Costa Rica vs Nicaragua 17/06/19

17 June 2019

Two nations that have never won the Gold Cup start their 2019 Gold Cup campaign at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, as Costa Rica take on Nicaragua.

Rocked by a disappointing performance in Russia, the hosts have never really managed to bounce back. They have suffered seven losses in ten games in the post-World Cup period, failing to find the net across five of those failures. Interestingly, all three of their triumphs across that period have been settled by a narrow one-goal margin, with two of them ending with the identical 3-2 scoreline. Also, Gustavo Matosas’ men have struggled to impress their fans in 2019, with all four of their games since the turn of the year producing under 2.5 goals, while three of them ended with the identical 1-0 scoreline (W1, L3). Notably, Los Ticos have pulled off four wins in five H2Hs with Nicaragua, without conceding a single goal (W4, D1).

It will be Nicaragua’s third Gold Cup appearance, as they go after their elusive first points at the most prestigious international competition in North America after six defeats in as many previous outings. However, La Azul y Blanco’s form in 2019 can’t encourage their fans, as Henry Duarte’s players sustained two defeats in four games since the turn of the year, wrapping up barely one triumph in the process (W1, D1, L2). Interestingly, two of those matches have ended with the same 1-0 scoreline (W1, L1), while the remaining two featured over 3.5 goals (D1, L1).