Posted on October 13, 2012
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto praised his team’s defensive work in wake of the Ticos’ 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over El Salvador on Friday night.
The victory lifted the Costa Ricans (2-2-1, seven points) in second place in CONCACAF Group B ahead of their Central American rivals as third-place El Salvador (five) slipped to 1-2-2.
“I’m happy because if we talk about defense, there were only one or two attacks risky,” he told the Costa Rican newspaper Al Dia. “We lacked ball control, but provided a good match, aggressive. I told the players I did not know if we were going to play well, or pretty.”
The hosts could have clinched a spot in next year’s final with a win, leaving Costa Rica on the outside. But the Ticos prevailed on the road.
“We left [home] thinking about winning the match,” Pinto said, before using examples of how hosts have fallen in front of huge home crowds.
“Brazil at Maracana stadium could not win with full, Bayern Munich won no full stadium in the Champions League on their last visit,” he told Al Dia. “I feel sorry for the Salvadoran people, but one of them had to win and we did merit to take the win.”
The result forces El Salvador into a must-win situation against group leader Mexico (5-0-0, 15 points) at Azteca Stadium, while Costa Rica has much easier opposition at home in San Jose against Guyana (0-4-1,), which lost to El Tri on Friday night, 5-0.
Pinto, however, did not think Costa Rica had a berth in next year’s hexagonal wrapped up.
“No, you have to win to Guyana, that’s the idea,” he told Al Dia. “I know it will be a very difficult game, but [we have] the attitude and disposition will to win that game.”
Categories: Central America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, World Cup Qualifying
Tags: Bayern Munich, CONCACAF, Jorge Luis Pinto, UEFA Champions League, World Cup qualifying
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