CANCUN, Mexico — Abby Wambach scored a goal in each half and the United States defeated Costa Rica 3-0 on Monday to earn a two-leg playoff with Italy for a berth in next year’s Women’s World Cup.
The American victory in the third-place game of the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament came three days after it was upset by Mexico 2-1 in the semifinals, its first loss in 35 games and more than two years.
The result sends the Americans to a November 20 meeting against Italy in Padova, and a home match a week later in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview.
The reigning Olympic champion is seeking to join Canada and Mexico and reach Germany next summer, keeping its streak of playing in a sixth Women’s World Cup, which it has won twice.
Having beaten Costa Rica in all six previous meetings, including a 4-0 victory a week ago in the group phase, the Americans had the better possession from the start, but needed more than 10 minutes to generate anything remotely dangerous.
Lauren Cheney won a corner and then tried to beat Costa Rican goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz with a left-footed flick before converting an opportunity in the 17th minute.
Wambach headed a ball into the path of Cheyney, who sent it wide to Lori Lindsey. Lindsey returned the ball to Cheney at the top of the penalty area, where she twisted to create space and unleashed a left-footed shot that took a deflection off Katherine Alvarado and past her own goalkeeper.
The United States doubled its lead 16 minutes later when lofted a right-footed ball to a sprinting Wambach, who volleyed the ball with her left foot from just outside the goal box and just inside the far post.
Wambach was playing with her head wrapped after suffering a gash in an injury time collision with Kenti Robles on Friday, a wound that left her bleeding profusely. U.S. medical personnel stapled the cut closed in a desperate, but futile, attempt by Wambach to return to the field, as she tried to wash the blood out of her jersey with water from sideline drink bottles.
Costa Rica had a little more possession to start the second half and hit the post in the 50th minute when Monica Malvassi streaked behind the U.S. defense only to roll a shot across the goalmouth off the left upright.
But the Americans squelched the rally on their ensuing possession, with Wambach racing down the right side and hitting a low, falling, right-footed ball that eluded a diving Diaz and settled inside the left post.
It was Wambach’s tournament-leading eighth goal and 117th of her international career.
Costa Rica was trying to score its first goal in seven matches against the United States, having lost all previous six games by a combined 31-0.
“Las Ticas” failed to meet their previous best finish in a CONCACAF women’s championship, falling short of their third-place showing in 1998.
The tournament was the first time the six-time CONCACAF champion United States failed to claim the confederation title except for 1998, when it didn’t participate due to being the host of the Women’s World Cup the following year.