Costa Rica 1-0 New Zealand: Early goal from former Arsenal striker Joel Campbell sends CONCACAF nation to World Cup
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Updated 14/06/2022 at 20:18 GMT
Costa Rica will feature at the 2022 World Cup after a narrow victory against New Zealand at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. Joel Campbell's early strike proved the difference on a night where New Zealand had a goal disallowed due to VAR and also saw Kostas Barbarouses get a red card just minutes after coming off the bench. Costa Rica reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014.
Joel Campbell
Image credit: Getty Images
Costa Rica are through to the 2022 World Cup after beating 10-man New Zealand 1-0 in the intercontinental play-off thanks to an early goal from Joel Campbell.
The Central American nation will play in Group E in Qatar alongside Spain, Germany and Japan.
Costa Rica took an early lead through former Arsenal striker Campbell who slotted his low left-footed strike into the bottom corner in the third minute.
New Zealand responded brightly and thought they had found an equaliser in the 43rd minute through Chris Wood, but his strike was ruled out after VAR ruled that midfielder Matthew Garbett had committed a foul in the build-up.
There was more bad news for New Zealand as substitute Kostas Barbarouses was shown a straight red card just eight minutes after coming off the bench for a heavy sliding tackle on Francisco Calvo. He was initially awarded a yellow card, but after a VAR review a red was given.
In the 77th minute, Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas produced a sublime diving save to tip over Clayton Lewis' curling strike from the edge of the box.
New Zealand continued to pressure for an equaliser, with Wood squandering a glorious chance to score from close range in the 84th minute, but Costa Rica held on for their seventh clean sheet in 14 qualification matches to seal their place in Qatar.
Costa Rica are the final nation to qualify for the World Cup after Australia booked their place the previous evening with a penalty shoot-out win over Peru.
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