Costa
Rica -
Argentina:
0 - 0
After it
was all
said and
done, it
was the
second
time in
days at
the new
national
stadium,
La Sele
(Costa
Rica's
national
team)
ended in
a tie,
last
night
0-0
against
the
powerful
Argentina
team.
Argentina's
Lionel
Messi
blows a
bubble
with his
gum
while
sitting
on the
bench
before
their
international
friendly
soccer
match
against
Costa
Rica at
the new
national
stadium
in San
José
Tuesday.
Messi
missed
his
team's
international
friendly
soccer
match
against
Costa
Rica
after
coach
Sergio
Batista
decided
to rest
him,
local
media
reported.
REUTERS/Juan
Carlos
Ulate. |
The draw
last
night,
like
that
with
China,
was
before a
full
house,
35.000
fans.
Although
La Sele
could
not pull
of a
win, it
still a
victory
for the
tricolor
that is
ranked
53rd in
the
world,
playing
against
the
fourth
best.
Costa
Rican
coach
Ricardo
La Volpe
said
that it
is
important
that the
national
team get
experience
playing
against
opponents
like
Argentina,
saying
"you
have to
better
your
game in
order to
compete
with
them".
It was
not
doubt
that
they did
just
that
last
night,
playing
against
a good
team.
Without
a doubt
the
start
last
night
was
Costa
Rica's
goalie
Keylor
Navas
who
lifted
the
spirits
of his
team
with a
point-blank
save
from
Argentina
striker
José
Sosa in
the
first
minutes
of the
game. Navas
protected
the
Costa
Rican
net like
a
world-class
goalkeeper,
keeping
the
Argentines
scoreless.
Navas
who used
to play
for
Saprissa
is
considered
to be
one of
the most
secure,
quick
and
agile
young
goalkeepers
in
CONCACAF.
With
Saprissa
he has
already
won a
National
championship
as well
as a
CONCACAF
Champions
Cup
title.
Costa
Rica had
several
opportunities
to
score,
but were
unsuccessful
in their
attempts
in what
some
called
wasted
opportunities.
Following
a day
"will or
won't
he",
Lionel
Messi
was
sidelined
with a
leg
injury.
Argentina
coach
Sergio
Batista
said the
Barcelona
star had
a minor
injury
to his
right
leg,
leaving
him out
of
lineup
after
saying
he
planned
to play.
Batista
also
rested
most of
his
other
top
players.
Midfielder
Javier
Mascherano
and
defender
Gabriel
Milito
were the
only
regular
starters
among
the
first
11.
Batsita
said
before
the game
the
decision
was his,
denying
he was
pressured
to rest
Messi.
His
absence
clearly
disappointed
the
sellout
at Costa
Rica's
new
national
stadium,
where
many
fans had
hoped to
see the
world's
best
player
on the
field.
La Sele
will
play
again in
June in
the
Concacaf
Gold Cup
play.
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