Brazil tops Costa Rica 1-0 in U-20 semifinals

October 14, 2009

Costa Rica allowed a second-half goal and was beaten by Brazil 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.

The result sends Costa Rica to Friday’s third-place game against Hungary, already having achieved its best performance at the biennial youth championship.

Costa Rica reached the second round in 2001 in Argentina, its furthest advancement in six previous trips to the U-20 finals.

Brazil will play Friday for the title against Ghana, which beat Hungary 3-2 in the other semifinal earlier Tuesday.

The match was a marked improvement for Costa Rica – which was the last team to qualify for the second round — from its first match against Brazil, when it was beaten 5-0 in its open game of the group stage.

Brazil finally converted a dominant possession game in the 67th minute when Bertucci’s curling left-footed cross just cleared the head of teammate Alex Teixeira but landed at the feet of Alan Kardec, who hit a powerful volley from near the byline between the near post and goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado.

The goal was reward for Brazil, which had more than twice the possession, shots on goal and corners as the CONCACAF champion, but created few dangerous chances.

Of Brazil’s nine shots on goal, most were directly at Alvarado, who had his best moment by extending his left hand to knock away Souza’s shot from 10 meters from in front of the goal.

Costa Rica had few chances but tested Brazilian keeper twice in the first half, a free kick by David Guzman that had to be tipped over the bar in the 16th minute and Marcos Urena’s right-footed shot on a counter that was pushed around the near post by Rafael in the 44th.

CAIRO, Egypt

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