The time is now for Costa Rica
September 9, 2009
Heading into Saturday night’s home game against Mexico, Costa Rica realized three things would have to happen for it to fall from first to fourth in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The Ticos would have to lose to Mexico and, then, Honduras and the USA would have to win their games. At initial glance, all three seemed possible, but unlikely.
To make a long story very short, everything that could go wrong actually did go wrong for Costa Rica. Mexico won 3-0 at the daunting Estadio Saprissa, ending the home team’s perfect 2010 qualifying record there, while Honduras routed Trinidad & Tobago and the USA survived a challenge from El Salvador.
Now, the Tricolor finds itself out of the top three, staring directly into the glare of a playoff against the fifth-place team from South America for a place in South Africa.
An uneasy test at El Salvador tomorrow night, however, beckons and the prospect of righting the ship is urgent.
“Football gives revenge and ours will be this Wednesday against the Salvadorans,” said Costa Rican midfielder Carlos Hernandez. “We know how bad the team has been in the last two games, but we are confident that we will wash over El Salvador’s face to stay in the fight.”
The “fight” will have to take place without two key players, Alvaro Saborio and Armando Alonso, each of whom will miss the game due to yellow card accumulation.
After training yesterday at the Project Goal facility, head coach Rodrigo Kenton chose the team of 20 players to travel to San Salvador for the crucial encounter. The 54-year-old determined that players Daniel Cambronero, Adrian De Lemos, Geancarlos Gonzalez and Geiner Mora, as well as Saborio and Alonso, would not be part of the delegation.
“When you have a good squad of players ready to give everything on the field, it becomes much more difficult to make such decisions, but we talked to the boys, we explained that only for space reasons on this occasion they are outside the group,” commented Kenton.
There are no secrets between Costa Rica and El Salvador. This will be the sixth meeting between them since August 20 of last year. The Ticos won four-consecutive games before dropping a 2-1 decision in their last encounter on July 3 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Cuscatlecos turned in a sterling performance that day, getting two goals from Osael Romero.
Time is short for Costa Rica and there is no looking back.
“Being in that privileged position (top of the hexagonal standings) created a bit of conformity in some, a little overconfidence and we must halt and start over again now,” Kenton was quoted in Costa Rican newspaper Nacion. “We have to make adjustments in midfield and attack, make changes and the selection has always been seen as playing soccer and want to make things right.”
“We were in a privileged position, some things have not gone as we wanted. We hope to have a change of attitude.”
Adversity breeds opportunity. There is no better time and place for Costa Rica to make things right than tomorrow in the Estadio Cuscatlan, where El Salvador has captured its only points of the hexagonal.
Costa Rica stands to learn a great deal about itself. At the end of 90 minutes, will it like what it sees?
Tags: accumulation, adrian de lemos, Alonso, armando alonso, Carlos Hernandez, Costa Rica, Daniel Cambronero, estadio saprissa, Geiner, glare, head coach, home game, Honduras, Mexico, midfielder, project goal, Rodrigo Kenton, saborio, salvadorans, San Salvador, South Africa, South America, space reasons, Tobago, Trinidad, two games, USA, yellow cardRelated posts
Bradley looks to get US back on track
September 4, 2009
After losing its last two full international games, both against Mexico, US head coach Bob Bradley wants his squad fit physically and mentally for its World Cup qualifier tomorrow night against El Salvador in Sandy, Utah.
There is no shame in losing to the Mexicans at home in a confederation final and an away World Cup qualifying match, however, the Stars and Stripes know that they have raised their own bar of expectations.
Bradley, for one, is delighted that he has more time to prepare the team for the Salvadorans than he had for El Tri.
“In a single fixture date, you don’t have time in the camp to assess the sharpness and fitness,” stated the former MetroStars and Chivas USA chief. “The only thing you do when they arrive is to prepare them in terms of recovery and travel to play, and of course tactics.”
“When you look back on the Mexico game, it’s a difficult game to fully assess in all those ways because of the conditions.”
With an all-time record of 0-1-19 against Mexico in Mexico City, the conditions have never been in the USA’s favor.
Despite being on the losing end of a 2-1 scoreline at Estadio Azteca last month, Bradley looked for positives, as well as at the future.
“You look at the pluses and like any game you look at things that could have been better,” he commented. “When you have a double fixture date and the days of training, certainly in terms of seeing where guys stand, it’s a better situation.”
The situation Bradley’s team currently finds itself is clear for all to see. After going unbeaten (2-1-0) in its opening three final-round games, the US has lost two of its last three (1-0-2). As a result, with 10 points, it occupies third place — the last automatic qualifying spot for South Africa — behind Honduras on goal difference and ahead of fourth-place Mexico by a single point.
While the US has been perfect at home in qualifying, it has struggled away. A 2-2 tie at El Salvador earlier this year revealed some frailties in a game that saw the Americans battle back late from two goals down to earn a point.
Jozy Altidore and Frankie Hejduk each scored during a sparkling 11-minute burst, canceling out goals from Eliseo Quintanilla and Christian Castillo.
“There were parts to the game that we felt should have been better,” said Bradley. “We were certainly pleased at the end, given the challenge of being down two goals on the road, to fight back.”
“We were attacking because they had a lot of people back, and their first goal came on a counter-type situation where we didn’t react well enough as a team. So we’ll look at those things, and yet we believe that the improvement in the group over time is a big part of things.”
With five points from six qualifying games, El Salvador finds itself in fifth place, just ahead of last-place Trinidad & Tobago on goal difference. The Cuscatlecos are 2-1-5 in away qualifying games; all five of the losses were by the same 1-0 score.
This is a must-win situation for El Salvador, a team looking to maintain a reasonable hope of capturing one of CONCACAF’s three automatic places in South Africa. That fact is not lost on Bradley.
“I think that their starting points are the same,” Bradley surmised. “It’s a group of players that’s been together. I think they are well coached and organized. We saw even in a home game that they had a real game plan on how they wanted to play us, and I think that’s one of their strengths in all of their games. So we expect that.”
At home against El Salvador, the US is unbeaten in 12 games (10-2-0). The visitors have failed to score in their last five meetings, all defeats.
Past results in football mean very little. El Salvador will hope that cliche remains true at the Rio Tinto Stadium.
Bob Bradley, though, feels otherwise.
“I think the group is ready for this final stretch of qualifying. Playing at home is always something that means a lot to all of us, so I expect a great effort and a great result.”
Tags: bob bradley, chivas usa, el tri, frailties, goal difference, head coach bob, international games, metrostars, mexicans, mexico city, mexico game, pluses, salvadorans, sandy utah, scoreline, sharpness, single point, stars and stripes, time record, world cup qualifierRelated posts
Pachuca routs Isidro Metapan
August 26, 2009
PACHUCA – Pachuca sounded the warning bells that it is indeed prepared to launch a serious bid for the CONCACAF Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Isidro Metapan on Tuesday night at the Estadio Hidalgo.
In truth, the visitors from El Salvador were always going to be second-best as the three-time CONCACAF Champions Cup winner put on a dazzling display of offensive football. If not for the first-half heroics of goalkeeper Misael Alfaro, the final result would have been much worse.
The home side’s performance was in stark contrast to its opening Group A game last week, when it suffered a crushing 4-1 loss at Panama’s Arabe Unido. The defeat, combined with strong crowd support, seemed to motivate the Tuzos into the kind of performance suiting a team that has appeared in two FIFA Club World Cups.
Metapan must have known what was coming when Pachuca hit the crossbar from 35-yards out within the first minute.
Head coach Guillermo Rivarola saw his team open its goal account in the 13th minute through Damian Alvarez. The 30-year-old midfielder struck cleverly at the near post after a cross eluded two Metapan defenders.
Seven minutes later, the Tuzos made it 2-0. Metapan failed to close down Gregorio Torres on the left and the 23-year-old midfielder delivered a precise cross that Ulises Mendivil headed in from close range unmarked.
A clearly disconcerted Metapan struggled with the uncompromising nature of Pachuca’s attack. In the 22nd minute, the Salvadorans allowed three shots in a matter of seconds. Only desperate defending prevented what surely should have been a goal.
Long-range blasts from Damian Manso and Mendivil over the next seven minutes forced Alfaro into saves from shots that were permitted as a result of slack marking.
Pachuca got on the scoreboard three times in the second half.
Mendivil scored his competition leading fifth goal in the 55th minute, heading in from four yards out off a pass from Juan Rojas.
Gregorio Torres, who was outstanding throughout the evening, added the fourth off a deflected shot in the 85th minute, while Luis Montes completed the demolition a minute into injury time.
Pachuca is home for its next Champions League game against the USA’s Houston Dynamo on September 16th. Winless Metapan will hope for better when it hosts Arabe Unido one day earlier.
Tags: arabe unido, champions cup, concacaf champions league, crossbar, crowd support, cup winner, Damian Alvarez, Damian Manso, dazzling display, El Salvador, estadio hidalgo, Guillermo Rivarola, Houston, Juan, juan rojas, Luis Montes, manso, metapan, misael, pachuca, Panama, rivarola, salvadorans, three shots, Tuzos, Ulises Mendivil, USA, warning bells, world cupsRelated posts
Another Gerba goal gives Canada 1-0 win over El Salvador
July 8, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ali Gerba’s goal in the 32nd minute gave Canada a 1-0 win over El Salvador Tuesday night and all but assured it of a berth in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The goal before a partisan El Salvadoran crowd at Columbus Crew Stadium was Gerba’s sixth in Gold Cup play, eclipsing the Canadian record of Carlo Corazzin.
It also was Gerba’s fifth goal in four games and 15 in his 26 matches.
More importantly, it moved Canada to the brink of the knockout round. Canada became the first team to reach six points, but with no draws yet in the tournament has not clinched a spot in the final eight.
Since Stephen Hart took over April 17 on an interim basis, Canada has won four in a row and appear poised to repeat its Gold Cup run of 2007.
In the earlier game, Costa Rica avenged its 1-0 loss to El Salvador with a 1-0 win over Jamaica, all but eliminating the Reggae Boyz.
Gerba, who was signed by Toronto FC last month, was added to bolster the Major League Soccer club’s finishing and demonstrated his knack for positioning for the second straight game.
Defender Paul Stalteri’s cross from the right side was headed away by defender Manuel Salazar, but only to the top of the penalty area. Patrice Bernier hit left-footed bouncer that Gerba was able to redirectwith an extended toe from the edge of the six-yard box.
El Salvador had two opportunities in the second half to equalize, but couldn’t finish.
Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton stretched to stop Salvador Correas’ high drive from 30 yards in the 55th minute.Two minutes later, William Reyes’ header sailed just wide of the post.
El Salvador trained to attack the center of Canada’s defense with its speed.But the Canadian midfield, led by Julian de Guzman, stifled those efforts.
De Guzman, Bernier and Atiba Hutchinson were instrumental in keeping the ball away from the Salvadorans in the first meeting between the two countries in 10 years.
After an uneventful 15 minutes with Canada controlling possession, the game opened up midway through the half.Gerba struck minutes later to give Canada a lead it would not relinquish.
El Salvador will face Jamaica on Friday, while Canada will face Costa Rica in Group A finale at Miami.
By Vijay Setlur
Go to Source
Tags: ali gerba, atiba hutchinson, Canada, Carlo Corazzin, COLUMBUS, columbus crew, columbus crew stadium, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, concacaf gold cup, correas, Costa Rica, El Salvador, fifth goal, Greg Sutton, Hutchinson, interim basis, julian de guzman, Major League Soccer, manuel salazar, Miami, Ohio, patrice bernier, paul stalteri, Reggae, reggae boyz, salvadorans, six points, soccer club, stephen hart, straight game, toronto fc, Vijay Setlur, William ReyesRelated posts
Salvadorans stun Mexico in WC2010 qualifier
June 7, 2009
SAN SALVADOR (AFP) – Eliseo Quintanilla’s penalty kick in the 86th minute gave El Salvador a stunning 2-1 triumph over Mexico to damage the favored Tri-color’s bid to reach the 2010 South Africa World Cup.
A handball penalty in the area against Mexico set the stage for Quintanilla to become the hero and boost the Salvadorans into third place – the final guaranteed World Cup qualifying position – in the six-team round-robin event.
It was a debut defeat for new Mexico manager Javier Aguirre.
Aguirre, who guided Mexico to the round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup, replaced fired former England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson after Mexico’s 3-1 loss at Honduras in April.
But the problems with the Mexican side remained even with the change in leadership.
Julio Martinez had given El Salavador the lead with a goal in the 11th minute. Mexico pulled even on Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s penalty kick in the 71st minute, but that only set the stage for the final deadly blow.
The Salvadorans took their first triumph of the final qualifying round against a loss and two draws for five points, one ahead of Honduras and two better than the Mexicans, who sank to 1-3 for three points, only one more than winless doormat Trinidad and Tobago.
Tags: africa world, aguirre, cuauhtemoc blanco, deadly blow, doormat, draws, El Salvador, eliseo quintanilla, England, england manager, Honduras, Javier Aguirre, julio martinez, mexicans, Mexico, new mexico, penalty kick, salvadorans, San Salvador, South Africa, Sven-Goran, Tri, tri color, trinidad and tobago, World CupRelated posts
Off-field issues settled, El Salvador now gathers for World Cup tilt against USA
March 26, 2009
El Salvador recorded an important victory last week and it wasn’t on the soccer field.
Earlier in the week 23 players left training camp for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier, protesting the non-payment of bonuses for reaching the CONCACAF final round.
The players returned to practice on Sunday after an agreement was reached with the El Salvadoran Football Federation.
Federation president Rodrigo Calvo told the media that "the parties reached an agreement which is satisfactory for both."
"Everything’s settled," El Salvador captain Sanchez added.
It is too early to tell whether the strike would bring the players together or tear them apart.
But if the strike has lasted any longer, the El Salvadorans seriously would have jeopardized their chances against the United States in San Salvador on Saturday night.
The Cuscatlecos already dropped two poings, needing to rally for a 2-2 draw at home with Trinidad & Tobago on February 11. Despite being rescued by two goals in the final 11 minutes by 22-year-old midfielder Osael Romero, El Salvador is 0-2-2 in its last four matches, which includes a poor run in the Central American Nations Cup.
Its task is especially daunting considering that four days after playing the United States, it must travel to Mexico for another qualifier April 1.
The Salvadorans are winless in their last 12 games (0-2-10) against the United States, and haven’t scored in six games against their rival, since a 4-2 loss on Nov. 16, 1997. Its only win in 18 games against the U.S. was 2-0 in a friendly in San Salvador on February 19, 1992. In six World Cup qualifying matches, its has lost four and at best drawn the other two.
"If we feed on positive ideas . . . we can have the confidence to make a good game," coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "We cannot play with fear.”
The U.S., on the other hand, has the momentum of its 2-0 win over archrival Mexico on February 11. Coach Bob Bradley has called in 10 starters from that match, including the scoring hero of the game, his son, midfielder Michael Bradley (two goals), and midfielder-forward Landon Donovan.
Donovan has scored the most goals in U.S. team history (37) and is one short of tying former international Brian McBride for the most in World Cup qualifying (10).
Donovan is one of four players on the U.S. roster who participated in the Americans’ most recent qualifying match in El Salvador, a 2-0 semifinal-round victory on October 9, 2004. The others are defender Frankie Hejduk, midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and forward Eddie Johnson.
A win in El Salvador would give the U.S. two victories with a match at home — against Trinidad & Tobago in Nashville, Tennessee — next on April 1.
“The games against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago represent a big opportunity to solidify our place in the group," coach Bradley said. "We had a fantastic team effort against Mexico, and if we put in the same type of performance we are confident of being able to get results.”
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard is suspended for the game after accruing his second qualifying yellow card against. Mexico. Brad Guzan is likely to start with Marcus Hahnemann as his backup.
The roster will be bolstered by midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, who is back after serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
By Michael Lewis
Tags: april 1, bob bradley, brad guzan, brian mcbride, captain Sanchez, carlos de los cobos, Central American, coach bob, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, cup qualifier, Donovan, Eddie, El Salvador, federation president, football federation, frankie hejduk, good game, Johnson, Marcus Hahnemann, Mexico, Michael Bradley, Michael Lewis Off-field, midfielder, Nashville, nations cup, Pablo Mastroeni, quot quot, rodrigo, Rodrigo Calvo, romero, salvadorans, San Salvador, six games, soccer field, starters, Tennessee, tim howard, Tobago, training camp, Trinidad, U.S., United States, USA, World CupRelated posts
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