Costa Rica holds off Mexico 2-1 in Olympic qualifying match

Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod, right, grabs the ball as Allysha Chapman (2) avoids her as Costa Rica’s Melissa Herrera (7) slides during the first half of a CONCACAF Olympic women’s soccer qualifying championship semifinal Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, in Houston.

As the USA clinched an Olympic berth with a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Friday in Houston, it was 17-year-old Mallory Pugh – a player few would have imagined showing up on Ellis’ radar – who served as the most enticing attacking catalyst. Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath added goals.

Also consider Olympic and World Cup champions Megan Rapinoe and Christie Rampone, who weren’t on the qualifying tournament roster due to injuries but are still considered Olympic team contenders.

Rodriguez, who finished with six goals in the tournament, was co-captain of the Penn State team that won last year’s NCAA title, scoring the lone goal in the 1-0 victory over Duke. John Herdman, coach for the Canadian team said that he has a group that is hungry and going to give the USWNT a fight in the final.

When she was informed that no team had done the Women’s World Cup/Olympics double on Friday, Lloyd smiled. However, the Canadians rebounded and won the Bronze Medal match by a score of 1-0 against France. “As the game wears on they get a little more disorganized”.

Raquel Rodriguez scored goals and Costa Rica held off a late charge for a 2-1 victory Monday that secure a spot in the semifinals of CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.

In the last Olympics, the pair played out one of the best matches in recent memory, with the Americans emerging on top 4-3 in a semi-final clash.

Both teams will also be looking to protect players given Sunday marks the fifth game for both since the tournament started February 10 (Feb. 11 for Canada).

While Canada was heavily favoured against the 34th-ranked Costa Ricans, the team was happy to put the qualification match behind them.

Morgan scored her first in the 30th minute off a header from another newcomer, 21-year-old Lindsey Horan.

The closest Canada has come to beating the Americans (other than the semifinal game at London 2012) was in May of 2014 when Kadeisha Buchanan scored her first career global goal. “It’s all about just bringing that intensity with our attention and letting the quality of Canada shine through because I think if it does, we could be heading to Rio”. “I think someone said past year the team that won the Algarve Cup had never gone on to win the World Cup, and we did that”.

“Canada has some great players”, Costa Rica coach Amelia Valverde said through an interpreter.

Players who have gotten some time in this tournament and deserve to get more are Kelley O’Hara, Christen Press, and Crystal Dunn.

Costa Rica made its World Cup debut last summer tying Spain 1-1 and South Korea 2-2 before losing 1-0 to Brazil. Sinclair made Costa Rica pay for a brutal giveaway, scoring a beauty of a goal. Goals No. 160 and 161 were pure class. A third Sinclair goal was whistled offside in the 78th minute.

Then Morgan got her second after the ball pinned around in the box in the second half.