Campbell gives Costa Rica victory on emotional evening in Cardiff

Wales were unable to mark the Gary Speed Memorial Match with a victory as Joel Campbell’s early goal gave Costa Rica the win on an emotional night at Cardiff City Stadium. Campbell, on loan at Lorient from Arsenal, scored the only goal in the seventh minute as he calmly slotted home from Bryan Ruiz’s superb pass.

Striker Steve Morison went closest to an equaliser for Wales as his first-half header struck the bar before landing on the line and being cleared, while captain Craig Bellamy and Hal Robson-Kanu also had chances on a night when the principality remembered one of its most cherished figures.

It was always going to be a difficult night for the Wales players and management given the nature of the occasion as they remembered their former manager.

Prior to kick-off there were performances from several Welsh artists, while former Leeds United midfielder Speed’s sons Ed and Tom led the side out along with captain for the night Bellamy and Aaron Ramsey.

At one end of the ground cards were held aloft to reveal the name ‘Gary’ on the background of a Welsh flag as the anthem was played with a solemn Bellamy arm-in-arm with his late friend’s sons, while a minute’s applause was also held in honour of Speed and two spontaneous standing ovations took place during the 90 minutes.

Wales’ hopes of marking the occasion with a win were not helped by the absence of Ramsey, Wayne Hennessey and Gareth Bale. Tottenham Hotspur star Bale was a late withdrawal with a hamstring problem.

And the home crowd were stunned into silence when Costa Rica took a seventh-minute lead.

Ruiz was instrumental in the goal as his perfectly-weighted pass picked out Campbell’s run, and the striker calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

Bellamy lofted an effort over as Wales sought a response but the threatening Campbell almost grabbed a second as he beat Darcy Blake with ease and forced a sharp save from Lewis Price.

With Costa Rica’s pace and movement causing the Wales defence plenty of problems, and the hosts having their own attacks broken up with ease due to some sloppy passing, the atmosphere grew increasingly muted.