Sporting Kansas City All-Stars Matt Besler and Graham Zusi started for the U.S. Men's National Team on Friday in a
3-1 loss at Costa Rica in FIFA World Cup Qualifying
. Besler went the full 90 minutes in earning his 11th cap since debuting in January, while Zusi recorded 58 minutes of action in his 15th appearance at the international level.
Besler's 12 defensive clearances led all players on the field at Estadio Nacional in San Jose, while Zusi was the catalyst on the United States' lone goal. His well-weighted chip on a quickly taken free kick led to a penalty kick, drawn by Fabian Johnson and converted by Clint Dempsey in the 43rd minute. The United States fall to second place in The Hex, one point behind Los Ticos, but can secure their ticket to Brazil on Tuesday when they host CONCACAF rivals Mexico at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Besler will miss the match on Tuesday while serving a mandatory one-game suspension due to caution accumulation after receiving a second half yellow card on Friday that was off-camera and clouded in controversy.
