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Costa Rica Edges Panama in Concacaf Nations League Group B Clash

Los Ticos Claim Hard-Fought 1-0 Victory

Panama Denied Late Equalizer

San Jose, Costa Rica - The Costa Rica national football team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B match on Thursday. The match, played at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose, was decided by a solitary goal from forward Joel Campbell in the first half. Despite Panama's valiant efforts to equalize in the second half, they were unable to find a way past Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who made several crucial saves to preserve his team's lead. The result marks Costa Rica's first victory in the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League campaign, while Panama remains without a point after their opening match. The match began with both teams looking to impose their attacking style of play. Costa Rica, ranked 34th in the FIFA World Rankings, controlled possession in the early stages and created a number of promising scoring opportunities. Panama, ranked 58th in the FIFA World Rankings, relied on quick counter-attacks and long balls to try and catch Costa Rica's defense off guard. The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute when Campbell latched onto a cross from the right flank and headed the ball past Panama goalkeeper Luis Mejia. The goal gave Costa Rica a much-needed boost of confidence, and they went into the half-time break with a slender advantage. Panama came out with renewed determination in the second half and pushed forward in search of an equalizer. They created several chances, but they were unable to find a way past Navas, who was in excellent form. Costa Rica defended resolutely and managed to hold on to their lead until the final whistle. The victory gives Costa Rica a valuable three points in Group B, while Panama will be disappointed to have come away empty-handed. Both teams will be back in action on Sunday, with Costa Rica facing Curacao and Panama taking on Guadeloupe. Key Statistics * Costa Rica had 55% possession and 12 shots on goal, while Panama had 45% possession and 7 shots on goal. * Campbell's goal was his 24th for the Costa Rica national team. * Navas made 5 saves for Costa Rica, including a crucial stop from Panama's Abdiel Arroyo in the second half. Quotes from the Managers * Costa Rica manager Luis Fernando Suarez: "We are very happy with the victory. It was a tough game, but we fought hard and deserved the three points. We need to continue to improve, but this is a good start to our Nations League campaign." * Panama manager Thomas Christiansen: "We are disappointed with the result, but we can take some positives from the performance. We created some good chances, but we were not clinical enough in front of goal. We need to learn from our mistakes and improve in the next game."