by Rod Hughes

Everyone who sees a soccer match watches a different game.

This writer saw the Costa Rican All Stars tie 1-1 in an exhibition game with Haiti Wednesday evening at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas and enjoyed it immensely. La Nacion sportswriter Gustavo Jiménez watched the same match and thought it, in modern parlance, sucked. Moreover, this writer thought the national team improved, while Jiménez said they look worse every time he sees them play.

To heck with him! Granted, the Tico attack is not exactly the epitomy of precision, with a tendency to send the ball into orbit, but Haiti was worse, especially in the first half. But Cristián Bolaños sent a bullet toward the goal that was off to the left by THAT much and was almost the goal of the week. Despite the imprecision, it was a spirited game with both sides giving the crowd their money’s worth as if it was the final game of the World Cup. Both goalies, Jose Francisco Porras and Haiti’s Gabard Fenelon, distinguished themselves with fine stops when the offense got too hot.

Walter Centeno, the faithful, loyal and reliable midfielder for Costa Rica, drew first blood two minutes into the second half from a centering of the ball by Allan Aleman, proving that Aleman isn’t completely useless. Just mostly. And we will grant you that the defensive error that allowed Haiti’s Jean-Sony Alcenat to even it up 20 minutes later was not Ticolandia’s finest hour but coach Hernan Medford is still sticking the pieces of the puzzle together. Give him some space…