Action from the last meeting between the USA (white jersey) and Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals on July 22, 2017, in Arlington, Texas, USA. (Photo: AFP Services)
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP
CONCACAF Qualifying -- Final Round, Matchday 7
Date: September 1, 2017
Match: USA v Costa Rica
Venue: Red Bull Arena – Harrison, New Jersey, USA
Time: 6:55 p.m. ET
MATCH OFFICIALS
R: John Pitti (Panama)
AR1: Gabriel Victoria (Panama)
AR2: Ronald Bruna (Panama)
4th: Jose Kellys (Panama)
SUSPENSIONS
USA: none
Costa Rica: none
ALL-TIME WCQ SERIES
Costa Rica leads: 10W-3D-6L (28GF, 18GA)
LAST WCQ MEETING
November 15, 2016: Costa Rica 4, USA 0
Johan Venegas 44’; Christian Bolaños 69’; Joel Campbell 74’, 78’
FIVE MATCH WCQ FORM
USA: DWDWL
Costa Rica: WDDLW
CONCACAF QUALIFYING RESULTS
Costa Rica (Overall record: 8W-3D-1L … 20GF, 7GA)
13.11.15 Costa Rica v Haiti 1-0 W
17.11.15 Panama v Costa Rica 1-2 W
25.03.16 Jamaica v Costa Rica 1-1 D
29.03.16 Costa Rica v Jamaica 3-0 W
02.09.16 Haiti v Costa Rica 0-1 W
06.09.16 Costa Rica v Panama 3-1 W
11.11.16 Trinidad & Tobago v Costa Rica 0-2 W
15.11.16 Costa Rica v USA 4-0 W
24.03.17 Mexico v Costa Rica 2-0 L
28.03.17 Honduras v Costa Rica 1-1 D
08.06.17 Costa Rica v Panama 0-0 D
13.06.17 Costa Rica v Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 W
USA (Overall record: 6W-3D-3L … 31GF, 11GA)
13.11.15 USA v St. Vincent & the Grenadines 6-1 W
17.11.15 Trinidad & Tobago v USA 0-0 D
25.03.16 Guatemala v USA 2-0 L
29.03.16 USA v Guatemala 4-0 W
02.09.16 St. Vincent & the Grenadines v USA 0-6 W
06.09.16 USA v Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 W
11.11.16 USA v Mexico 1-2 L
15.11.16 Costa Rica v USA 4-0 L
24.03.17 USA v Honduras 6-0 W
28.03.17 Panama v USA 1-1 D
08.06.17 USA v Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 W
11.06.17 Mexico v USA 1-1 D
CONCACAF QUALIFYING SCORERS
USA: Jozy Altidore (6); Clint Dempsey, Christian Pulisic (5); Bobby Wood (3); Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Sacha Kljestan (2); Paul Arriola, Matt Besler, Fabian Johnson, Sebastian Lletget, Gyasi Zardes, Graham Zusi (1)
Costa Rica: Christian Bolaños (4); Bryan Ruiz (3); Joel Campbell, Ronald Matarrita, Johan Venegas (2); Johnny Acosta, Randall Azofeifa, Celso Borges, Francisco Calvo, Cristian Gamboa, Marco Ureña, Kendall Waston (1)
QUICK NOTES
USA (Hexagonal: 3rd place … 2W-2D-2L; 11GF, 8GA)
- Won last meeting v Costa Rica, 2-0, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals on July 22, 2017 (Jozy Altidore 72’; Clint Dempsey 82’)
- Unbeaten in eight of nine all-time WCQ home games v Costa Rica (6W-2D-1L) … only loss came on May 31, 1985, in Torrance, California (0-1)
- Holds record for most Hexagonal wins (31) and most first-place finishes (3)
- Clint Dempsey is the USA’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup Qualifying with 18 goals
- Played in seven straight World Cups (longest active streak of any CONCACAF side)
Costa Rica (Hexagonal: 2nd place … 3W-2D-1L; 9GF, 4GA)
- Conceded one goal or fewer in 11 of 12 WCQs
- One of three teams to reach each of the previous five Hexagonal editions.
- Qualified for four FIFA World Cups (1990, 2002, 2006, 2014), advancing as far as the quarterfinals in 2014, before falling to the Netherlands on penalty kicks (4-3), after a scoreless draw
