A surprising defeat to Panama in the World Cup Qualifiers earlier this week didn’t leave major consequences to the confidence of the United States men’s national team. The USMNT managed to bounce back right away, claiming a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Costa Rica on Wednesday.
Things didn’t exactly start great for the Americans as Costa Rica scored a goal in the first minute of the game. Ronald Matarrita delivered a cross from the left that found defender Keysher Fuller, who had less trouble than expected to get the ball past Zack Steffen.
Still, the USMNT kept their composure, and the reward came in the 25th minute. Barcelona’s back Sergino Dest received a ball on the edge of the penalty box and then delivered a beautiful shot in the left corner to make it 1-1.
The U.S. continued to pressure Costa Rica, which defended well, a got a breakthrough in the 66th minute. Lille’s Timothy Weah made a great cut into the 18-yard box before making a strong shot that hit the post and was deflected into the net by Costa Rica’s goalie Leonel Moreira.
The USMNT calmly approached the remainder of the match and ended up securing an important win in their bid for the 2022 World Cup.
The win ensured that the U.S. kept the second spot in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers. They now have 11 points, three less than first-placed Mexico and one more than Canada on the third. USMNT’s next match will come against El Tri on November 12th.
