EDMONTON - Jairo Arrieta scored on a first-half penalty shot as Costa Rica beat Canada 1-0 in a men's soccer exhibition match Tuesday.
Costa Rica was awarded the penalty after midfielder Samuel Piette swiped for a ball in the Canadian 18-yard box but took out Arrieta instead.
Arrieta then converted the penalty by putting it just past the outstretched hands of Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who dived to his right to try to stop the penalty.
Canada nearly responded right away as two minutes later defender Nik Ledgerwood swung in a low cross from the right side. Midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran was first to the ball but his shot from just inside the 18-yard box was too high.
Randy Edwini-Bonsu made a few eye-catching runs in the first half, showing off his blazing speed. In the 26th minute he blazed around the Costa Rican back line and was alone on goal but had a bad-angle shot saved by Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton who had raced off his line.
Canada had a few more opportunities just before halftime, but both a Doneil Henry header on a corner kick and an Andre Hainault header on a Kyle Bekker free kick both missed wide.
