Colombia players (from left to right) Luis Díaz, Kevin Castaño, Johan Mojica and Davinson Sánchez celebrate after Colombia won the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024 group D match between Colombia and Paraguay, in Houston, Texas, USA. USA, June 24, 2024.
Photo: EFE – LESLIE PLAZA JOHNSON
Under the direction of Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia will seek to ensure its place in the quarterfinals of the Copa América in advance when it faces Costa Rica this Friday at 5:00 pm with the transmission of Gol Caracol.
The tricolor arrives motivated after its 1-0 victory over Paraguay and hopes to extend its streak of 24 consecutive games without losing. For its part, Costa Rica, inspired after drawing 0-0 with Brazil, will seek to surprise and complicate the aspirations of the team led by James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz.
Néstor Lorenzo’s men lead zone D with three points, followed by Brazil and Costa Rica, both with one, while Paraguay is bottom without points.
How is the history between Colombia and Costa Rica going?
With ten wins, Colombia has led the history of matches against Costa Rica, which has won three times, between Copa América, friendlies and Central American and Caribbean Games.
They have played in the Copa América four times and the numbers are in favor of the Colombian team led by Néstor Lorenzo, with three wins and one loss.
Bolivia witnessed its first head-to-head in the Copa América in the group stage of the 1997 tournament. Colombia, led by Hernán Darío ‘Bolillo’ Gómez, beat Costa Rica 4-1 with a double from Néider Morantes. Wilmer Cabrera, from a penalty, and Víctor Aristizábal also scored. The player Mauricio Wright discounted for the eleventh Tico player, who was coached by Horacio Cordero.
They then met in the 2004 Copa América Peru in the quarterfinals. Colombia won 2-0 with scores from Abel Aguilar and Tressor Moreno, from a penalty. Costa Rica was trained by the Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto.
In 2011, in the Copa América that was played in Argentina, Colombia beat Costa Rica 1-0 with a goal from Adrián Ramos. The coffee growers were led by ‘Bolillo’ Gómez and the Ticos by the Argentine Ricardo La Volpe.
The last time they met for the Copa América they played in the United States, in the 2016 Centenario edition, and Costa Rica defeated Colombia 2-3 in Group A, which was coached by the Argentine José Pékerman, with Lorenzo as assistant in the bench.
That day Colombia was already classified for the next round and Pékerman decided to go out against the Ticos with an alternative roster to give their top figures a rest.
Costa Rica took the lead on the scoreboard with a goal from Johan Venegas. Frank Fabra equalized for Colombia, but Fabra himself gave the Ticos the advantage with an own goal to make it 1-2. The third was scored by Celso Borges and Marlos Moreno made it 2-3.
This Friday it will be seen if Colombia continues to dominate the statistics or if it is Costa Rica that tips the balance towards its side in the meeting they will have in Glendale for their fifth head to head in a Copa América.
