HOUSTON—Throughout Costa Rica’s 3-2 victory Saturday night over a Colombia side that rested most starters, Los Ticos showed the emotion of a team fighting for its tournament life, not one already eliminated from the Copa America Centenario.
There was the wild group hug of manager Oscar Ramirez after Costa Rica’s second goal late in the first half.
There was Kendall Waston wrapping both his arms joyfully around Francisco Calvo’s head after Calvo nodded away Colombia’s final cross of the evening.
And in the end, there was a message to send to themselves following their 4-0 loss to the United States on Tuesday, even if it meant helping their CONCACAF rival win Group A over Colombia on goal difference.
“Sometimes it’s about pride a little bit,” said midfielder Celso Borges. “You want to prove that you can win in these kind of tournaments. If we had gone home with one tie and two losses, it would be really harsh, because of the way we were playing.”
Borges, who scored what eventually proved the winner l in the 58th minute, said Colombia manager Jose Pekerman’s decision to make 10 lineup changes from Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Paraguay shouldn’t taint the win.
“It didn’t surprise us,” Borges said. “I think they still have the same idea when they play, even though they change the names. Of course they have some individuals who make a difference and an impact on the game. But I think they tried to do their game and we tried to do ours.”
That view was a common one among a Costa Rican side that entered the tournament with high expectations following its run to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals.
“We know it doesn’t matter how many changes they’re going to make, it’s Colombia,” said Waston, the Vancouver Whitecaps center back. “And I think that today was a great result for us.”
Perhaps as importantly, it was deserved after three stylish goals.
Montreal Impact midfielder Johan Venegas’ 21-yard strike came only two minutes into the match.
Then the 34th, Venegas nutmegged defender Felipe Aguilar and sent in an outswinging cross that caromed off both of Frank Fabra’s legs and over the line for an own goal.
Borges finished off a 58th-minute attack that demonstrated the peak of Costa Rica’s quick-strike abilities, hammering a half volley of Bryan Oviedo’s cross after Christian Bolanos found Oviedo on the right.
“After everything that happened, we knew that we needed to continue to try to play good soccer, and we couldn’t change our plan or ideas,” Venegas said, through an interpreter. “It was an emotional game in that we decided we were going to go after this game, move forward, and try to play with the ball and combine. And that’s what happened.”
