San Jose, Costa Rica (March 1, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s Futsal National closed out its week of friendlies against Costa Rica with a 2-2 draw Saturday evening after twice coming from behind against the hosts at the Costa Rica Federation’s BN Arena. The match was the third in five days for the team, playing their first-ever international matches as the team finished with two wins and a draw.
Costa Rica’s Priscila Torres’ goal early on was the first the USA conceded on the week. But USA ala Emmanuelly Ferreira - who turned 21 on February 29 - celebrated the milestone and her international debut with her first goal to draw level late in the first half. Costa Rica went back up late off a drop kick from substitute goalkeeper Samantha Torres as the U.S. applied the flying goalkeeper late, but U.S. pivo Sarah Martin tied the match thirty seconds later with her second career goal.
After claiming a 2-0 win over Costa Rica in its inaugural match on Feb. 25, and following it up with a convincing 5-0 win two days later, the nascent Futsal WNT program extends its undefeated streak to three games. The two teams will meet again on April 30 in the second match of Group B play at the 2025 Concacaf W Futsal Championship in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The U.S. started the same five players Saturday as Thursday night’s match. Captain Carlie Banks, goalkeeper Ellie Goodrich, pivo Sarah Martin and ala Jeanette Fieldsend started all three matches, with Citlali Luna starting the last two after Janae Braun started the opener.
Costa Rica was on the front foot from the go. Just seconds in, Ariel Barquero picked off an errant pass out of the back and got a shot off that Banks blocked, the rebound falling back to Barquero, whose second attempt was saved by Goodrich.
The hosts opened the scoring a minute later when Roxini Lopez lifted a ball from her own end to Priscila Torres, who turned and shot past Goodrich. The goal was the first the U.S. conceded this week, and in its short history, and the first time the U.S. was forced to play from behind.
Costa Rica was on target often, forcing Goodrich into two diving saves to keep the hosts at bay.
The U.S. started connecting better halfway through the opening period, and the shots started coming. Martin twice tested goalkeeper Maria Jose Arce, who did well to deny. Ferriera then broke free but could not beat Arce from close range. Arce also made a great diving save on a fantastic effort from Viet-Thy Tran.
The U.S. leveled late in the half when Braun lifted a ball from the defensive end to the top of the penalty box, where Ferreira rushed in and chested the ball past Arce for her first goal.
Both teams changed goalkeepers after the break, Martha Ford coming on for Goodrich and Torres for Arce. The U.S. had the better of play for much of the second 20 minutes, with Banks, Paige Pearson and Fieldsend testing Torres. Jordan Felton also saw a hard shot hit off the right post.
The U.S. took its first efforts working on a fifth attacker offensively with four minutes to go as Banks stepped in the role. However, Costa Rica caught the U.S. out when goalkeeper Torres collected a shot and drop kicked a ball from her own box to the empty U.S. goal to give hosts the lead again.
It lasted only 30 seconds.
In possession off the restart, Banks played a ball to Fieldsend in the left corner, who eyed Martin making a run from the right to the top of the box and played a weighted pass that Martin connected on past Arce to tie the match again.
The U.S. nearly took the lead with a second left when Fieldsend found Pearson on the right. The U.S. pivo hit a hard shot that somehow Arce saved with a lunging right hand high to keep the score even.
-U.S. WOMEN’S FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Futsal Women’s National Team vs. Costa Rica
Date: March 1, 2025
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Costa Rica Football Federation Arena BN
Attendance: (closed)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. local time)
Weather: 78 degrees
| Scoring Summary |
1 |
2 |
F |
| USA |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| CRC |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| CRC - Priscila Torres (Roxini Lopez) | 18’37” (First Half) |
| USA - Emmanuelly Ferreira (Janae Braun) | 2’03” |
| CRC - Samantha Torres | 3’00” (Second) |
| USA - Sarah Martin (Jeanette Fieldsend) | 2’29” |
Lineups:
USA: 12- Ellie Goodrich, 5-Jeanette Fieldsend, 6-Sarah Martin, 11- Carlie Banks (Captain), 14-Citlali Luna
Substitutes: 1-Martha Ford, 2-Jordan Felton, 3-Zaneta Wyne, 7-Emanuelly Ferreira, 8-Auryn Tillette, 9-Janae Braun, 10-Paige Pierson, 15-Brianna Harshe, 17-Hayley Wilson, 18-Viet-Thy Tran
Did not play: 4-Luciana Setteducate, 13-Kelsey Smith,16-Nicole Grimaldo
Head coach: Diego Burato
CRC: 1- Maria Jose Arce, 2-Melissa Jimenez, 7-Priscila Torres, 10-Ariel Barquero, 15-Roxini Lopez
Substitutes: 18-Samantha Torres, 3-Fabiola Marin, 4-Alisson Murillo, 5-Pamela Gorgona, 6-Yendri Villalobos, 8-Karol Arias (Captain), 9-Fernanda Moraga, 11-Yerlin Varela, 13-Charlot Solis, 16-Karla Melendez
Did not play: 14-Mariela Solis, 17-Fabiola Ramirez, 19-Tatiana Cascante
Head coach: Alex Ramos
Stats Summary: USA / CRC
Shots: 24 / 18
Shots on Goal: 17 / 9
Saves: 7 / 15
Corner Kicks: 3 / 4
Fouls: 1 / 3
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Kimberly Valverde (CRC)
Second Referee: Krystin Pahia (USA)
3rd Referee: Marco Azofeifa (CRC)
Timekeeper: Yeraldin Araya (CRC)
