In San José, Costa Rica’s opening night in the Nations League turned from a comfortable-looking occasion into an anxious finish, with the stands voicing their displeasure after a remarkable late collapse.
Bocha Batista’s side appeared to have their first match in the competition under control before conceding four goals in the space of 21 minutes. What had seemed a settled debut became a difficult evening for the hosts, and the final whistle brought loud complaints from supporters in the crowd.
A troubled Nations League start
The sequence of four concessions left Costa Rica facing immediate questions about a performance that had changed sharply in the closing stages. Batista, the Costa Rica coach, saw his team lose its grip on the match in little more than a quarter of an hour, turning the national side’s tournament introduction into a night of frustration in the capital.
For a country accustomed to measuring itself against the wider CONCACAF landscape, the reaction inside the stadium underlined the disappointment. The Nations League campaign has only begun, but Costa Rica’s supporters made clear that the manner of the late defensive unraveling had left a strong mark.
