(San José) Everything was there. The hostile crowd. A packed, thunderous stadium. And the opportunity for Canada to qualify for a first World Cup in 36 years.
Posted at 12:16 a.m.
Updated at 0:28
But the wait will have to continue for a few more days.
Canada lost 1-0 on Thursday night at the Estadio Nacional in San José. Despite a brilliant 10v11 effort for nearly an hour of play. And in front of 35,000 spectacularly loud Costa Rican fans. Passionate. They propelled theirs with each touch of the ball from La Sele. They hissed the Canadians copiously when they approached the slightest bit of leather.
You could tell they would have swollen tongues and lips after Canada’s second half. The visitors were dominant, even with one player less. The attacks came in waves.
Jonathan David hit the crossbar at the 56and minute, in particular. Then his shot hit the right post in the 88and.
PHOTO CARLOS GONZALEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Costa Rican players savor their victory.
Canada sat in the Costa Rican penalty box for the last 10 minutes of the game.
But Costa Rica held firm. And he stays alive in the race for the top 4 of the octagonal.
An eventful first half
Clearly, the mission for Canada early in the game was to contain the Costa Rican push. We knew the locals were going to storm out of the blocks. It was enough to let the first 15 or 20 minutes pass without drama, even if we played a little nervous. Not bad what happened.
Not smoothly. Mark-Anthony Kaye received a yellow – or yellow-orange – card in the 15thand minute. We checked at the VAR if he deserved the total. The crowd shouted its wish: “Roja! Roja! But it will not be granted. Not immediately.
PHOTO MAYELA LOPEZ, REUTERS
Keysher Fuller and Richie Laryea
Subsequently, Canada found its bearings. He made his famous climbs on the wings, pushed by Tajon Buchanan on the right, in particular.
At the 35and, the crowd, which was literally giving momentum to its players, was finally granted. Mark-Anthony Kaye received a second yellow. And it was deserved. As if he was looking for it, this red. Johan Venegas’ Oscar-worthy performance is debatable, but the move was risky – to put it mildly – on the Canadian’s part.
The inevitable happened. Celso Borges scored for the hosts in the added time of the first half. A nice head shot.
That goal would take Costa Rica to a fourth win in five games. For Canada, it is a very first defeat in the Octagonal, after 12 games.
Note that the young Ismaël Koné, 19-year-old midfielder from CF Montreal, made his debut in the 79and minute of the meeting. A first presence with Canada for the one who made his professional debut this winter.
If we obviously wanted to close the books on Canada’s qualification on Thursday, the opportunity remains immense to do so in Toronto on Sunday. Says Alistair Johnston in an interview with The Press a few days ago: it will be a “bonanza”.