Costa Rica 0-2 USA
Things could have gone differently if Clint Dempsey started for the USA. However, Bruce Arena’s decision to bench him and play a “super-sub” role paid off big time as the Yanks secured their ticket to the Gold Cup finals.
The United States indeed could have scored and settled matters in the opening frame, but their earlier frustrations just made the live betting affair at AT&T Stadium a tad more exciting, especially for sports betting fans who were kept on the edge of their seats throughout.
Not to mention that it set the stage for Dempsey to delight his football betting supporters and make history as the national team’s all-time leading scorer, tying Landon Donovan’s 57-goal record.
Arena’s men struggled to break through Costa Rica’s wall; no thanks to some sluggish finishing that saw them miss a number of chances. Nonetheless, as it turns out, Dempsey is all they needed to change the flow of the game and pull away for good.
The Seattle Sounders striker entered the game at the hour and immediately made his impact, setting up Jozy Altidore for the close-range finish in the 72nd minute – a goal that even led to a yellow card for Altidore for removing his shirt in celebration.
Less than 10 minutes after the assist, the 34-year-old Dempsey got his name on the scoresheet and put the game to bed, firing home a terrific free-kick effort from 25 yards at the near post.
Costa Rica obviously appeared shaken after the second goal, and they weren’t able to muster even a whimper as the clock winded down on their Gold Cup campaign.
The Ticos looked out of sorts for the most part, though they did well in defending and avoiding a huge deficit at the start.
Oscar Ramirez used a 4-5-1 formation that frustrated the USA who dominated possession in the first half. Nevertheless, the Costa Ricans lacked their usual sharpness and failed to link their passes which eventually hampered their offence, particularly on the counter.
Costa Rica had some moments when they looked set to score, with Marco Ureña providing them with some bite, but the USA defence—anchored by Tim Howard—held firm to deny them even a little consolation.
The result sends the Stars and Stripes to their 10th Gold Cup final where they will face the winner of Monday’s semifinal between titleholders Mexico and the defensive-minded Jamaica.
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