SAN DIEGO -- Nestled amongst World Cup qualifiers and the inaugural Club World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup quietly completed its second day in San Diego with a nail-biting 4-3 Costa Rica victory over Suriname in a fixture that came down to the final minute.
The high-scoring matchup put Suriname in third place and Costa Rica in first place, above favorites Mexico.
Suriname got started early in its second Gold Cup appearance, creating a point-blank shot that forced a superlative save from Keylor Navas reminiscent of his Real Madrid days.
Minutes later, Costa Rica, in its 17th appearance, capitalized on its own short-range attempt. A superb near-post cross fell into the path of Alonso Martínez, who stabbed the ball in for the opening score. Five minutes later, a reckless tackle in the box gifted Costa Rica a penalty. Manfred Ugalde sent Etienne Vaessen the wrong way with a rifle into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0 in under 20 minutes.
The usually shot-happy Suriname struggled to break into the final third, failing to record a strike in over 15 minutes. What the team lacked in quantity, however, they made up for in quality. Accordingly, Suriname broke through in the 34th minute with a near-post cross from Richonell Margaret that Gyrano Kerk masterfully glanced over the hands of Navas to destabilize the match at 2-1.
Both sides transitioned into their respective possession-heavy tactics in the final 10 minutes of the first leg. In tandem with growing defensive fatigue, the switch yielded half-chances on both ends, albeit none to shift the 2-1 score by halftime.
A spry Costa Rica side remained patient to begin the second half, stretching a more senior Suriname squad with its possession-based play. However, a defensive 5-3-2 formation ensured few openings for the Central American squad.
Nearly 15 minutes of passing became monotonous for Costa Rica, resulting in a momentary slip by Francisco Calvo while receiving a routine backfield pass. A switched-on Kerk took advantage, running onto the ball and into the box before serving a through ball to Margaret, who finished into an open net to tie the game.
Just as Costa Rica did in the first half, Suriname precipitously logged another goal just five minutes later after a Costa Rica handball in the box. Penalty-taker Shaquille Pinas left no chance with a power shot under Navas’ right hand to draw a 3-2 lead in the 64th minute.
The turn prompted more urgency from Los Ticos, who took several contested long-range shots to expedite a comeback. Suriname could only hold on until the 75th minute, when substitute Josimar Alcócer tamed a bouncing ball into the right corner to level the score.
Suriname responded immediately with a flying shot from Margaret that dribbled off the post and out, as well as a blazing shot across the floor from Ridgeciano Haps that required a quick Navas reaction.
Costa Rica was forced to play with 10 men for the remaining eight minutes of stoppage time after the team used all of its substitutions, and an injury to Warren Madrigal saw him leave in the 90th minute.
Los Ticos continued pushing despite the shortage, which paid off 13 minutes later after another rash Suriname tackle in the box. Ugalde remained calm to collect the 4-3 win with a clinical shot into the right corner.
Sunday’s game marked the eighth meeting between the two sides in their 65-year history. The teams met during the 2021 edition of the Gold Cup, where Costa Rica nabbed a 2-1 group stage victory. Most recently, Suriname came back to claim a 1-1 tie in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League group stage; he result ended Costa Rica’s six-game unbeaten streak over Suriname.
Apart from the budding rivalry, Costa Rica has been busy with six games in 2025. Los Ticos laid out a fairly dominant campaign with 7-0 and 6-1 results over Belize to qualify for the Gold Cup. World Cup qualifying matches also ran in their favor, as they took an 8-0 win over the Bahamas and a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago to top Group B.
Suriname’s four-match campaign yielded lower-scoring, albeit similar, success. A pair of 1-0 wins over Martinique sent the team to the Gold Cup, while 1-0 and 1-1 scorelines versus Puerto Rico and El Salvador, respectively, proved enough to top Group F in World Cup qualifying. The final round of qualifying for both teams takes place in September, October, and November.
Gold Cup play continues for both teams on June 18. Costa Rica looks to continue its success in a well-matched game against the Dominican Republic, which suffered a tough 3-2 loss against Mexico in the opening game of the competition. Los Ticos have played the Dominican Republic just once before, a 2013 friendly ending 4-0 in Costa Rica’s favor.
Suriname faces a tall task against top contender Mexico. The two sides have met twice before in 2022 for the CONCACAF Nations League. El Tri took both games by a score of 2-0 and 3-0.