USA Routs Costa Rica 4-0 In Second Copa America Game

Following their 2-0 loss to Colombia in the opening Copa America Centenario match on Friday, the US Men’s National Soccer Team reasserted itself with a 4-0 victory over Costa Rica at Soldier Field in Chicago on Tuesday night.

USA Routs Costa Rica 4-0 In Second Copa America Game

The US has now put itself in position to advance to the Copa quarterfinals. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann kept the same lineup, 4-3-3, he insisted produced a strong performance against Colombia despite the score.

“We had the luxury finally to send the same 11 out,” said Klinsmann. “We switched after half an hour, the system, we went from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2; fluid, no problem. “You can see they start to smell each other and make runs off each other.”

Unlike Friday’s game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the crowd on Tuesday was dominated by US fans. However, Soldier Field was still less than two-thirds full, with a total attendance of 39,642, suggesting a lack of interest or overpriced tickets, or both.

Joel Campbell set the tone for the US defense not long after kickoff. Five minutes in, the Arsenal forward arrived unnoticed by three defenders to hook a bouncing ball just wide of keeper Brad Guzan’s goal from the edge of the area.

Two minutes of sustained pressure by the US were rewarded with a penalty when Costa Rica’s Cristian Gamboa pushed Bobby Wood as they fought over a high cross. Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey sent goalie Patrick Pemberton the wrong way on the penalty kick to give the US a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute for his 50th international goal.

“The important thing is that we got the win tonight and we’re still in the tournament,” Dempsey said.

Costa Rica put Pemberton in goal after Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas recently became injured.

In the 25th minute, Gyasi Zardes nearly gave the US another goal when he burst through on the left, but a heavy touch took him too far wide and his shot went into the side-netting. The Los Angeles Galaxy forward blasted a shot seven minutes later from about eight yards, but the ball went flying over the crossbar.

Dempsey then set up Colorado Rapids midfielder Jermaine Jones for a quick strike into the bottom corner, and Jones fired a low shot past Pemberton in the 37th minute to push the US’s lead to 2-0. Until Tuesday, Costa Rica had not conceded more than once in any of their last 15 games. Hawaiian forward Bobby Wood, 23, blasted his own low shot five minutes later– thanks to another assist from Dempsey– to put the US up 3-0 at halftime.

Costa Rica improved somewhat in the second half, but not enough. Celso Borges almost scored a goal 10 minutes after the break, but shot too high. Bryan Ruiz hit the right post with a header just a few minutes afterward.

Midfielder Graham Zusi came off the bench and sealed the win for the US by slotting home a left-footer in the 87th minute after finding himself wide open.

“We think they deserve a huge, huge compliment for tonight’s performance,” Klinsmann said, adding that he believes this is the most difficult group in the tournament. “It took a little bit to kind of grind ourselves into the game in the first 15-20 minutes but once the first goal came we kept pushing for the next one and then pushing for the next one.”

The US will next face Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday for their final Group A matchup. Paraguay lost 2-1 to Colombia on Tuesday.

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 07: Oscar Duarte #6 of Costa Rica blocks a shot attempt by Clint Dempsey #8 of the United States during a match in the 2016 Copa America Centenario at Soldier Field on June 7, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The United States defeated Costa Rica 4-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)