Posted in New Zealand, Costa Rica

Ex-Arsenal star Joel Campbell hits win to New Zealand!

 June 14, 2022

Costa Rica qualified for the World Cup for the third time with a 1-0 win against 10-man New Zealand in their intercontinental playoff on Tuesday, securing the final spot in Qatar.

With the New Zealand defence sluggish to react, the former Arsenal striker scored for Costa Rica after three minutes, squeezing between two defenders to touch in a square pass from Jewison Bennette.

New Zealand, on the other hand, will feel cheated after having an equalizer ruled out by VAR for a foul in the build-up to Chris Wood’s goal in the 39th minute.

According to a check, Matthew Garbett fouled Oscar Duarte in what appeared to be a severe ruling.

A VAR check also resulted in Kosta Barbarouses being sent out in the 69th minute, reducing the Kiwis to ten men.

The qualifying campaign for the 2022 finals in Qatar, which ran from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, came to a close with a playoff at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium between the fourth-placed team in the CONCACAF zone and the champion of the Oceania confederation.

New Zealand

Costa Rica qualified for its sixth World Cup in total, and will play Germany, Japan, and Spain in Group E at the finals.

Campbell’s score had 6,000 of the 10,803 fans in the stadium up and dancing,

but it didn’t lead to the Central American team’s predicted overpowering performance.

Instead, it was New Zealand who appeared to be the more daring of the two teams,

with centre striker Wood being the target of their attacks while being continually observed by a cautious Costa Rican defence.
In the first half, Alex Greive and Garbett both had chances, but their shots were off target.

Costa Rica awoke from their lethargy after three halftime substitutions,

but it was New Zealand who displayed more attacking zeal in the second half, albeit with no results.

New Zealand

As New Zealand toiled in search of an equaliser,

Costa Rica goalkeeper Kaylor Navas produced a fine save from Clayton Lewis in the 76th minute. Costa Rica sat back and absorbed the pressure until the final whistle brought off ecstatic celebrations.

The line-up for the World Cup has been finalised, with Costa Rica securing a spot in Qatar.

Joel Campbell’s goal in the third minute put the Central American side ahead of New Zealand in the last qualification play-off.


New Zealand put up a valiant fight, but Costa Rica delivered on their promise and got out to a flying start thanks to Campbell.

Jewison Bennette, 17,

sprinted down the left flank and delivered a low cross that Campbell deflected beyond the New Zealand defence line, which included former West Ham midfielder Winston Reid, for a first-time goal.

Soon after the start, New Zealand rallied back, with Alex Greive shooting wide.

Chris Wood of Newcastle had a trying evening,

having a penalty claim turned down then having his goal ruled out for a foul by teammate Matthew Garbett in the build-up after a VAR review.

Costa Rica qualified for the World Cup for the first time

when Joel Campbell’s early goal handed the Central Americans a tense 1-0 win over New Zealand in a play-off on Tuesday.

In Doha, former Arsenal forward Campbell scored in the third minute,

and despite dominating for extended periods, New Zealand,

who were reduced to ten men in the second half, were unable to produce an equaliser.

Costa Rica will be in a challenging Group E with Germany,

Spain, and Japan at the competition, which begins in November in Qatar.

Costa Rica will compete in their third World Cup in a row, and their sixth overall. Their best performance to date was a run to the quarterfinals in 2014.

Due to a foul earlier in the move,

VAR ruled out what New Zealand striker Chris Wood thought was a leveller shortly before half-time at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

Kosta Barbarouses was also sent off for a challenge on Costa Rica’s Francisco Calvo,

only eight minutes after coming on as a substitute. VAR overturned that judgement after he had been shown a yellow card initially.

New Zealand coach Danny Hay remarked, “We are really upset, we are grieving.”

“We were, in my opinion, the superior squad. There was one team that dominated the competition.”

He branded the goal disallowed decision “atrocious” and stated the game’s referee should not have been in charge.

The pandemic turmoil had wreaked havoc on all sides.

Because of the coronavirus, the whole Oceania qualifying group, which New Zealand won to reach this play-off,

was staged behind closed doors in Qatar this year.

Costa Rican star Bryan Ruiz was diagnosed with Covid-19 two weeks before Tuesday’s game,

and the club was forced to reject charges that two sick players were on the field against Jamaica in January.

Neighbors of New Zealand On Monday,

Australia beat Peru 5-4 on penalties to claim the 31st qualifying position in the same arena.

Qatar hosts the first World Cup in an Arab country on November 21, with the final on December 18.

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