Costa Rica protests soccer loss to U.S. in heavy snow

The Costa Rica soccer team seemed to be having a lot of fun playing in the snowy conditions during Friday night's World Cup qualifying match against the United States even when inches of the white stuff covered the pitch at  Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

Although the U.S. lead 1-0, players from both sides — who looked more like characters in a snow globe — seemed to be pleading with the referee to let the match go on.

That was until the final horn and Costa Rica realized they lost. Suddenly the Rockie Mountain high disappeared.

Costa Rica manager Jorge Luis  Pinto vented his anger about the perceived snow job after the 1-0 loss.

"It was an embarrassment to football, disrespectful to the game," an animated Pinto told reporters.

Pinto said the "legal conditions" for playing the game were not in place and a Federation official told Costa Rican media that an official protest would be made to FIFA on Saturday.

Regardless of the weather, postponing the game would've caused considerable problems for both teams. They would've had to complete it within 48 hours and both sides have to travel for their next matches on Tuesday.

U.S. and Costa Rica push groundskeeper out of way 

According to Reuters, US federation president Sunil Gulati claimed that playing the match in Colorado this time of year had nothing to do with trapping their opponents arctic conditions and instead was designed as high-altitude training for the US's trip to Mexico City next week.

It seems like there's a snow ball's chance on a Costa Rican beach that any action will result from the team's protest, but -- from their perspective they've already lost so why not try.