US lose third straight game against Costa Rica

While this loss wasn't as bad as the Mexico match, the United States surely would have liked a win over a good CONCACAF team like Costa Rica.

1-0 was the final score, with Los Ticos' Joel Campbell scoring in the 70th-minute. It was the visitors that had most of the chances shooting 15 times though only testing Tim Howard just three times. Costa Rica controlled the tempo of the game and seemed to be the better side throughout the match.

The US used this game as more experiment than anything, with the veteran Howard in goal behind a defense consisting of Brad Evans, Geoff Cameron, Michael Orozco and Tim Ream. Playing a flat 4-4-2 throughout the majority of the CONCACAF Cup, Danny Williams and Jermaine Jones played in the middle while DeAndre Yedlin and Brek Shea were on the wings.

Shea, who was a fixture in the lineup earlier in the year, returned from an injury suffered with Orlando City SC and made his first appearance for the national team since June 10 in the win against Germany.

Up front, Jozy Altidore was paired with Gyasi Zardes, both whom featured against Mexico.

The struggles were similar to the ones on Saturday night: creating chances. Their best chance was when Ream headed a free-kick toward the near post that was saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Costa Rica had many of their shots blocked, including one on the goal-line by Evans.

Lineups

US: Howard, Evans, Cameron (Alvarado, HT), Orozco, Ream (Spector, 64'), Yedlin, Williams, Jones (Diskerud, HT), Shea (Nguyen, 72'), Zardes (Wooten, 72'), Altidore (Wood, HT)

Costa Rica: Navas, Oviedo (Matarrita, 54'), Duarte (Calvo, 88'), Acosta, Waston, Gamboa (Myrie, 68'), Venegas (Colindres, 76'), Guzman, Borges (Granados, 90+2), Campbell, Ureña