Costa Rica Cruises Past Guadeloupe in Gold Cup

• SI.com , Monday, July 20, 2009 3 PM

Alvaro Saborio scored two goals and Costa Rica advanced to the Gold Cup semifinals for the first time since 2003, beating Guadeloupe 5-1 Sunday in the first sporting event played at the new Cowboys Stadium. Costa Rica (2-1-1) will face Mexico in the semifinals.

To open the scoring, startlet Celso Borges scored a reverse bicycle kick off an Armando Alonso cross that beat frozen goalkeeper Marius Fausta. "It was a great pass by Alonso," Borges said. "I didn't think twice about it. I just let the play guide me." Saborio then took a pass from Alonso and scored on a header from nine yards out to extend the lead to 2-0. Andy Herron's goal on an assist from Saborio in the 47th minute made it 3-0. Saborio's second goal came in the 72nd minute on an assist from Borges. He took a long pass and beat Fausta to make it 4-1. "I felt very confident," Saborio said. "I was able to follow the scheme." Pablo Herrera added a goal in the 89th minute to cap the scoring.

Costa Rica, which has never won the Gold Cup, lost in the final in 2002 to the United States and in the semifinals to Mexico in 2003. It was eliminated in the quarterfinals in both 2005 and 2007.

 

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