Costa Rica Advances To Gold Cup Quarter-Finals

Costa Rica 2–1 Dominican Republic

Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Tournament: 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup – Group Stage

Match Recap

Costa Rica came from behind to edge out the Dominican Republic 2–1 in a tightly contested Group C match. Despite conceding early to João Urbáez in the 16th minute, the Ticos responded with goals from Manfred Ugalde (44′) and Josimar Alcócer (85′), sealing all three points.

The match was relatively even in possession and chances, with both teams recording similar shots (Costa Rica 13, Dominican Republic 15). Costa Rica led the expected goals (1.84 vs 1.32), and capitalized better in the final third.

Feature Photo

Photo by OleMundo, accredited field access

Match Analytics

Key Stats

• Expected Goals (xG): Costa Rica 1.84 – 1.32 Dominican Republic
• Total Shots: 13 – 15
• Shots on Target: 6 – 5
• Possession: 50.5% – 49.5%
• Pass Accuracy: 81.8% – 75.6%
• Total Passes: 369 – 356

Top Performers

• Manfred Ugalde (Costa Rica): Scored from the penalty spot, making him the first Costa Rican since 2013 to score in each of his first two Gold Cup appearances.
• João Urbáez (Dominican Republic): Netted his first international goal at 22 years old, continuing the youth-led scoring streak for the DR.

Game Notes

• Costa Rica have now won their first two Gold Cup group matches in four of the last seven editions.
• The Dominican Republic has scored in each of their first two Gold Cup matches in their debut appearance — joining Guadeloupe (2007) and Bermuda (2019) as rare feats.
• Urbáez, Azcona, and Federico have scored all three DR goals in 2025, all from U22 players.
• Costa Rica had three shots in the opening four minutes — more than any team so far in this tournament.

Final Score

Costa Rica 2 – 1 Dominican Republic

Goals:
João Urbáez (16′) – Dominican Republic
Manfred Ugalde (44′) – Costa Rica
Josimar Alcócer (85′) – Costa Rica

Match visuals and data via Concacaf Gold Cup 2025 official report. Written and designed by OleMundo.