Barrantes double fires Costa Rica to Cuba rout

(Reuters) – Midfielder Michael Barrantes scored twice as Costa Rica comfortably beat Cuba 3-0 in their CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C game yesterday.

After an uneventful first half, Barrantes made the breakthrough with a well-struck left-foot shot from the edge of the area in the 51st minute.

Barrantes thought he had a second with another strike from distance in the 67th minute but the referee spotted Jairo Arrieta, inside the area in an offside position.

Arrieta made amends four minutes later though, poking home at the second attempt, after good work from substitute Kenny Cunningham.

The game was put well beyond a struggling Cuba when Barrantes virtually passed the ball into the net, from 20 yards out, beating the slow-reacting keeper Odelin Molina.