“Orlando Sinclair opens the scoring to put Costa Rica ahead”
Pivotal“Carlos Mora doubles Costa Rica's lead just three minutes later”
Pivotal“Kenyel Michel caps off the win with a stoppage-time goal”
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Outstanding performance
Costa Rica•DefenderCosta Rica dictated this Nations League clash from the outset, racking up 64% possession and 13 shots to Nicaragua's meager 4, and their control eventually told in a decisive second-half spell. Orlando Sinclair broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, and Carlos Mora doubled the advantage just three minutes later, exploiting a Nicaragua side that struggled to create anything of note - finishing with zero big chances created across the full 90 minutes. Kenyel Michel added a third in stoppage time to put a gloss on the scoreline that reflected the gulf in quality, with Costa Rica's 6 shots on target and 4 big chances created underlining their attacking superiority. For Nicaragua, this was a chastening evening lacking any real spark, while Costa Rica will take real encouragement into their next fixture having controlled the game from start to finish.
How entertaining was this match?
Nicaragua and Costa Rica meet at the bottom of Group A with both sides still searching for their first points. Costa Rica arrive in crisis mode after sacking Fernando Batista, with interim boss Bryan Ruiz calling up Keylor Navas for his first game in charge, while Nicaragua must cope without suspended top scorer Jaime Moreno.
