Costa Rica secured a 2-0 victory over El Salvador in a hard-fought match, keeping their hopes alive for a quarter-final spot in the W Gold Cup 2024. The game saw Priscilla Chinchilla scoring both goals in breakaway moves, solidifying Costa Rica’s position in the group.

The match between Costa Rica and El Salvador was crucial, as both teams were vying for the opportunity to advance to the quarter-finals. A win for either team would have placed them level with Paraguay on points, offering a chance to progress further in the tournament.

Costa Rica faced the daunting task of securing a positive result in their final match against Canada, while El Salvador still had a theoretical chance to advance, provided they could defeat Paraguay by three goals and count on Canada to beat Costa Rica by five.

Costa Rica entered the game determined to make amends for their missed opportunities in the previous group match against Paraguay, which resulted in a 1-0 defeat. On the other hand, El Salvador faced a challenging encounter against Canada, suffering a 6-0 loss.

Despite qualifying for the finals through the preliminary round play-offs, El Salvador demonstrated a fearless approach against their more esteemed opponents, opting for an offensive strategy rather than a defensive stance.

The breakthrough in the game came in the 8th minute when Costa Rica’s captain, Raquel Rodriguez, set up Priscila Chinchilla to exploit the space behind the El Salvador defense, leading to a goal past Idalia Serrano. Rodriguez’s exceptional performance in midfield was evident as she attempted a long-range shot from 30m, narrowly missing the target by hitting the crossbar.

El Salvador responded with their own attempts, with Samantha Fisher making a breakthrough in the 26th minute but failing to convert the opportunity. Despite their efforts, El Salvador was unable to breach the Costa Rican defense, ultimately conceding a second goal to Chinchilla.