Haiti, Costa Rica win first games in CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B action

Logo courtsey of CONCACAF

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (June 16, 2019) No. 39 Costa Rica had an easy time, but Haiti had to come from behind to win their first round matches in Group B of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup at National Stadium of San Jose, on Sunday, June 16, 2019. In the first match, in front of a mostly emply stadium, No 174 Bermuda scored first, but No. 101 Haiti came from behind to take the first game of the double-header by the score of 2-1. In the nightcap, hometown favorite Los Ticos had little trouble dispatching No. 129 Nicaragua by the score of 4-0. The wins gave both Costa Rica and Haiti three points in group play, with all four teams meeting on Thursday, June 20 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Defender Dante Leverock got Bermuda on the board in added time of the first half. Forward Frantzdy Perrot tallied a brace 12 minutes apart; scoring for Haiti in the 54th and 66th minute. In the second game, Costa Rica had three first half goals in their 4-0 won. Defender Bryan Oviedo sccored in the 7th minute, with midfielder Celso Brooks nailing the goal from the top of the arc, in the 19th minute. Midfielder Elias Aguilar scored from midfield off afree kick in first half added time. Midfielder Allan Cruz added an insurance goal in the 75th minute to secure the win. The match was the first meeting between Costa Rica and Nicaragua in Gold Cup play, and their 19th meeting going back to 1941. Los Ticos leads the all-time series 17-1-1.