SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica defeated Jamaica 1-0 in their friendly international inside Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica last night.

Keysher Fuller netted on the half hour mark to give his team the winning goal in a game played before an estimated 12,000 spectators in a 35,000 capacity stadium.

In a game of few chances, Jamaica’s head coach Theodore Whitmore made good on his promise with eight changes to the starting team which went down 0-2 to El Salvador in the final game of the Concacaf Nations League last Saturday.

The hosts enjoyed the majority of the possession in the first half and incidentally went ahead a minute after Jamaica created their first real chance when Brian Brown turned his defender Geancarlo Gonzalez inside on his way into the penalty area, but no player in green and black could get on the end of his teasing, grounded cross.

And as fate would have it the Reggae Boyz were cut open immediately after when a ball from midfield was slipped through for right back Fuller who had no difficulty beating the advancing Amal Knight in goal.

It was a more even display in the second half with the Boyz creating a few half chances, but truth be told Real Madrid’s Keilor Navas was never really tested, despite the flurry of substitutions towards the end of the game.

Ian Burnett