FOOTBALL – SAUDI Arabia made a winning debut while Costa Rica emerged victorious in a seven-goal thriller as the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup continued on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, reports Sportsmax.
Saudi Arabia kicked off their first-ever Gold Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Haiti, courtesy of a first-half penalty from Saleh Al-Shehri. The forward calmly slotted home from the spot in the 21st minute after a foul in the box, giving the tournament hosts an early advantage they would protect for the remainder of the match.
Haiti, led by striker Frantzdy Pierrot, pressed hard for an equalizer before halftime but were unable to break through the Saudi defense. Goalkeeper Johny Placide kept Haiti in the contest with a key save in the 78th minute to deny Ziyad Aljohani from close range.
Despite a late surge from the Haitians, the Green Falcons held firm to secure all three points and take an early lead in Group D. They will next face the United States on Thursday in a top-of-the-group clash in Austin, Texas. Haiti, meanwhile, will look to bounce back against Trinidad and Tobago earlier that day in Houston.
In one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far, Costa Rica outlasted Suriname 4-3 in a pulsating Group A encounter that featured multiple lead changes and dramatic late drama.
Alonso Martínez opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a composed finish inside the box from a Brandon Aguilera cross, and Manfred Ugalde doubled the lead five minutes later from the penalty spot.
Suriname responded through Gyrano Kerk, who headed home in the 34th minute, and then drew level in the 59th when Richonell Margaret finished from close range after an assist from Kerk. The momentum stayed with Suriname when Shaquille Pinas converted a penalty in the 64th to give his side a 3-2 advantage.
Costa Rica refused to fold. Josimar Alcócer pounced on a rebound in the 76th minute to make it 3-3, and veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas kept Suriname at bay with multiple crucial stops in second-half stoppage time.
The final twist came in the 90+13th minute when Ugalde netted his second penalty of the night, clinching a dramatic win for Los Ticos and securing all three points.
Costa Rica will next face the Dominican Republic tomorrow in Arlington, Texas, while Suriname will look to regroup as they take on Mexico later that evening.
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