Marco Ureña's first start in a World Cup match was also a first for his Club.
Taking his usual spot up top for the Ticos against Serbia in the opening match of Group E, Ureña became the first player in LAFC history to participate in a World Cup. Unfortunately, it was not all good news, as Costa Rica dropped its opener 1-0 thanks to an Aleksander Kolorav free kick in the 56th minute.
Having made all four of his previous World Cup appearances off the bench for Costa Rica, Ureña got his first World Cup start just over a month after having surgery to repair a facial fracture. Leading the line for the Ticos, the forward went close to opening the scoring when he was played through on goal just 10 minutes into the match. Ureña couldn't quite get his angles right though, as Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković was there to make the save.
Kolarov's free kick broke the deadlock after a scoreless first half, forcing Costa Rica to send numbers forward in search of an equalizer. But after his opportunity in the first half, Ureña was unable to get much service from his teammates. He was subbed off for Joel Campbell in the 67th minute.
Costa Rica now has the difficult task of facing Brazil in its next match. The Ticos will be in search of their first points of the tournament.
