International Recap: Angelina and Cruz Impress in Final International Games of the Year
Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua
In the first of two friendly matches, Costa Rica beat Nicaragua by a score of 5-2. OL Reign midfielder Shirley Cruz started the match and played 77 minutes before subbing out. She scored Costa Rica’s first goal.
Costa Rica got off to a slow start and conceded first, in the 44th minute, when Josseling Berríos took advantage of a mistake from the Costa Rican defense and hit a shot off the crossbar and into the back of the net. The goal from Berríos sent Costa Rica into halftime down 1-0.
However, immediately after halftime, Costa Rica began to find their rhythm on the field and scored an equalizer in the 46th minute of the match. It was OL Reign’s Shirley Cruz that found the back of the net to kickstart the Costa Rican comeback.
Costa Rica scored their second and third goals in quick succession. Michelle Montero added the second goal in the 48th minute, followed by 2-1 and Lixy Rodríguez adding the third in the 53rd minute. Nicaragua then pushed forward and broke through the Costa Rican defense in the 65th minute. Yessenia del Socorro Flores Rivas, a Nicaraguan forward, was the player to score the goal.
This goal sparked a surge of energy on the Costa Rican team and they fought to score two more goals before the end of the match. In the 69th minute, Raquel Rodríguez scored Costa Rica’s fourth, followed by Gabriela Guillén scoring the final goal of the match in stoppage time.
Though the performance was not perfect, Costa Rica came away with a 5-2 victory in their first friendly match against Nicaragua.
The teams came together for a second friendly match later in the week. This time, Costa Rica managed another victory. The Ticas scored three goals and only conceded one. Maria Paula Coto scored one goal and Carolina Venegas scored two to end the international window on a high note.
Brazil vs. Chile
In the final match of the Manaus International Tournament, Brazil beat Chile 2-0 to win the tournament. OL Reign midfielder Angelina started the match and subbed out in the second half.
In the first half, Brazil was threatening offensively, but struggled to find the final ball that would allow them to score the opening goal of the match. Chile’s defense and goalkeeper did well to maintain the 0-0 score line until the whistle sounded for halftime.
After halftime, it was not long before Brazil finally found their breakthrough goal. Ary Borges passed the ball into the box and Kerolin was there to get on the end of it, taking one touch to put it into the back of the net, just five minutes into the second half.
With the lead, Brazil did well to dictate the tempo of the match. They played smart to maintain the lead. Their patience and composure paid off near the end of the second half, when Gio took gained possession of the ball from the Chilean defense at the edge of the box. She hit a strong shot and scored the second and final goal of the match.
The game ended 2-0 and Brazil took home the title at the Manaus International Tournament.