The alternative lineup proposed by Paulo Cesar Wanchope for the National Men’s Football Team of Costa Rica, better known to fans as “La Sele,” proved to be a disaster. La Sele faced the National Team of Panama at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium for the second friendly match of 2015, and coach Wanchope quickly found out that young players such as Lemar Hernandez need a lot more training.

Goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado was kept pretty busy during the first half in Panama City. Midfielders and strikers from Panama found it easy to rush past Hernandez in the backfield, and this resulted in a deadly incursion by Blas Perez at the 18-minute mark. Perez scored a lefty goal, which was followed by Luis Tejada seven minutes later.

Had it not been for the hard work of Esteban Alvarado under the posts, the first half could have been worst for Costa Rica. There was no doubt among fans that Alvarado deserves to play just as much as star goalkeeper Keylor Navas of the Real Madrid, who started this friendly match on the bench.

Just in case, coach Wanchope substituted Hernandez before the end of the first half. Insofar as playmaking and offense, it is clear that Costa Rica has grown dependent on players such as Tejeda, Oviedo and Gonzalez, who did not start. Offensive players such as Borges, Ruiz, Campbell, and Ureña barely got a chance to make plays since they were called up to support the weak backline.

Costa Rica started the second half with a two goal deficit and an emboldened Panamanian national team. Both teams became more physical in their respective styles of play, which often led to fouls called by the referee. It did not take long for two Tico defenders to get booked with yellow cards.

Veteran striker Alvaro Saborio, who plays in the Real Salt Lake of the North American Major Soccer League (MLS), substituted in after 15 minutes to try to shake things up for La Sele. A rough play inside the box against Ruiz resulted in a penalty kick in favor of Costa Rica, and Saborio converted with the greatest of ease.

With a 1-2 score, things looked better for La Sele. Star striker Campbell, who did not have the best match, left the pitch and allowed Deiber Vega to switch up the offensive strategy a bit. The home team tried to obtain a greater advantage, which Alvarado did not allow. On the other hand, the Costa Rican offensive players were able to make a couple of offensive plays that nearly tied the score. To the delight of fans at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City, the match suddenly turned exciting.

In the end, coach Wanchope learned that risking the defensive lineup can be costly as Panama won 2 -1 and Costa Rica’s streak of 13 matches without losing came to an end.