A makeshift Costa Rica/United States flag arrangement flies in Portland. Source: Twitter

The national football (or soccer, if you must go there) teams of Costa Rica and the United States delivered goal-fests against their respective Cuban and Belizean foes last night at the Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon.

Fans who purchased tickets for both games were in football heaven: Costa Rica opened the night with a clean-sheet 3-0 shutout against Cuba, a team that tried really hard to get in the game but could not contain the barrage of attacks on their goal during the second half. Later last evening came the U.S. turn to rock the goal of Belize, a team that only featured two professional players as they debuted in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The score was a solid 6-1 victory for the U.S.

The Gold Cup is only second to the FIFA World Cup with regard to prestige with regard to international football tournaments. Costa Rica was decidedly guarded during the first half of the game last night, and Cuba could not even coordinate a play. The first 15 minutes were painful for fans, and Costa Rica did not mount any serious incursions until about 20 minutes into the game. The rest of the first half was uneventful as fans, including a few hundred Ticos, began to boo from their seats.

Coach Jorge Luis Pinto must have dressed down the team during halftime; the game completely change during the second half as Michael Barrantes delivered a lefty shot on goal that sailed past Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina. Jairo Arrieta later capped a goal after a play worthy of a World Cup match right before playmaker Celso Borges came in from the bench and encouraged Barrantes to score his second goal of the night.

U.S. fans were happy to see their beloved star Landon Donovan return to action after a five-month absence, and he delivered a goal and two assists after Chris Wondolowski scored a masterful hat-trick in the first half. Michael Orozco and Stuart Holden also had their turns to score. The Belizean team scored their first Gold Cup goal, which was not enough to contain the onslaught from the U.S.

Although both the U.S. and Costa Rica gave their fans plenty of goals to enjoy, sports analysts remarked that scoring against Cuba and Belize is not such a remarkable feat. Costa Rica’s performance during the first half against Cuba was deplorable, but it is important to remember that coach Pinto is still trying out different team configurations for both the Gold Cup and the World Cup. As for the U.S., fans are happier to see that their team is coming together under Jurgen Klinsmann, but they still have to worry about future matches against the likes of Costa Rica and Mexico, the two other CONCACAF powerhouses.

Sources: FIFA and FEDEFUTBOL