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SAN JOSE - Captain Diego Lugano struck in the 21st minute to lift Uruguay to a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica Saturday in the first leg of their 2010 World Cup qualifying playoff.
The second leg of the tie will be on Wednesday in Montevideo.
Costa Rica, who have appeared in the last two World Cups, finished with 10 men after Randall Azofeifa received his second yellow card in the 52nd minute.
Costa Rica had less than 30 seconds from qualifying last month when they allowed Jonathan Bornstein's goal in the fifth minute of injury time to give the United States a 2-2 draw at Washington.
That gave Honduras the third and final direct entry berth from the North and Central America and the Caribbean region.
Uruguay reached the playoff by finishing fifth in South American qualifying.
- AFP/ir
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