SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Veteran midfielder Celso Borges scored in the first half to help deliver
a crucial 1-0 victory for Costa Rica against Canada on matchday 12 of the Final Round of
Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 on Thursday night at the Estadio Nacional in
San Jose, Costa Rica.
The result lifts Costa Rica into fourth place in the table with 19 points, while leaders Canada (25
points) suffered their first defeat in all rounds of Concacaf WCQ.
A boisterous crowd greeted the two sides and it provided a lift for the Ticos, with Borges almost
providing an early celebration on a header in the 19’.
A big moment in the game came in the 34’ when Canada MF Mark-Anthony Kaye picked up his
second yellow card of the night and was sent off, leaving the visitors with 10 men for the final 56
minutes.
Costa Rica went right to work to take advantage and carved out the 1-0 opener in the 45+2’, as
Gerson Torres lofted a cross in from the right flank and Borges was there to turn a header into
net.
En cabeza de Celso vino el gol tico #CWCQ pic.twitter.com/oTskmOfhnJ
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) March 25, 2022
Canada looked to regroup in the second stanza and Tajon Buchanan tested Costa Rica GK
Keylor Navas with an effort in the 49’.
Yet Costa Rica were presented with a gilt-edged chance to double their lead in the 53’ when
Joel Campbell got loose behind the Canadian defense, only to see Canada GK Milan Borjan
snuff out the chance.
Canada continued to poke and probe and almost drew level in the 64’, but the right-footed shot
from Stephen Eustaquio flashed wide. But the best chance to pull level came in the 73’ when a
Buchanan header has Navas beat, but glanced off the crossbar and out.
The woodwork would factor one last time in the 88’ when a Jonathan David header hit the post
and bounced away, enabling the Ticos to secure the clean sheet victory.
