Costa Rica Tops Dominican Republic with Late Goal in Gold Cup

Arlington, Texas – Costa Rica overcame an early deficit and secured a thrilling 2-1 victory against the Dominican Republic in a Gold Cup group stage match on Wednesday night.

In a decisive play, Costa Rica’s Manfred Ugalde sent a pass to Josimar Alcocer, who found space between defenders. Alcocer charged toward the goal, chipping the ball over Dominican goalkeeper Xavier Valdez in the 85th minute.

Ugalde had previously equalized in the 45th minute, converting a penalty after forcing Valdez to dive right and placing the ball to the left. The match had initially seen Joao Urbáez score for the Dominican Republic in the 16th minute. After a save from Costa Rican goalkeeper Kaylor Navas, Urbáez capitalized on the rebound with a right-footed shot, putting his team ahead 1-0.

This win positions Costa Rica with a 2-0 record and 6 points, leading Group A. Mexico, who faces Suriname later Wednesday, follows with 3 points. The Dominican Republic remains winless.

Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, making the stakes high for all matches as the tournament progresses.