Date: June 24, 2014
Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte
Overall Head-to-Head Record (W-L-T): N/A
Last Match: N/A
Line: England -125
Group D Preview here.
Starting Lineups posted separately once they're announced.
Team Profiles
World Ranking: Costa Rica (28th), England (10th)
Managers: Jorge Luis Pinto (CRC), Roy Hodgson (ENG)
Captains: Bryan Ruiz (CRC), Steven Gerrard (ENG)
World Cup Appearances: 4 (CRC), 14 (ENG)
Best Finish: Costa Rica (Round of 16, 1990), England (Champions, 1966)
Qualifying Records: Costa Rica (8-4-4, GF: 27, GA: 12), England (6-0-4, GF: 31, GA: 4)
Previous Game Results
Costa Rica
England
June 14th - Italy def. England 2-1
June 20th - Uruguay def. England 2-1
Rosters
Injuries/Discipline
England: Leighton Baines (Out - Hamstring), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Out - Knee)
Overview
Not exactly the circumstances under which people assumed this game would take place going in to the tournament. The lowest-ranked team in the group that featured 3 former champions, Costa Rica are the lone Group D team that has clinched a spot in the knockout round while England are just playing out the game so they can go home with their tail between their legs.
England named their squad last night and will give starting time to almost all their bench players in this contest. Costa Rica have said they will likely rest players as well in this contest. Second-string teams facing off in an ultimately meaningless game while Italy-Uruguay play at the same time. You can hear the TV execs swooning already.
Costa Rica still with plenty to play for. A draw is enough to lock up first place in the group for them and will allow them to avoid a dangerous Colombia team in the Round of 16 as a result. England will look to play a spoiler role while they give some of their very young bench players starting time in a World Cup game.
England should still go with a 4-2-3-1 formation but only Daniel Sturridge and Gary Cahill are expected to carry over from last games starting lineup to this one. Ben Foster should feature in goal and Frank Lampard is expected to captain the team in place of Steven Gerrard.
Costa Rica have employed a 5-3-2 formation to great success in this tournament and should keep that in place even if they do rest players. The formation has befuddled top teams like Italy and Uruguay and is expected to pose similar problems for this English team today.
Personnel
In the Costa Rican Third: Daniel Sturridge has been one of the lone bright spots for England this tournament and will be a handful for the Costa Rican defence. It's to be seen where his support play will come from although there are a number of options in Barkley, Lallana and Lampard. Costa Rica have shut down tougher lineups then this though and that shouldn't change today. Advantage: Costa Rica.
In the Midfield: Costa Rica will likely test some things out in the midfield this game but this is still a team that likes to hold back defensively and launch the long balls to Campbell and Ruiz to get forward quickly. England should have more bodies in the midfield but what difference that may make is hard to predict. Advantage: Even.
In the English Third: Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz have been a revelation for Costa Rica in this World Cup. They're also among the names expected to rest if Costa Rica do sit players down. I have no faith in England's substitute defenders but Costa Rica have little depth behind those two. Advantage: Even.
Goalkeeping: Keylor Navas has been the best goalkeeper in the group so far. Ben Foster only recently came out of international retirement and did not look sharp in pre-tournament action. Advantage: Costa Rica.
England named their squad last night and will give starting time to almost all their bench players in this contest. Costa Rica have said they will likely rest players as well in this contest. Second-string teams facing off in an ultimately meaningless game while Italy-Uruguay play at the same time. You can hear the TV execs swooning already.
Costa Rica still with plenty to play for. A draw is enough to lock up first place in the group for them and will allow them to avoid a dangerous Colombia team in the Round of 16 as a result. England will look to play a spoiler role while they give some of their very young bench players starting time in a World Cup game.
England should still go with a 4-2-3-1 formation but only Daniel Sturridge and Gary Cahill are expected to carry over from last games starting lineup to this one. Ben Foster should feature in goal and Frank Lampard is expected to captain the team in place of Steven Gerrard.
Costa Rica have employed a 5-3-2 formation to great success in this tournament and should keep that in place even if they do rest players. The formation has befuddled top teams like Italy and Uruguay and is expected to pose similar problems for this English team today.
Personnel
In the Costa Rican Third: Daniel Sturridge has been one of the lone bright spots for England this tournament and will be a handful for the Costa Rican defence. It's to be seen where his support play will come from although there are a number of options in Barkley, Lallana and Lampard. Costa Rica have shut down tougher lineups then this though and that shouldn't change today. Advantage: Costa Rica.
In the Midfield: Costa Rica will likely test some things out in the midfield this game but this is still a team that likes to hold back defensively and launch the long balls to Campbell and Ruiz to get forward quickly. England should have more bodies in the midfield but what difference that may make is hard to predict. Advantage: Even.
In the English Third: Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz have been a revelation for Costa Rica in this World Cup. They're also among the names expected to rest if Costa Rica do sit players down. I have no faith in England's substitute defenders but Costa Rica have little depth behind those two. Advantage: Even.
Goalkeeping: Keylor Navas has been the best goalkeeper in the group so far. Ben Foster only recently came out of international retirement and did not look sharp in pre-tournament action. Advantage: Costa Rica.
Costa Rica will win if:
Pressure England in to turnovers in the midfield. Can do this with the central midfielders and wing backs while still leaving the 3 centre backs behind. Attack the left flank offensively. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling should take up defence in that side of the field, a thought which any Manchester United fan can tell you is a scary proposition for a national team.
England will win if:
Need better defensive awareness of what's happening around their penalty area and must attack Costa Rica with the ball rather then play possession game in midfield. At least 3 of the 4 goals England have surrendered this tournament were due to poor marking and losing track of assignments. Costa Rica don't have the individual skill their past opponents do but will be more then happy to put the ball away if left alone. Spent too much time standing around against Uruguay in particular. Bring the game to Costa Rica and test how stout their central defence is.
An easy-going game as both teams are testing out formation/personnel etc. Costa Rica looks for the win but England manage a goal at some point.
England 1-1 Costa Rica
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