El Salvador vs Costa Rica
After losing each of their opening matches, El Salvador and Costa Rica find themselves in a difficult situation here in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
El Salvador were beaten 2-1 by Martinique, and Costa Rica were also defeated by Panama by the same exact scoreline earlier this week.
With zero points each after this past weekend’s CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 results, El Salvador and Costa Rica are at the bottom of Group C. So their next two matches, including this one, are considered must-wins if they are to advance to the knockout stages.
Check out the SBOTOP preview of this match by reading more below.
Talking Points
El Salvador in a major funk
La Selecta, known for their solid defending under Hugo Perez, got off to a sluggish start as they conceded two quick goals from Martinique’s Patrick Burner and Kevin Fortune.
Despite having the numerical advantage when Jonathan Rivierez was sent off with a red card at the start of the second half, El Salvador couldn’t capitalise, as it took them until stoppage time for them to score a goal, courtesy of Bryan Tamacas’ penalty kick.
El Salvador are winless in eight consecutive games across all competitions, and much of their woes stem from the fact that they are lacking in the attacking third.
Hugo Perez’s men had a ton of missed opportunities, considering they had more shots on target (10) and possession (65-per cent) against Martinique.
Their young forwards, Kevin Reyes, Mayer Gil, and Brayan Gil, have yet to score their first goal for their nation. Although time is on their side because they’re all under 25 years old, their first El Salvador goal couldn’t come soon enough.
But at the back, 22-year-old goalkeeper Tomas Romero may be walking on thin ice after his subpar performance between the posts against Martinique, where he conceded half of the shots that he faced (2 out of 4).
Do Costa Rica’s vets have more left in the tank?
Keylor Navas (36), Kendall Waston (35), Celso Borges (35), Oscar Duarte (34), and Joel Campbell (31) are all approaching the twilight of their national team careers, so this might be their last big tournament together as Costa Rica’s core group after the 2022 World Cup.
Several newcomers were inserted in Costa Rica’s starting lineup against Panama last time out, with Juan Pablo Vargas, Kendall Waston, Suhander Zuniga, Josimar Acocer, and Joel Campbell keeping their spots in the starting XI from their recent friendly defeat against Ecuador.
There will be growing pains along the way, especially with head coach Luis Fernando Suarez under fire yet again, but Costa Rica have a couple of youngsters that opponents will have to watch, especially in this tournament.
Aaron Suarez (21) and Anthony Contreras (23) have been the bright spots for Los Ticos. They have 23 caps and four goals between them, and they will get their fair share of opportunities with their veterans approaching retirement.
History
El Salvador will meet Costa Rica for the 68th time on Friday. In the 67 meetings prior, Costa Rica have won 40 times, while El Salvador have only won 14 times, along with 13 draws.
Costa Rica have gotten the better of El Salvador through the years, as they own a 10-game undefeated streak over them that dates back to 2009. El Salvador haven’t recorded a clean sheet in 14 games across all competitions since February last year.
These two nations last met in the World Cup qualifiers last year, where Los Ticos won 2-1 as Anthony Contreras and Joel Campbell nullified Cristian Gil Mosquera’s first half goal.
Costa Rica have won at least two of its group stage matches in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in each of the last three editions. Their recent loss to Panama was only their second loss at this juncture of the Gold Cup since 2015.
Betting Tip
The CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 odds expect a tight affair between La Selecta and Los Ticos on Friday. Costa Rica were given the slight edge because they’re priced at 2.10 compared to El Salvador’s 2.98, and a draw is also on offer at 3.25 in the 1X2 market.
Even if a game against El Salvador looks like what the doctor ordered for Costa Rica, this is not a sure victory for Los Ticos because of their lack of cutting edge.
Because neither have been clinical in the final third of this tournament, we believe that this will be a low-scoring affair, making Under 2.25 at 2.00 your safest bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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