USA vs. Costa Rica: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
Costa Rica defeated the United States men's national soccer team, 1-0, on Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena in a friendly between two CONCACAF sides.
The match left many in attendance wanting more in the first half and for most of the second half. Costa Rica found a breakthrough in the 70th minute as Arsenal's Joel Campbell slotted home Dave Myrie's pass from the right wing.
The victory handed the Ticos a nice momentum boost heading into a difficult World Cup qualifying group with Jamaica, Panama and Haiti.
Another loss by the USMNT left more questions to be answered about the current state of Jurgen Klinsmann's side.
Here's a look at who we picked as our winners and losers from Tuesday's contest.
Winner: Joel Campbell
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It took Joel Campbell a few shots to finally find the target, but once he did, he was able to put the Ticos into the lead.
Campbell, who needed to impress at forward in a start for the Ticos, sprayed shots wide of the goal in both directions before slotting home the opener in the 70th minute.
The Arsenal man found space in the middle of the box and knocked in Dave Myrie's cross from the right wing to hand Costa Rica a vital win ahead of a difficult World Cup qualifying campaign that begins in November.
Whether he starts or sits in November against Haiti, Campbell's pace and ability in the final third will be key for the Ticos to advance to the Hexagonal round of qualifying.
Loser: Gyasi Zardes
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Many have been longing for Gyasi Zardes to play in his natural position up top instead of on the left wing.
Zardes earned that start on Tuesday, but he failed to impress like many of the other American starters in Klinsmann's lineup.
The LA Galaxy man's movement was awful in the first half as he was stagnant on a few occasions while his teammates tried to play the ball forward in an attempt to spring an attack.
The second half saw much of the same from Zardes as he did not play well next to half-time substitute Bobby Wood. When he left the pitch a few minutes after Costa Rica's goal, Zardes looked disappointed with his performance.
Since Wood has done more up top than Zardes behind Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey on the forward depth chart, don't be surprised to see him lose starting time up top.
Winner: Geoff Cameron
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Geoff Cameron is the best center-back in the USMNT talent pool at the moment.
In his 45-minute shift next to Michael Orozco, Cameron displayed leadership and the ability to play out of the back for the Yanks.
When he left the game to earn some well-deserved rest, the center-back pairing of Orozco and Ventura Alvarado as well as defensive midfielder Danny Williams lacked any cohesion as a unit in front of Tim Howard.
If there are any positives to come out of the last two games for the USMNT, it is the play of Cameron, who is also guaranteed to receive first-team action at Stoke City.
Now Klinsmann needs to find someone to consistently partner Cameron in order to bring a lost sense of familiarity back to the defense.
Losers: Every USMNT Substitute
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Instead of blaming Klinsmann for his second-half changes, we're going to shine a light on the substitutes who did nothing on the field to change the game.
Mix Diskerud, Bobby Wood and Alvarado all entered at the half, and none of three made a significant impact on the match, despite the hope that Wood would once again light a spark off the bench in the final third.
Jonathan Spector entered as the fourth change for the USMNT, and he was caught out on quite a few occasions as Costa Rica pushed for a second goal.
When the Ticos went ahead, Lee Nguyen and Andrew Wooten came in as last-ditch hopes to save the Americans. Neither attacker thrived, as the visitors looked more dangerous moving forward.
Since all six substitutes failed to impress, one has to think a change in personnel is needed as the Yanks embark on their World Cup qualifying campaign in November.
Winner: Marcos Urena
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Campbell may have stole the headlines with his goal, but Marcos Urena was the best attacker for the Ticos on Tuesday night.
Urena was a constant threat to the USMNT back line from the start, and even as Campbell missed his chances, Urena was working to finish one off himself.
With World Cup qualifying on the horizon, Urena secured himself a spot in the Costa Rica starting 11 as he exploited plenty of gaps in the American back four while working well with his teammates behind him.
With a positive start to Group B needed, Urena must replicate his performance from Tuesday against Haiti and Panama in November.
Loser: Danny Williams
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Danny Williams was one of a few USMNT players handed an opportunity to impress Klinsmann with some of the regular starters out of the mix.
In Michael Bradley's role in front of the back four, Williams looked terrible against a pacy Costa Rica side.
Williams failed to control the ball on many occasions and committed plenty of wasteful turnovers that left the USMNT back four caught forward.
Given the showing from the Reading midfielder, Klinsmann should call on other players in the talent pool like Wil Trapp, Perry Kitchen and Dax McCarty to find a solid backup for Bradley.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
