this was the return leg of their double header. 

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

Having obtained their first point away from home in the ongoing group stage qualification, Costa Rica were now hoping to secure another home win to add to the couple which they have gained over Guatemala and USA. Their return of five points from five qualifiers has perhaps not been quite what they had expected, and against a promising Trinidad&Tobagan outfit they would need to be sharp and on their game in order to succeed. Two weeks has passed since their 1-1 in Port of Spain, and team chef Marvin Rodríguez will be pleased to have his first choice goalkeeper back available again after he had left the pitch just before half time in Trinidad&Tobago. There are four changes to their starting line-up since that game a fortnight earlier.

Trinidad&Tobago had done well to come from behind to earn a draw for the second successive qualifier, and in one of their most difficult fixtures during the course of the qualification, they would probably need to raise their game yet again to be rewarded. Manager Everald Cummings has a settled back four, while he’s made changes both in midfield and up front for the trip to San José. Midfield anchor man Floyd Lawrence has been ousted, with Kerry Jamerson coming into the side, and there’s also the addition of midfielders Richard Chinapoo and Dexter Skeene for the first time in the group stage of their World Cup qualification campaign. Furthermore, 17 year old schoolboy Dwight Yorke also comes in for his first start. Strong left-sided forward Leonson Lewis and striker Marlon Morris are making way, and so too is young midfielder Russell Latapy. Four changes for both sides, then. 

Officials

36 year old Colombian José Joaquín Torres Cadena was the referee, while one of his linesmen, 34 year old Jesús Díaz Palacio, was probably more familiar to an international audience, as he’d officiated at the 1986 World Cup, though not without controversy. Díaz Palacio would subsequently get into plenty of controversy also during the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier between Chile and Brazil in Santiago. As for Cadena, he’d refereed one game at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championships in Saudi Arabia back in February. 48 year old Sierra completed the trio, and he, too, had represented Colombia at world level, namely during the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championships in Chile. 

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		30
10 Óscar Ramírez	sub 59′	24
11 Evaristo Coronado	sub 86′	28
13 Leony Flores		24
14 Juan Cayasso		27
15 Enrique Díaz		30
16 Héctor Marchena		24

Substitutes
20 Jorge Hidalgo		25
5 Marvin Obando		29
6 Rónald Marín	on 86′	26
17 Hernán Medford		21
18 Carlos Mario Hidalgo	on 59′	26

Manager: Marvin Rodríguez

Trinidad&Tobago (4-5-1)

Player	Notes	Age	Club
1 Earl Carter		33
2 Clayton Morris (c)		26
3 Brian Williams		27
4 Dexter Francis		25
6 Marvin Faustin		21
7 Dexter Skeene	32′, sub 59′	25
8 Hutson Charles		23
15 Maurice Alibey		26
16 Dwight Yorke		17
17 Kerry Jamerson		21
18 Richard Chinapoo	sub 71′	32

Substitutes
22 Michael Maurice		31
10 Russell Latapy	on 71′	20
11 Leonson Lewis	on 59′	22
12 Philibert Jones		24
13 Ricky Nelson		21

Manager: Everald Cummings

Tactical line-ups

Match report

First half: 

The atmosphere inside the stadium appears quite intense prior to the start of the game, and with the Costarican supporters eyeing a World Cup spot, this is hardly a surprise. Should they win this game they will not only advance to seven points, but also leave a possible rival for one of the two qualification berths trailing them by some margin. The quality of the footage available is hardly top drawer, but by now we have become familiar with most of the 22 starters, and getting the fixture under way are the visiting duo of Maurice Alibey, the tall, lanky striker, and 17 year old schoolboy Dwight Yorke.

The home side are switched on right from the off, and they force an early, resultless, right wing corner, and then pressure their visitors into successive losses of possession inside their own half through Skeene and Yorke. When Cayasso switches play to feed Jara along the right hand side, who in turn makes use of his overlapping full-back Quesada, the resulting cross creates havoc in the Trinis’ defence, something which ultimately sees Cayasso stoop to head home from close range for 1-0. Coronado had his attempt come back off the post, and Francis had saved Ramírez’ follow-up on the goalline, only to see his attempted header away reach the goalscorer. It was messy, but Costa Rica couldn’t care less. It was an early, vital goal from their point of view. 

The home side, buoyed by their early goal, remain on top, as the visitors struggle to string moves together inside the Costarican half. Costa Rica move forward with purpose, are quicker to the ball and make use of it more cleverly in the opening quarter of an hour, where they also display some attacking runs which cause bewilderment in the defensive ranks of Trinidad&Tobago. We see Leony Flores, who has come into the side on this occasion, from his original position wide to the left among the front three, make crossfield runs on two occasions, and only a solid Dexter Francis block to give away another right wing Costa Rica corner prevented the nimble Flores from having a pot at goal. 

Trinidad&Tobago manager Everald Cummings had made no less than four changes since their 1-1 draw in America, and judging by their opening quarter of an hour, the desired effect had so far not kicked in. They seemed to struggle for possession in midfield, where the experienced Richard Chinapoo had brought in, possibly in an attempt to bolster their team defensively, as the more attacking Russell Latapy had been omitted. Chinapoo sat almost as deep as their anchor man Kerry Jamerson, who himself had come in for Floyd Lawrence in that particular role. Jamerson seemed more agile than Lawrence, and gave a decent account of himself despite his team not yet firing. 

At home, Costa Rica have been dominant in their two previous outings, and they continue to boss their opponents on this occasion. Should they see the game out with two points, it will be another step in direction of World Cup participation. Defensively, they look so secure with the highly combative Héctor Marchena working as a shield in front of the central defensive pairing, the very assured Mauricio Montero and skipper Róger Flores. Behind them again is the very agile Luis Gabelo Conejo between the sticks, and this backbone allows their more free-thinking players to excel in more attacking roles. Ahead of Marchena in midfield are Óscar Ramírez and Juan Cayasso, who both enjoy going forward, and to good effect as demonstrated through their goal. 

The more flexible hosts are, unsurprisingly, the next to test a goalkeeper when Cayasso in possession along the right plays the ball back for Quesada to cross into the centre, where Coronado has positioned himself between the Trinis’ two centre-backs. The ball reaches him at chest height, upon which he takes it down and shoots first time 15 yards out, only to see his effort go straight into the expecting arms of a well-positioned Carter between the visiting sticks. Either side of the goalkeeper and he’d have struggled to get to it thanks to the ferocity with which the shot was struck. Coronado enjoys taking up sound positions, and Morris and Francis, the pair of Trinis centre-backs, need to constantly be alert to his movement. 

It doesn’t quite click for Trinidad&Tobago, although approaching the halfway mark in the first period, they mount a promising move which they can’t quite finish, and which ultimately ends in a left wing corner. Faustin had advanced into the area from the left, and he tried to set Chinapoo up for a shot from just outside the box, though he was closed down, and instead he treaded it through for Alibey, who gave it back to Skeene, as he was with his back to goal. Trinis’ wide right man laid it on for Jamerson to have a pop, but his effort from 20 yards was blocked away for said corner. 

With Dexter Skeene coming into the visiting eleven for this occasion, it means that Hutson Charles has been shifted across to the other wide midfield berth, although his role is significantly less in terms of a wide capacity compared to what we see from Skeene, who is more an outright winger. Charles enjoys pulling inside, and so one does get the impression that Trinidad&Tobago wish to congest the centre of the pitch. Not that it has such an effect that it shuts down the Costarican midfield from playing. Chinapoo may have brought experience into the eleven, but he appears rather stationary, while Yorke, sweet 17, may be a bit tactically naïve, not always adhering to the midfield work ethics. This leaves plenty of area to cover for Jamerson, who 23 minutes in is probably fortunate to escape a booking as he clatters into Cayasso near the centre-circle inside the hosts’ half of the pitch. It takes the Costarican midfielder a minute to get back up and continue. 

Other than Coronado’s crisp shot from just inside the area with just over 19 minutes gone, Costa Rica hadn’t created any major scoring opportunities since their goal. They were, however, asking questions from the visitors, and they looked their most dangerous when they sought Claudio Jara along the right hand side. The diminutive wide player hadn’t featured since their defeat in Guatemala in the opening fixture of the qualification group stage, but he certainly had the upper hand on Trinis left-back Marvin Faustin hitherto. We have mentioned how Leony Flores had been prone to make square runs from his wide left position, and even the industrious and often involved Óscar Ramírez would at times make runs towards the right hand channel from his inside left midfield role. Charles was in demand to try and assist his full-back Faustin defensively. 

On 29 minutes Trinis display a more direct route than they’d previously utilised, and it almost brings about a leveller. Skeene looks up and spots lone striker Maurice Alibey in the right hand channel, and though he is marked by Costa Rica skipper Flores, he manages to evade the central defender when Skeene’s pass finds him. He darts goalwards and fires low from an angle, only to see the ball clear the upright by a yard and a half. It was their best opportunity yet, and a reminder for the hosts that they can’t relax even for a second. A one goal lead is always fragile. 

Through to half time, Costa Rica continue to look the more impressive side, or at least until the final six or seven minutes, when there isn’t a whole lot going on in terms of quality. The hosts had seen Jara pop up at the back stick from a Ramírez free-kick swung in from deep along the left hand channel, but ultimately the wide forward failed to direct his header at goal, and from a left wing corner a few minutes after there were no less than four strikes goalwards from the hosts, who saw the Trinis committedly fend off every attempt, either through defensive blocks or, as on one occasion, a parry from goalkeeper Carter. They were under the cosh then for a period of time, but ultimately came through it without conceding again. 

In the final few minutes, there is not a whole lot happening, as the half peters out. An attempt at a through ball for Jara to run on to sees Carter come out of his area to boot the ball away to what he had intended as safety, but Cayasso intervenes just inside the Trinis’ half of the pitch, and attempts to guide the ball into the back of the empty net with an audacious lob from nearly 50 yards out, only to see it clear the goal by some margin. 

It must have been seen as a disappointing half from the visitors’ point of view, as they failed to impose themselves on the home side, and they never tested Conejo at all. In the US in their previous away match, they had also often looked second best, until they struck a couple of minutes from time to earn a share of the spoils. If Costa Rica haven’t done their pre-match research thoroughly enough, they could face a similar destiny, although they have suggested that they have sufficient potential in their arsenal to worry the visitors further in the final 45 minutes. 

Half time: Costa Rica 1, Trinidad&Tobago 0. 

Second half: 

Neither team has made any changes to their starting elevens, and it is the home side which get the second half under way through Ramírez and Coronado. 

If the hosts had bossed the majority of the first 45 minutes, somehow during the interval a change in mentality has crept in, as Trinidad&Tobago have returned to the pitch determined to show that they’re a better side than their first half display had suggested. Costa Rica, on the other hand, seem to have turned up expecting the outlook of the game to continue in the same vein as before the break, and for it to happen more or less automatically. The commitment and effort which they’d shown in the first half had vanished, and they no longer had the same authority in duels and in battle for second balls. It is quite a remarkable turn of events. 

It takes the Trinis less than a minute and half before they’ve struck the woodwork behind goalkeeper Conejo, as Chinapoo, seemingly in a slightly more advanced role after the break, sets up the impressive Yorke to take a touch and then crack one from 22 yards out which has the ‘keeper beaten. However, it cannons off the upright and returns in play, where a second Trinis wave then sees said Chinapoo become the next to have a go as he shoots low and just wide to the right from 20 yards. If these aren’t warning signs which the hosts need to heed, then what is. 

In a swift counter three minutes after the restart, Costa Rica are probably unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty, as a break from deep inside their own half sees Leony Flores send Jara away. He rides the first challenge from Faustin, then outwits Francis, before bursting into the area, where he appears to be felled by the Trinis left-back who had first tried to apprehend him. To his defence, referee Torres was well positioned, as he had made the quick transition from one end of the pitch to the other, and he deemed it a non-offence, with a goal kick the outcome. 

After some rather uneventful passages of play, the visitors again give Costa Rica a reminder of what they’re capable of on 54 minutes. A huge kick by Carter eventually sees Skeene defeat Díaz in the air inside the hosts’ penalty area, and the ever-dangerous Yorke, who has worked himself into some good positions this afternoon, strikes a half volley diagonally against the left post with Conejo well beaten. As Montero makes a wild clearance, the ball finds its way out to Charles, who hits it well from 23-24 yards, and it deflects off Alibey’s back and past Conejo and into the back of the net. However, the goal is ruled out as the Trinis wide left midfielder has made use of his hand to control the ball. 

In the first half, Marchena in the midfield anchor role had played a major role in the hosts’ dominance, but since the break he’s hardly enjoyed similar success. In fact, the Costarican midfield has altogether lost its shape and fluency, and considering how threatening Trinidad&Tobago have looked at times, it comes as little surprise when home supremo Marvin Rodríguez opts to withdraw Óscar Ramírez for Carlos Hidalgo on 59 minutes. The latter might be a more typical box to box kind of player than the man whom he replaced, who is skillfully adept and who had masterminded most of their set-piece plays. Simultaneously, Trinidad&Tobago replace the ineffective Dexter Skeene with the powerful Leonson Lewis, whom we have previously seen as their left-sided, attacking midfielder. This will surely mean Hutson Charles switching from left to right. 

The game is a tighter and less attractive affair as the second half progresses. Costa Rica gradually become aware, it seems, of the importance that they cling on to these two points, and so they’re no longer so much focused on getting the ball into advanced positions. Substitute Hidalgo doesn’t assert himself on the proceedings right away, but he would appear to slot into the right-sided among the three more central midfield roles, leaving Cayasso to switch across to the inside left position, the one which Ramírez had previously held, although there had been some less rigid positioning between the pair already since the start of the second half. 

As for the visitors, they do not play with any increased level of urgency, at least not yet, as the second half approaches its midway stage, but we see their substitute in the thick of the action as Trinidad&Tobago attempt to make use of their left flank. Lewis is strong and agile, and on his day poses a handful to most full-backs. He is a much more direct threat than Charles had been in that position before him. The latter had indeed moved across to the right hand side, where he would still tuck inside just as much as providing a wide outlet. The swift-moving Yorke remained in that inside right midfield role, joining in operations inside Costa Rica’s final third of the pitch. With Alibey still safely guarded by the home side, Yorke continued to pose the Trinis’ greatest threat. Jamerson had seemed down and out after leaving the pitch on a stretcher just after the hour mark, but he was soon back on the pitch to resume his part in the game. 

One must admire the amount of tactics which seem to dominate this game the longer it runs, as both sides are so well aware of what’s at stake. As a spectacle it has taken a severe hit, but the tension has risen manyfold; there’s no room for error on either party. Trinis manager Cummings decides to introduce his second and final substitute with just under 20 minutes left for play, as he withdraws Chinapoo and brings on the athletic Russell Latapy, a player well capable of dictating from a central midfield position. It would appear that they move their most dangerous player hitherto, Yorke, into a forward position in support of Alibey in what looks like a 4-4-2, as Latapy and Jamerson become the central midfield duo, with Charles and Lewis patrolling the flanks. With 75 minutes on the clock, they have yet to pose further threats to the imposing Conejo between the sticks for the home side. 

Through to full time we see how a stubborn and resistant home select continue to sit deep and defend what they’ve got. They had learnt in the initial stages of the second half just how much of a threat Trinidad&Tobago were able to pose, but once Costa Rica had adjusted their tactics and minimized the space between their units, there were no longer threats coming from the visitors. Granted, there was an opportunity for Charles to strike from 20 yards, but the ever-agile Conejo flung himself to his left and held on to the ball without too much ado. This was with six minutes left, while the home side had had a major opportunity to increase their lead when a delightful triangular play involving Cayasso, Jara and Marchena saw the latter finish straight at Carter from inside the box on 80 minutes. It had been their best chance in the second half, and it showed that there was more to the midfield anchor man’s game than just being physically imposing in battle. 

To break down the Costarican defence became an increasingly difficult task for the visitors, and they must have rued their misfortune when Yorke had twice hit the woodwork since the break. However, when Rodríguez and Moyano decided to introduce defender Rónald Marín for centre-forward Coronado on 86 minutes, suring up at the back became an even higher priority for the hosts. Marín slotted into their defensive line alongside Montero, while Flores swept behind them, and with Marchena still in that defensive midfield role just in front of them. There was to be no further opportunities, and when the clock had entered its 47th minute of the second half, referee Cadena blew his whistle one final time. Costa Rica had secured another vital win, and their third at home from three matches. 

Final score: Costa Rica 1, Trinidad&Tobago 0.