Goals: Guatemala—Ruiz 25’ (penalty); Costa Rica—Ruiz 29’ Bustos 56’
Recap: Ninety minutes of intensely battled football saw Costa Rica capture a 2-1 victory over Guatemala on Saturday.
A mistimed challenged from Costa Rica’s Roy Miller awarded Guatemala a penalty in the first half. Carlos Ruiz left zero doubts with his finish. Just four minutes later, Los Ticos would respond thanks to a free-kick stunner from Bryan Ruiz. Juan Bustos delivered the eventual match-winner in the 56th minute, crowning Costa Rica the kings of Central America.
With the tournament victory, Los Ticos have qualified for the 2016 Copa America.
Key Moment: Guatemala had several opportunities to equalize. But much like a myriad of strikers at the 2014 World Cup, Costa Rica’s offside trap kept Los Chapines at bay. Though fruitless, a bicycle-kick effort from Carlos Ruiz in the 69th minute proved to be the most breathtaking of all.
Man of the Match: Juan Bustos Golobio provided the match-winner, but it was the 22-year-old’s ability to control the midfield that allowed him to capture the award for Man of the Match.
Lesson Learned: Bryan Ruiz has no business playing in England’s second division. The Costa Rican was unable to secure a move from recently relegated Fulham during the summer transfer window. After his performance in the 2014 World Cup and Saturday’s Copa Centroamericana final, he will undoubtedly be sought after in January. A player of this caliber belongs in one of Europe's elite competitions.
Up Next: Costa Rica travel on Oct. 10 to face Oman in an international friendly, while Guatemala visit Cuba on Oct. 14.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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