On This Day in 1989, Ramos Scored the Winner, and Vanole Secured the Victory With a Penalty Save in World Cup Qualifying
On a crisp spring afternoon in St. Louis, the United States Men's National Team stood at a crossroads in their World Cup qualifying journey. Having not qualified for soccer's grandest stage since 1950, the Americans were under immense pressure, especially after being awarded hosting rights for the 1994 tournament. A loss at Costa Rica two weeks earlier had put them in a precarious position. Now, facing the same opponent on home soil, anything less than victory could derail their dreams of reaching Italia '90.
The United States entered this crucial qualifier with its back against the wall. In the CONCACAF qualifying tournament featuring five nations—the U.S., Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Trinidad and Tobago—only the top two would advance to Italy. Costa Rica had already accumulated four points from victories over Guatemala and the United States, giving them a significant early advantage.
Bob Gansler, appointed as U.S. head coach in January 1989, faced criticism after the team's lackluster performance in San José. Critics questioned whether the former Milwaukee Bavarians defender had the tactical acumen needed to guide American soccer onto the world stage. The team had played what Gansler himself described as "slow-motion" soccer in Costa Rica, lacking creativity and urgency.
Making matters worse, the Americans would be without their most creative player, Hugo Perez, who was nursing a stress fracture in his right leg. Team captain Rick Davis, recovering from knee surgery, was also unavailable. The pressure was palpable for a nation attempting to justify its controversial selection as 1994 World Cup hosts.
"This is the best chance we have to be in the finals for the first time since 1950," Davis had said before the match. "We must qualify for Italy next year to justify the fact we were given the World Cup for 1994."
Costa Rican federation president Longino Soto made no secret of their strategy: secure a draw and return home with a valuable point. Gansler had identified the team's primary challenge: breaking down Costa Rica's compact defense. "What we'll have to do is play quicker than we did in Costa Rica," he explained. "I'm talking about quick ball movement, not just people running around. We'll just have to get behind their defense in an effective way."
With its modest 8,500 capacity, St. Louis Soccer Park provided the intimate, pro-American atmosphere that U.S. Soccer had strategically sought for this April 30 match. Unlike previous matches against Mexico held in larger venues with predominantly opposing fans, this suburban setting gave the home team a true advantage. About a thousand Costa Rican supporters arrived hours before kickoff, turning a corner of the stadium into a miniature celebration with banners and firecrackers. Some had even attempted to sneak into the grounds the night before to ensure they wouldn't miss the action.
Both teams showed the nerves befitting such a crucial match from the opening whistle. In the first half, the Americans struggled to connect more than three consecutive passes outside Costa Rica's crowded penalty area. At the same time, the visitors displayed surprising aggression for a team playing for a draw. Just nine minutes into the match, Costa Rica thought they had taken the lead when Gilberto Rhoden fired a shot that appeared to deflect off his forward Juan Cayasso and past Vanole. However, Honduran referee Rodolfo Martinez Mejia waved it off for offside, much to the relief of the American supporters.
Ramos had the first real chance for the U.S. in the 15th minute with a blistering shot after a long throw-in by John Stollemeyer, but it sailed wide. Another opportunity came just before halftime when Bruce Murray unleashed a thundering free kick that cleared the crossbar. The Americans suffered a blow in the 43rd minute when Klopas, their most willing attacker, was forced off after a severe blow to the face and reaggravation of a leg injury that had limited his training during the week.
As the second half progressed, tension mounted across St. Louis Soccer Park. The United States struggled to break down Costa Rica's defense, but their persistence finally paid off in the 72nd minute. After a long ball forward, Murray headed a ball toward the top of the penalty arc, where Tab Ramos was waiting. The midfielder, born in Uruguay but representing his adopted homeland, volleyed a hard right-footed shot that deflected off a Costa Rican defender and found the low left corner of the net.
"It was my first (international) goal," Ramos said afterward. "I just hit it and then got lucky because it deflected in off a defender into the corner. It was a big goal for me."
The goal energized the team and the crowd, but Costa Rica wasn't finished. In the 77th minute, Hector Marchena appeared to equalize with a diving header, but the referee disallowed it for a handball in the penalty box—a decision that infuriated the Costa Rican bench.
"The second goal was a perfectly legitimate goal here or anywhere in the world," Costa Rica Coach Marvin Rodriguez protested after the match.
As the match entered its final moments, disaster nearly struck the Americans. Vanole came off his line to claim a cross but missed the ball entirely, leaving the net exposed. Costa Rican midfielder Alvaro Solano connected with the ball and fired toward the empty goal. U.S. defender Steve Trittschuh, seeing no alternative, decided to handle the ball on the goal line, preventing a certain equalizer but conceding a penalty kick in the dying seconds.
"I had to stop the shot," Trittschuh explained later. "I had to make them earn it."
With no time left on the scoreboard, Costa Rica's Mauricio Montero stepped up to take the penalty. The stadium fell silent as he placed the ball on the spot. Unlike most goalkeepers who guess a direction and dive, Vanole—who had only learned that morning that he would start over Jeff Duback—stood his ground.
"I read what he'd do (on the scout-ing report)," Vanole recounted. "He's a defender, and I knew he'd shoot it down the middle. I was fortunate. He hit me in the chest."
The ball struck Vanole squarely in the midsection, and he quickly smothered the rebound before booting it away in jubilation.
"The penalty kick resulted from a mistake I made by not punching the ball on the cross," Vanole admitted. "I didn't play the ball right. The pressure was completely on their player. I sensed what he was going to do. Obviously, he was going to hammer the ball right at me because he is that type of player."
The victory gave the United States its first two points in the qualifying tournament, keeping them in contention for one of the two coveted spots for Italy in 1990. Costa Rica remained atop the group with four points from four matches, while the U.S. joined Guatemala with two points from two games. El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago had yet to play.
"This is a feeling we haven't had for a while," Ramos said after the match. "It was just a matter of time for us getting that first goal. Now we have our confidence for the next game."
The Americans would next face Trinidad and Tobago on May 13 in Torrance, California—the first match for the Caribbean nation in the final round. Despite the victory, Gansler remained cautious about his team's prospects. "I feel we have some potential, and we can get better, but to put the favorite role on us is incorrect," he said.
With the qualification tournament set to conclude on November 26, after each nation had played eight games, the road to Italia '90 remained long and uncertain. But on this day in St. Louis, a goal from Tab Ramos and a heroic save by David Vanole had given American soccer something it desperately needed: hope.
"I just kind of lost my mind for a minute there," Vanole said of his emotional reaction after the save. "I saved myself and my teammates from embarrassment."
Little did he know, he might have also saved American soccer's trajectory.
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