Despite being reduced to 10 men
for the last third of the game, Costa Rica clinched a win over Greece
to record their best ever performance in a World Cup.
The Ticos have been on a
fairytale run ever since topping Group D -- a so-called "Group of
Death" -- and will now be contesting a World Cup quarterfinal thanks to
Bryan Ruiz, who scored the decisive goal. Oscar Duarte saw himself sent
off shortly afterwards, and Greece eventually found a breakthrough in
the first minute of injury time when Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored to
force extra time. But Costa Rica held on, and a heroic performance from
Keylor Navas helped them after he produced a superb save to send the
Ticos to a victory in the shootout.
The first half was mostly a
cagey affair with both sides looking to play on the counter-attack,
although there were a limited amount of chances. A decent move saw Ruiz
feed Christian Bolanos early on, but the midfielder blazed his shot over
the bar when well-placed to test the goalkeeper.
It was Greece
who came the closest to scoring in the first half with José Holebas
delivering a sensational cross from deep for Dimitris Salpingidis.
Although the forward's cushioned volley was true, he still failed to
score as Keylor Navas managed to keep it out with his trailing leg,
another stunning save for a hugely impressive tournament for the Ticos
keeper.
Yet less than 10 minutes into the second half, Costa Rica
found their opener. Bolanos found Ruiz in space in the area, and the
forward finished with a deliciously calm shot which took advantage of
Karnezis' poor field of vision, calmly rolling the ball past him and
into the corner of the net to give his country one foot in their first
ever World Cup quarterfinal.
Costa Rica were looking on top,
but the game was to take a further twist as Duarte foolishly went in
with a late challenge on Holebas to earn himself a second yellow card
and leave the Ticos with 30 minutes to hang on with a numerical
disadvantage.
Greece poured forward with
little to lose, but Costa Rica were holding out well enough. Georgios
Samaras produced one archetypal piece of skill to unlock the Ticos'
defence, falling over as he stumbled into putting a good ball into the
box, but Navas was able to get it away.
Greece's terminal lack of
creativity looked like it was going to cost them, yet another late goal
was to come just as the game looked lost. Theofanis Gekas ought to have
scored with his effort on goal and was denied by another huge save from
Navas, but Papastathopoulos was waiting to prod home the rebound and
prompt extra time.
Costa Rica were looking all but
beaten due to exhaustion as the next 30 minutes began, but Gekas missed
another fine chance after a good cross from Vasilis Torosidis. At the
second half of extra time, the Ticos somehow managed to find some energy
to briefly rally and create a few half-chances, with Brenes and
Campbell both having decent opportunities.
Costa Rica came close from a
corner but somehow contrived to allow Greece to spring a 5-on-2
counter-attack, yet when the shot eventually came from Mitroglou it was
kept out by Navas, who produced another fine save to keep his team in
the game. Despite the extreme fatigue of the players, the final 10
minutes were an end-to-end affair of chances at both ends, none greater
than when Mitroglou collected a flick-on only for Navas, who flew out of
his goal, to deny him.
It was left to penalties to
separate the two sides -- Celso Borges smashed home the opening penalty
before Mitroglou belied his earlier misses by confidently slotting one
home. Ruiz and Christodoulopoulos both also converted in a display of
excellent penalty-taking before Gonzalez and Holebas also scored. The
exhausted Campbell then stepped up and managed to put his away.
Next to step up was the
veteran Gekas, but Navas produced maybe the best moment of his superb
tournament so far to thrust out a hand and deflect it away. Michael
Umana then confidently dispatched his to complete the historic night for
the tiny Central American nation.
Costa Rica: Navas;
Gonzalez, Duarte (sent off 66'), Gamboa (Acosta 77'), Umaña, Diaz;
Borges, Bolanos (Brenes 83'), Tejeda (Cubero 66'); Ruiz; Campbell
Goals: Ruiz (52')
Greece: Karnezis,
Holebas, Manolas, Papastathopoulos, Torosidis; Karagounis, Maniatis
(Katsouranis 78'), Samaris (Mitroglou 58'), Salpingidis (Gekas 69'),
Christodoulopoulos, Samaras
Goals: Papastathopoulos (90+1')
 |
| Image by: Ian Walton |
Costa Rica took the lead against Greece then saw themselves reduced to 10 men, with Greece equalising in the last minute. But the Ticos held on to clinch a win on penalties thanks to the heroics of Keylor Navas.
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