No Canada

Costa Rica tops Cuba 3-0 as both advance in Gold Cup

FOXBORO, Massachusetts (AP) -- Walter Centeno scored off a corner kick in the 45th minute Wednesday as Costa Rica defeated Cuba 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Cuba, which won its first match Monday against Canada, also advanced and will face the United States in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Cuba clinched the second spot in Group D due to its win over Canada.

Costa Rica will face the winner of Wednesday night's match between El Salvador and Martinique. Canada, which beat Costa Rica last Saturday, was eliminated.

"Right now the United States is playing the best soccer," Costa Rica coach Steve Sampson said. "They're playing very well and very loose. I don't think you've seen the best of them either. I think it was very important that we don't play them in the next round."

Centeno scored with his right leg after a corner kick from Carlos Castro. The ball never touched the ground and beat goalkeeper Alain Cervantes inside the left post.

"The goal by Centeno was exceptional," Sampson said.

Costa Rica made it 2-0 on Steven Bryce's goal in the 72nd minute. Bryce came in as a substitute two minutes before he scored. Erick Scott made it 3-0 at the 76th minute.

"We knew they were tired because their game against Canada was very hard," Bryce said. "They had only one day for rest."

In a sluggish first half, Costa Rica's Rolando Fonseca hit the left post in the second minute.

Cuba had a good chance in the 28th minute when Jeniel Marquez shot from just outside the box, but Ricardo Gonzalez leaped and batted the ball away.

"It was an intense game," Cuba coach Miguel Company said. "Costa Rica had control most of the game."

Summary

Costa Rica 3 Cuba 0 - result

CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D

Scorers: Walter Centeno 45+1, Steven Bryce 72, Erick Scott 77

Halftime 1-0

Attendance: 2,000

Teams:

Costa Rica - 23-Ricardo Gonzalez, 3-Luis Marin, 4-Alexander Castro, 5-Gilberto Martinez, 6-Wilmer Lopez (17-Steven Bryce, 72), 7-Rolando Fonseca (14-Erick Scott, 62), 8-Mauricio Solis, 10-Walter Centeno, 19-Mauricio Wright, 21-Winston Parks, 22-Carlos Castro (12-Leonardo Gonzalez, 79).

Cuba - 1-Odelin Molina, 3-Jeniel Marquez, 4-Silvio Minoso, 5-Alexander Cruzata, 6-Linan Perez, 7-Jorge Ramirez, 10-Lester More (11-Rene Infante, 63), 13-Maikel Castaneda (9-Lazaro Dalcourt, 90), 16-Reizander Fernandez, 17-Pedro Faife, 18-Alain Cervantes (8-Educardo Morales, 75).

Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.