Haiti ties Costa Rica
After an intense 90 minutes, the second surprise of CONCACAF Gold Cup in Group A play took place in Miami’s Orange Bowl when Costa Rica and Haiti tied at one. Walter Centeno’s goal was not enough to give Costa Rica the most-needed three points, and Boucicaut tied the match up for Haití.
MIAMI, FL- After an intense 90 minutes, the second surprise of CONCACAF Gold Cup in Group A play took place in Miami’s Orange Bowl when Costa Rica and Haiti tied at one. Walter Centeno’s goal was not enough to give Costa Rica the most-needed three points, and Boucicaut tied the match up for Haití.
Haití decided to play a more physical game and adding two yellos cards by the first half hour of the match.
Costa Rica retaliated, and also accounted for two yellow cards in under 30 minutes. Walter Centeno, as in match day one, became the leader on the midfield and controlled the tempo of the game. With the help of Saborio and Fonseca, Centeno managed to create some fantastic chances for Costa Rica, and at the 32nd minute the trio came up with the best play of the first half.
Centeno thought up a great counterattack dribbling past Guillaume and Gilles with one swift move. Then, having four attackers against three defenders, Centeno found Saborio on the right unmarked. Saborio set the cross up for Fonseca who jumped over Jean-Jacques Pierre and headed the ball perfectly, but straight into the left post of Fenelon’s goal.
As the first half came to a close, Costa Rica placed pressure on the Haitian defense. The “Tico” attacks were continuous, first Centeno on a one on one play against Fenelon, then Nuñez on a long-range shot and, finally, Fonseca on a header. But the score remained untouched.
Haiti came out of the locker room after the half wanting to attack. Jean Michelle Boucicaut decided to make a run on his own and he almost cashed-in on the effort. He ran down the left hand side of Haiti’s attack and landed inside the box, but when he tried to make a cut and find some angle for a shot, Drummond cleared the ball out.
It was nothing more than the inertia created by a half-time pep talk, because at the ninth minute of the second half Costa Rica had already taken three shots that could have ended up in the back of the net. First it was Fonseca with a shot from the top of the box and then, perhaps on the biggest scare for the Haitian fans who came to see their national team play at the Orange Bowl, Barrantes saw Fenelon ahead of his line and tried to chip the ball over him from 40 yards out. The Haitian goalkeeper had to run backwards and deflect the ball out of bounds.
Finally, at the 60th minute, Costa Rica saw all their efforts rewarded when Centeno managed to nail one from the top of the box. On an assist from Saborio, he drove it low and close to Fenelon’s right post to put the 1-0 on the score board.
But only 10 minutes later, the Haitian fans at the Orange Bowl found a reason to celebrate when Boucicaut scored the 1-1. Gilles should take much of the credit for the play, since he found a small breach in the red defense and Boucicaut simply came from behind to tuck it home.
Between some messy and ineffective attacks by Costa Rica, and very few counterattacks from Haití, the match wounded up to a closing point without the “Ticos” being able to score their so needed second goal.
HAITI – COSTA RICA 1:1 (0:0)
J. Michel Alexandre BOUCIAUT (Frantz PILLES) 71’ - Walter CENTENO (Alvaro SABORIO) 61’
HAI: 1-Gabart Fenelon - 2-Jean Sony Alcenat (53: 8-Turlien Romulus), 3-Frantz Pilles, 5-Jean-Jacques Pierre, 6-Stephane Guillaume, 7-Brunel Fucien (72: 15-Ednerson Raymond), 9-Cadet Eliphene, 10-J. Michel Alexandre Boucicaut, 13-Pierre-Richard Bruny, 17-Alain Vubert (67: 19- Ricardo Pierre-Louis), 20-Mones Chery.
Booked: Guillaume 7’, Sony Alcenat 24’
TD: Luis Armelio GARCIA
CRC: 18- Jose Francisco Porras – 2-Jervis Drummond, 3-Victor Cordero, 6-Andres Nunez, 7- Rolando Fonseca (77: 9-Johnny Cubero), 10-Walter Centeno, 11-Michael Barrantes, 12- Leonardo Gonzalez, 14-Randall Azofeifa, 17-Gabriel Badilla (62: 22-Mario Camacho),19- Alvaro Saborio.
Booked: Centeno 13’, Barrantes 25’
TD: Herman MEDFORD
Statistics/Estadísticas HAI CRC
Goal Attempts/Tiros Totales 9 16
Saves/Atajadas 11 4
Fouls/Faltas 9 11
Corners/Tiros de Esquina 2 5
Offsides/Fuera de Lugar 5 2
R: Courtney CAMPBELL (JAM)
A1: Anthony GARWOOD (JAM)
A2: Egbert PEASCH (ARU)
FO: Marco RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Miller Lite Player of the Match: Gabart Fenelon (HAI)
Terra/CONCACAF
(AP)
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