14.10.2015 03:25 h

USA home skid worst since '97 as Costa Rica wins 1-0

Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell scored in the 70th minute Tuesday in a 1-0 victory over the struggling United States, whose three-game home losing streak is their longest since 1997.

Campbell, a 23-year-old midfielder for English Premier League side Arsenal, received plenty of cheers for hitting the decider from a sparse crowd of 9,214 at Red Bull Arena, home pitch of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.

Campbell added to the misery for an American side that gave goalkeeper Tim Howard his first appearance since last year's World Cup and brought back only three starters -- Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron and Jermaine Jones -- from Saturday's 3-2 extra-time loss to Mexico, which cost the US team a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

Costa Rica is 3-2 against the Americans during former German international star Jurgen Klinsmann's tenure as coach. The first US loss on home soil in 14 meetings with the Ticos gave Costa Rica a 14-13 with six drawn lead in their all-time rivalry.

Klinsmann took over the Americans from Bob Bradley in 2011 and the team is 42-21 with 14 drawn since his arrival.

Next up for the Americans is the start of North American regional qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a November 13 home match at St. Louis against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Four days later comes another qualifier for the US men at Trinidad and Tobago.