A VAR Affair and a goal each give both sides a point after a fiery affair.
Managua, El Salvador – For the first time in a very long time, Nicaragua has returned to a final round of World Cup Qualifying, and its first opponent at home is a tough and skillful Costa Rica at the brand-new Estadio Nacional. After a very long and drawn-out match, especially in the second half, both sides ended the match in a one-goal draw.
VAR in Play to issue a Red Card
No goals were scored in the first half, but all the action came in the second half. Nicaragua was chasing the ball to get possession back, but when Costa Rica retrieved the ball, a bad tackle ensued. Alonso Martinez was tackled from behind by El Salvador’s Jason Coronel, but no card was issued in the 48th minute. VAR did come calling and informed referee Marco Antonio Ortíz Nava to approach the monitor.
After doing so, Ortiz Nava went to Coronel and pulled out from his back pocket the red card and sent him off after a VAR review in the 54th minute.
Costa Rica Takes the Lead
The opening goal came as Costa Rica earned a corner along the near side. Alejandro Bran went to the flag and delivered a fantastic ball toward the middle of the area, and rushing up to deliver a snap header shot was Alexis Gamboa, who scored and put the Ticos ahead. Head Coach Miguel Herrera was celebrating the goal and the visiting fans in the 60th minute.
El Salvador’s Equalizer
El Salvador, while down a man, the rest of the way was doing a great job fighting back, looking for that equalizer to tie the match up. Then that moment happened when Jacob Montes made the pass to Ariel Arauz, and then he got sandwiched by two Costa Rican defenders in Juan Vargas and Carlos Mora, in the 74th minute.
As Byron Bonilla was about to take the penalty, the referee halted play and was summoned to the monitor again by VAR to make sure the call was correct. After another lengthy review, the penalty call stood, and Bonilla stepped up to the spot and smashed it past the goalkeeper Keylor Navas to level the match at one, and the home fans went crazy in the 81st minute.
The first match days of the final round of World Cup Qualifying have come to an end. We move on after the weekend to finish up these first four days of matchdays in September, so we will see what these teams can do in the second round of World Cup Qualifiers at this stage.
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