Red Bull Arena is electrified as El Salvador takes the pitch for warm-ups, you can’t hear anything but the chants and cheers for the side. This game is going to be the place to be in the NYC area tonight. They even have an MC getting the crowd going along with a DJ, we’re just 20 minutes away from the lineups and anthems.
The arena is the atmosphere of your favorite musician right now inside the arena, it sounds like jumbo jets taking off from the bleachers. Every touch, every foul, or anyone touches El Salvador, and the place erupts. El Salvador keeps knocking on the door, but Costa Ric keeps shutting the door in their face. If El Salvador scores the Red Bull may need a new roof on the arena.
One man who would appreciate this match tonight is Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amoros. This is the atmosphere all the local teams should be pushing for, this is soccer, futbol, football, futebol, calcio, etc.
Hugo Perez sends out new instructions to his side to try and combat the nonstop assault by El Salvador on the backline of Costa Rica. Costa Rica has had some solid chances since the alterations made by Hugo. In the first 30′ plus we have seen some solid futbol, something we haven’t seen in this building during MLS in a long time.
El Salvador 747 is incoming fast to Red Bull Arena, and the corner kick is taken and played out by Costa Rica. Fans are standing throughout the arena, jumping and chanting. This is the futbol we want in America, this is the futbol that USSF and MLS should be striving for. You can feel the passion in every touch, every ankle break, every fan, country means something, but you have fans of four countries here all cheering on the two sides competing, this type of futebol is more than just American soccer.
The closest America comes to this level of noise is at their favorite boy band or Swift concert. Yet it still is quieter than what is being witnessed here tonight between two foreign countries in the United States.
What a save by El Salvador’s Mario Gonzalez on an absolute rocket by Celos Borges from the top of the box going far post in the 40′, the rebound was sent over the crossbar for a goal kick.
Head coach for #ElSalvador Hugo Perez speaks after the scoreless draw against Costa Rica keeps them alive in the group stage. 🎥 Credit https://t.co/pcKZPh7mYe #GoldCup2023 #baddawgsports #futbol pic.twitter.com/xFgvztULQH
— Bad Dawg Sports (@jj_pavlick) July 2, 2023
El Salvador nearly opens the scoring in the 45′ when Brayan Gil nearly gets a Golazo for the opening goal of the match from a corner kick. Instead, the ball bounces straight down and out toward the field of play. The fourth official indicates a minimum of 1′ added time to the 1st half.
Let’s get the second-half entertainment underway, the match is starting similar to the first half with El Salvador taking most of the possession and chances in the first five minutes of play in the second half.
Another fight breaks out in the section near the press box between an El Salvador fan and a fan of another country. That’s the fourth fight in the last ten minutes over here, between fans. It’s not just the temperature outside heating up anymore, hopefully, the rest of the match goes without further incident.
Head coach Luis Fernando Suarez speaks after his side draws in a scoreless match with El Salvador. The draw keeps both sides alive in the Group Stages. 🎥 Credit: https://t.co/pcKZPh7mYe#CostaRica #GoldCup2023 #baddawgsports #futbol pic.twitter.com/w556HBWWl3
— Bad Dawg Sports (@jj_pavlick) July 2, 2023
No goal for Costa Rica in the 75′, the play was ruled offside. El Salvador gets to breathe but it was close enough to have the stadium think a goal was scored.
The official attendance is 22,715 for the match between El Salvador and Costa Rica. The arena seats 25,000 people. The two sides are playing for a much-needed result before heading into their final matches.
Are we having a player epidemic where they will on cue just grab their heads to stop play even though the injury is not to the head? I’ve lost count of how many times tonight the players have had arm or leg issues and grabbed their heads to stop the play. This is the ugly side of the game that fans want to see go away.
The center has had it with the fake injuries and is demanding El Salvador play the ball right where their teammate is rolling on the ground. As soon as the free kick is taken the player got up and went on his way. We’re now in the 90’+4′ of the highly contested match, neither side breaking so far, only bending a bit.
We’re in what appears to be the final minute of the match, El Salvador earns a corner kick for what should be the final play of the night. The referee ends the match before the corner kick after El Salvador took too long to set up. One of El Salvador’s coaching staff (Mauricio Cienfuegos) made a beeline right to the center referee with aggression and is shown an instant Red Card for his actions toward the official.
It took four to five players to pull the coach away and he tried to fight his own players to get back to the center referee. The El Salvador fans start throwing beer and bottles onto the pitch from the stands. The match ends in a 0 – 0 draw after 90’+7′. The final match for both teams will be crucial and El Salvador will be without Mauricio Cienfuegos.
Photo Credit: Concacaf.com
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