ALAJUELA, Costa Rica. A scoreless draw between Costa Rica and Curacao at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela leaves everything in play in Group D ahead of the November window matches.
That will see Costa Rica travel to Curacao for the return fixture before closing things out with a home date against Haiti.
Perhaps it should be no surprise neither team was able to break through Sunday night, with two of the region’s top goalkeepers defending the nets. Costa Rica No. 1 Keylor Navas made a trio of saves, while Curacao shot-stopper Eloy Room had a pair.
The home side had a series of chances from corner kicks around the 75th minute, but Room intervened with a dangerous-looking ball from the far side, and Jeremy de Nooijer deflected a header that looked bound for the goal on a kick that came in from the near side.
With rain falling faster, Navas’ goal also saw a flurry of action. With the PSG keeper seemingly beaten in the 80th minute, Rangelo Janga pushed his low shot just wide, before Navas stopped Gino van Kessel, the CNL qualification top scorer who was on as a substitute, from finding the back of the net shortly later by deflecting his near-range effort.