FC Cincinnati midfielder Allan Cruz, the club's leading scorer in its MLS era, had a night to forget on a big international stage Thursday.
Cruz missed a decisive penalty kick for Costa Rica during a Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Mexico, allowing the Mexicans to progress to Sunday's final against the United States men's national team.
Cruz entered Thursday's semifinal in the 63rd minute. The match ended in a scoreless draw and went straight to penalty kicks to determine which side would advance.
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Costa Rica took an early advantage in the penalty kicks but Mexico pulled even in the second round.
Cruz, taking the sixth penalty kick and needing to convert it to extend the shootout, had his attempt stopped by long-time Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Cruz's "Los Ticos" will play Honduras, which lost to the U.S. men 1-0 Thursday on a late goal, in Sunday's third-place contest.
Costa Rica will then get a shot at the Americans when the two national teams meet for a Wednesday friendly. The match (7 p.m.) will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Zico Bailey undergoes successful surgery
FC Cincinnati defender Zico Bailey underwent a successful surgical procedure on Thursday to repair an entrapped nerve in his hip, team officials announced Friday in a news release.
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The procedure was performed on Thursday morning at the Pacific Coast Hernia Center in Santa Monica, California and will see Bailey, who has made one appearance in 2021, sidelined for what the club described as an extended period of time.
Bailey was acquired by FC Cincinnati during the 2020 offeseason. He traveled with the team to the MLS Is Back Tournament last summer before starting the last three matches of the 2020 season.
Bailey has six combined appearances for Cincinnati over parts of two seasons with the club.
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