No Costa Rica, You Should Not Get To Redo A World Cup Qualifier Against US Soccer Because It Was Snowing

The Costa Rican men's soccer team is going to FIFA to ask for a replay of Friday's World Cup qualifying 1-0 loss to the United States, because it was snowing really hard.

The two teams played in Commerce City, Colorado, and as we chronicled yesterday, they played under blizzard conditions. It was cold as shit. Snow caked the ground. The sides had to use a bright yellow ball, and even that was difficult to see as the game progressed. The nightmarish conditions were among the worse anyone has ever played in.

"I asked them to stop. They should suspend the ref," Costa Rican manager Jorge Luis Pinto told reporters. "It was an embarrassment. It was an insult to Costa Rica and people coming in here."

He's right, of course. Everything Pinto is saying is correct. Costa Rica asked to postpone the game at halftime, and again ten minutes into the second half. The game was an embarrassment. No one is arguing these facts.

But, here's the thing. In spite of all the horror, Costa Rica finished the game. They finished the game.

The conditions they're decrying were equally bad for both teams. Not as bad as this, but still bad. On another day, Costa Rica could've drawn or even bested an undermanned USMNT side that was missing eight players to injury, and whose locker room was in a state of chaos. Would Pinto have complained then?

We get it. It's the final round of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. You really want to win. The match probably could've and should've been postponed.

"Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace. I've never played a game in these conditions," Costa Rican midfielder Cristian Bolanos said after the game. "You couldn't see the ball ... if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure."

Maybe. Probably. But you finished the game. You finished the game.

[ ESPN]