Ronald Matarrita (#17) celebrates after scoring in Costa Rica's win over visiting Guatemala in the Central American Olympic Qualifying playoff on August 23, 2015, in San Jose. (Photo: Imagenes en Costa Rica)
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Costa Rica captured a place in the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, defeating visiting Guatemala 1-0 on Sunday at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa to win their Central American Olympic Qualifying playoff by the same aggregate score.
Ronald Matarria scored the game’s only goal in the 56th minute off an assist from second-half substitute Gabriel Leiva.
The Costa Ricans will face Mexico (October 2 in Carson, California), Honduras (October 4 in Carson, California) and Haiti (October 7 in Commerce City, Colorado) in the CONCACAF event, which is slated to take place October 1-13 at four venues in the United States.
2015 CENTRAL AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFYING
August 11-23, 2015
GROUP A (Estadio Maracana – Panama City, Panama)
August 11, 2015
Nicaragua 1, El Salvador 1
Carlos Chavarria 24’ / Jose Peña 17’
Panama 0, Costa Rica 0
August 13, 2015
El Salvador 0, Costa Rica 0
Panama 3, Nicaragua 0
Edgar Yoel Barcenas 31’; Justin Simons 32’; Jose Muñoz 36’
August 15, 2015
Costa Rica 2, Nicaragua 2
Allan Cruz 15’; Ariel Lassiter 72’ / Carlos Chavarria 80’; Axel Silva 89’
Panama 3, El Salvador 2
Chin Hormechea 2’; Francisco Narbon 30’; Edgar Barcenas 80’ / Miguel Lemus 32’; Romel Mejia 61’ pen
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | P |
| *Panama | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| ^Costa Rica | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| El Salvador | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Nicaragua | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
* qualifies 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship
^ advances to playoff v Guatemala
GROUP B (Estadio El Trebol – Guatemala City, Guatemala)
August 11, 2015
Belize 0, Honduras 5
Alberth Elis 25’; Marlon Ramirez 45’+1; Oscar Salas 50’, 54’; Bryan Acosta 83’
August 13, 2015
Guatemala 1, Honduras 2
Jose Longo 54’ / Joshua Nieto 65’, 85’
August 15, 2015
Guatemala 3, Belize 0
Junior Andrade 31’, 41’; Kevin Merida 84’
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | P |
| *Honduras | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| ^Guatemala | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Belize | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
* qualifies 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship
^ advances to playoff v Costa Rica
PLAYOFF
August 19, 2015 (Estadio Mateo Flores – Guatemala City, Guatemala)
Guatemala 0, Costa Rica 0
August 23, 2015 (Estadio Ricardo Saprissa – San Jose, Costa Rica)
Costa Rica 1, Guatemala 0
Ronald Matarrita 56’
(Costa Rica qualifies 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship)
