Costa Rica didn’t have the Copa América Centenario that it wanted, but at least Johan Venegas livened things up.
The Ticos’ 3-2 win against Colombia wasn’t enough for Costa Rica to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament last Saturday night. Venegas’ magnificent goal, however, brought him a ton of well-deserved praise.
“Upon recovering the ball, we got forward quickly,” said Venegas after his first training session back with the Impact on Monday afternoon. “When I got the ball, my first touch took it to my right foot. I saw the goalkeeper at the near post, so I tried my luck.”
This was Venegas’ first start in this Copa América against a Colombia team that remains a serious contender to win it all.
Venegas, who also provided an ‘assist’ on Frank Fabra’s own goal, hopes that this performance will kick-start a positive second half to the season not just for him, but also for his club.
“We knew that we were facing a great team,” said Venegas. “The goal was a big moment for me. It fosters confidence. Hopefully I can build on this with my club here. There are a lot of expectations on me within the fan base, and I know that I can live up to these. Now, I want to help the club, because we’ve got important games coming up.”
