MIAMI, Florida – Costa Rica kept their 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup hopes alive with a 6-2 win over Lithuania in their Group A finale on Saturday at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas.
After scoring just one goal in their first two matches, the Ticos attack exploded on Saturday, including a stretch in which they scored five unanswered goals.
Staring at a 1-0 deficit in the 19th minute of the first half, 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship Best Player Award winner Milinton Tijerino scored his first goal of the tournament to make it 1-1.
Moments later Juan Cordero scored to give Costa Rica a 2-1 lead at the break.
Tijerino notched his second of the day nine minutes after the re-start, followed by a pair of scores from Daniel Gomez to make it 5-1.
After Lithuania pulled a goal back, Gomez completed his hat trick in the final seconds to complete the 6-2 scoreline.
Guatemala are also still in the mix for a knockout round berth despite a 4-1 defeat to the Russian Football Union (RFU) in their final match of Group B at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas.
The RFU raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first 14 minutes and carried that advantage into the second half before Guatemala’s Roman Alvarado scored in the 25’ to make it 3-1.
However, in the end the spoils belonged to the RFU, who added on another goal for the 4-1 win.
Panama will conclude their campaign in Group D on Sunday when they meet Brazil at the Svyturys Arena in Klaipeda.
Panama are still looking for their first point of the tournament, but a win could catapult the Canaleros into a possible knockout round berth.
It will be the second ever meeting between Panama and Brazil at a Futsal World Cup.
