Costa Rica defender Juan Diego Madrigal (6) hangs is snow covered head as he leaves the field following a 1-0 loss to the United States during a World Cup qualifier soccer match in Commerce City, Colo., Friday, March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) (AP2013)
Technicalities have led FIFA to reject a protest by Costa Rica regarding its snowy World Cup qualifier loss to the United States.
FIFA upheld the United States' 1-0 victory from last Thursday saying the protest by the visitors was not filed correctly.
The Ticos were angered by the decision of referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador to allow the game in Commerce City, Colo., to be played on a snow-covered field.
World Cup regulations required Ticos captain Bryan Ruiz to "immediately lodge a protest" with the referee if he believed the field became unplayable, FIFA said. U.S. captain Clint Dempsey also needed to be present for the protest.
Protests also must be filed in writing to FIFA's administration "no later than two hours after the match," the regulations state. FIFA said it received the protest letter Sunday, two days after the game.
"The conditions established in the regulations for an official protest have not been met," FIFA said in a statement Tuesday.
On Sunday the Costa Rica soccer federation filed the protest, saying the "physical integrity" of players and officials was affected because of the unlikely weather in Friday's match in Commerce City, Colo.
"Field markings were not visible" and ball movement became impossible, said the federation in their letter.
Dempsey scored in the 16th minute to lift his team to second place in the six-team CONCACAF region qualifying group after two matches. Costa Rica is last.
The top three teams qualify directly for the tournament in Brazil, and the fourth-place team faces New Zealand in a playoff.
Based on reporting by The Associated Press.
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