USA 4, Costa Rica 0 | Copa America Centenario Match Recap

Charles Boehm

Yet again, the US national team's veterans stood up when the chips were down.

With their Copa America Centenario campaign on the line, Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones led the Yanks to a 4-0 rout of Costa Rica at Chicago's Soldier Field on Tuesday, reeling off three first-half goals to surge back into a solid position for advancement to the tournament's knockout stages.

Los Ticos were the stronger side in the opening minutes, only for Dempsey to bury an early penalty kick (his 50th in US colors) with authority after Bobby Wood was pushed to the deck inside the penalty box.

Dempsey's mazy dribble set up Jones for a laser-guided strike into the bottom corner as the game played out in ragged, breathless fashion. And the Seattle Sounders star notched another assist with a savvy pass to Wood for a strong turn-and-finish to land a crippling blow just before halftime.

Costa Rica improved a bit after the break but could not find a way past Brad Guzan and his defense, setting the stage for Graham Zusi to come off the bench and deliver a late exclamation point with a well-taken left-footer in the dying minutes.

The result leaves the USMNT in good shape for advancement, pending their result against Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Three Things

1. SAME XI, OPPOSITE RESULT: Credit to Jurgen Klinsmann for keeping faith in the identical starting lineup that was so easily pushed aside by Colombia on Friday. The unorthodox 4-3-3 gave way to a simpler 4-4-2 in midgame, though, and it worked much better. Jones and left back Fabian Johnson sorted out their defensive shape along the left, Michael Bradley was much cleaner on the ball in the middle and Dempsey was a terror across the front line. That said...

2. COSTA RICA'S CITADEL IS SHATTERED: This was a pale shadow of the team that beat Italy and Uruguay en route to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals. The defensive shape and discipline instituted by former coach Jose Luis Pinto was nowhere to be found in Chicago, as current boss Oscar Ramirez looked stunned and clueless in the technical area. They were expected to bunker in, but did nothing of the sort. Early attempts to press the US defense looked promising, but they let the game slip into an open, chaotic affair that clearly favored the home side.

Oscar Ramirez: "This was one of the weirdest games we ever had." Said he thought CR was in control, but goals changed the game. #usmnt
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) June 8, 2016

3. WHAT'S NEXT? While Los Ticos have a tough task in their group-stage finale vs. Colombia, Klinsmann has a few knotty decision of his own for Paraguay, who are unlikely to allow the Yanks such ample space to find their rhythm. Does he keep things the same again, or could some of his older players use a break? Will he keep trying to perfect that 4-3-3, or is 4-4-2 the default again?