Quarterfinal Bullets

Lack of posts today, got busy with other stuff. Will have some point-form breakdowns of the teams eliminated in the group stage tomorrow. Wanted to give some brief thoughts on each quarterfinal game though.

Brazil vs. Colombia

• I picked Colombia to win this game and I'm sticking by that. Whether that is wise remains to be seen.
• There were concerns on the weekend about Neymar's health after he picked up a knee injury against Chile but he is apparently training fully again. Neymar would have to be immobile not to play for Brazil in this tournament
• Most exciting battle of the game won't be amongst players facing each other every play but between the number 10's Neymar and James Rodriguez. If I had to pick best player in the tournament right now it would be Rodriguez and not the host's star.
• If I had to make any tough personnel decisions, I'd sit Fred for Brazil. They won't but they probably should. Neymar has spent half his time as a centre forward anyway, put him in the middle and Bernard on the wing in my opinion. 
• Brazil have a forced change to make in the midfield as Luiz Gustavo is suspended. That is a blow for Brazil because that's the best option on the roster for shutting Rodriguez down.

France vs. Germany

•  Game looked much more exciting before the Round of 16 games were played as both limped through their matches. Still about a 13 out of 10 on the excitement factor.
• Probably meeting earlier then they should, I have both teams in my top 5 in terms of a power ranking in this tournament.
• I picked Germany to win this game. Not quite ready to change that pick yet but leaning towards France at this point.
• Biggest concern I have for Germany is the lack of initiative offensively. France isn't going to let them pass the ball around forever in midfield and have kept their own penalty area shut tight. Without a striker, big concerns for Germany.
• Defensively for Germany, you have speed on the wings and scoring from everywhere to be concerned with. If I were Joachim Low, I'd have both Schweinsteiger and Khedira in midfield so Lahm can go back to right back and Boateng can flip to left. This gives you your best chance at containing the French wingers and keeping things in the centre of the field where they'd prefer it.

 Netherlands vs. Costa Rica

•  No one told Costa Rica that this was the quarterfinals of the World Cup. A complete shock name to see amongst the giants of soccer.
• Regardless of whether this was Costa Rica or Greece as an opponent, this is a step down in competition for Netherlands. Always have to question their mental strength but that doesn't seem to be an issue and I fully expect them to control and win this game.
• Costa Rica are without two starting players due to suspension (Tejeda and Duarte).
• Netherlands will be without Nigel de Jong for the remainder of the World Cup. de Jong suffered an injury in the first half of the Mexico game. That is an issue for Louis van Gaal. He used Daley Blind as a holding midfielder after de Jong left and it led directly to a Mexico goal. Blind may take up that role again or we could see Jonathan de Guzman reinserted in to the lineup.
• Netherlands have rotated between a 5-3-2 and a 4-3-3 this tournament. Fully expect a 4-3-3 this game as they should have 60+% of possession and the ball will spend majority of the time in the Costa Rican half.

Argentina vs. Belgium

• Felt it would be the toughest quarterfinal to predict and it hasn't gotten any easier. Comparing Belgium with Switzerland, they don't have the same defensive organization but they aren't slouches. Much more dangerous on the attack though. Like to control possession in the midfield but they do so to work toward a chance on goal, as opposed to a Spain or Germany who pass for the sake of passing.
• Argentina should have a tiny but more space in the offensive third but Belgium the biggest attacking threat they've faced so far.
• Argentina are really missing Aguero. Had a poor tournament so far but draws defenders off of Messi in a way Lavezzi cannot replicate. That's a big part of why Switzerland could keep Messi out of the game and don't believe there's a solution for that.
• Loved the Belgium lineup against the USA. Were confident in defence and used their size to their advantage. Deadly efficient on the counter-attack and finally got offence from their striker spot, both with Origi starting and with Lukaku off the bench. Lukaku the better player but is impact off the bench late in the game will probably keep Origi in the starting lineup. 

Game 52 Recap: Costa Rica 1-1 (5-3 SO) Greece

COSTA RICA 1-1 (5-3 SO) GREECE

For the second straight game, Greece managed some injury time magic but it was not enough to carry them to a victory this time as Costa Rica pulled out the win in penalty kicks.

It took for a while for the game to get going in the first half with neither side managing some quality scoring chances before halftime. Costa Rica's best chance came in the 8th minute but Christian Bolanos fired a shot from 15 yards over the crossbar.

Greece nearly scored themselves in the 37th minute but Dimitris Salpingidis flick at the back post was denied by a big Keylor Navas save for Costa Rica.

Despite Greece having the better of chances in the first half it was Costa Rica that got on the scoreboard to start the second half on a bizarre play. Bolanos' slow cross found captain Bryan Ruiz at the top of the Greek penalty area. Ruiz one-time shot was slow and trickling along the ground, but it appeared to freeze Orestis Karnezis in the Greek goal. Karnezis appeared to have plenty of time to get to the ball but didn't move in net and Costa Rica took the 1-0 lead.

No complaints from Costa Rica who likely should have doubled the scoreline two minutes later. A long ball in to the Greek penalty area was only taken from Bolanos by an outstretched arm of Vasilis Torosidis. The handball infraction went missed by the referee though and play went on.

Costa Rica could have used the extra goal as the half went on. Did well to shut down all Greece attacks until the 66th minute. Having already picked up a yellow card in the first half, Oscar Duarte made a poor challenge on Jose Holebas of Greece. The foul earned him his second yellow card and a trip to the showers with 25 minutes to play in the game.

Down a man, it appeared as if Costa Rica might be able to escape in regulation time with the help of some desperate defending and clearances in their own end. But Greece kept the pressure up and just like their last group game against Ivory Coast, found the goal they needed at the last. Kostas Mitroglou fired a shot from close range in the first minute of injury time which Navas saved but spilled directly out front of goal. Up from defence to pressure, Sokratis Papastathopoulos rifled home the rebound to give Greece the tie game and force and extra period of play.

It was all Greece from that point forward. Mitroglou flicked a header towards goal that Navas was barely able to clear. Mitroglou found another chance at the end of extra time but Navas was able to get a piece from in close and direct it wide of goal, to force the game in to penalty kicks.

Bizarre moment prior to penalty kicks as Greece coach Fernando Santos was seen arguing with the referee and was sent off before the penalties could start. Hard to tell what impact that may have had on Greece not having their manager there for penalty taker selection.

A mostly academic display of shooting to start the penalties. Shooting first, Costa Rica hit their first four penalties while Greece responded hitting their first three shots. Greece's fourth shot was the decider though. Veteran substitute Theofanis Gekas' shot was turned away by an excellent dive from Navas who guessed direction correctly and was able to get an arm on the ball. Michael Umana's followup scored to give Costa Rica the 5-3 win in the shootout.

Tough loss for Greece who had the advantage in chances and possession after Duarte's sending off. Costa Rica meanwhile will make their first ever quarterfinal appearance next weekend when they take on Netherlands.

Goals

Costa Rica: Bryan Ruiz (52')

Greece: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (90+1')

Penalty Kicks:

1. Celso Borges (CRC) SCORES.
2. Kostas Mitroglou (GRE) SCORES.
3. Bryan Ruiz (CRC) SCORES.
4. Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (GRE) SCORES.
5. Giancarlo Gonzalez (CRC) SCORES.
6. Jose Holebas (GRE) SCORES.
7. Joel Campbell (CRC) SCORES.
8. Theofanis Gekas (GRE) SAVED.
9. Michael Umana (CRC) SCORES.

Discipline

Costa Rica: Oscar Duarte (Yellow 42', Yellow 66', Red 66'), Yeltsin Tejeda (Yellow 48'), Esteban Granados (Yellow 54'), Bryan Ruiz (Yellow 70'), Keylor Navas (Yellow 90')

Greece: Andreas Samaris (Yellow 36'), Kostas Manolas (Yellow 72')

Man of the Match

Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas was again named Man of the Match. Navas made 7 saves as well as a key stop on Gekas in the shootout to earn the victory for Costa Rica. Navas was the rock at the back for Costa Rica, holding them in the game despite spending half the game down a man after Duarte's sending off.

Key Moment

Came right down to the wire in the shootout. After 7 straight goals to start the shootout, Theofanis Gekas stepped up for Greece. His shot was hard to the left of goal but Keylor Navas guessed right and was able to get an arm up to direct it away from goal. That was the only break required for Costa Rica, as Michael Umana converted the following shot to give Costa Rica the win.

What we learned from Costa Rica

Tough to analyze given they spent the last 55 minutes of the game down a man. Felt that before that they were the definite better team on the field. Kept Greece outside of their penalty area and maximized their own chances of scoring. Far too passive in the midfield though and allowed Greece plenty of room to advance the ball up the field. Will have to be more aggressive against Netherlands in the quarterfinals and will be without 2 starters in that game.

What we learned from Greece

Not much that wasn't already known. Had one lapse defensively that cost them in the early second half. Only got quality offensive chances after Costa Rica went down a man and still had no quality finishing. Have to find a way to better attack the opposing goal going forward as their current strategy has been figured out.

Going Forward

Greece are headed home after their first knockout round appearance ever. Costa Rica meanwhile advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in history. They'll be in tough against a Dutch team that has averaged 3 goals for a game so far in this World Cup.

Game 52 Starting Lineups (Costa Rica vs. Greece)

Game Preview here.
Starting Lineups below:

Costa Rica

Regular starting XI for Costa Rica.

 

Substitutes

Goalkeepers: Daniel Cambronero (#23), Patrick Pemberton (#18)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (#2), Waylon Francis (#12), Roy Miller(#19), David Myrie (#8)

Midfielders: Michael Barrantes (#11), Diego Calvo (#20), Jose Miguel Cubero (#22), Esteban Granados (#13)

Forwards: Randall Brenes (#14), Marco Urena (#21)


Greece

1 change for Greece from last game. Samaris replaces Kone who left the Ivory Coast match with an injury.



Substitutes

Goalkeepers: Panagiotis Glykos (#12), Stefanos Kapino (#13)

Defenders: Vangelis Moras (#5), Giorgos Tzavellas (#3)

Midfielders: Giannis Fetfatzidis (#18), Kostas Katsouranis (#21), Panagiotis Kone (#8), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (#23), Alexandros Tziolis (#6), Loukas Vyntra (#11)

Forwards: Theofanis Gekas (#17), Kostas Mitroglou (#9)

Game 52 Preview: Costa Rica vs. Greece

COSTA RICA vs. GREECE
Round of 16 - Game 4

 

 Date: June 29, 2014

Time: 4:00 p.m. EDT

Venue: Arena Pernambuco, Recife

Overall Head-to-Head Record (W-L-T): N/A

Last Match: N/A

Line: Costa Rica +135

Group C Preview here.
Group D Preview here.

Starting Lineups posted separately once they're announced.

Team Profiles 

World Ranking: Costa Rica (28th), Greece (12th)

Managers: Jorge Luis Pinto (CRC), Fernando Santos (GRE)

Captains: Bryan Ruiz (CRC), Giorgos Karagounis (GRE)

World Cup Appearances: 4 (CRC), 3 (GRE)

Best Finish: Costa Rica (Round of 16, 1990), Greece (2x Group Stage, Last in 2010)

Qualifying Records: Costa Rica (8-4-4, GF: 27, GA: 12), Greece (9-1-2, GF: 16, GA: 6)

Previous Game Results

Costa Rica

June 14th - Costa Rica def. Uruguay 3-1
June 20th - Costa Rica def. Italy 1-0 

June 24th - Costa Rica tied England 0-0

Greece

June 14th - Colombia def. Greece 3-0
June 19th - Japan tied Greece 0-0
June 24th - Greece def. Ivory Coast 2-1

Rosters

Injuries/Discipline

Costa Rica: Jose Miguel Cubero (Yellow Card), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Yellow Card), Yeltsin Tejeda (Yellow Card)
Greece: Orestis Karnezis (Questionable - Injury), Panagiotis Kone (Questionable - Hamstring), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Yellow Card), Dimitris Salpingidis (Yellow Card), Giorgos Samaras (Yellow Card), Vasilis Torosidis (Yellow Card)

Overview

If you saw this game as being a Costa Rica-Greece matchup then you are amongst a probable handful in the world. The most unlikely of Round of 16 matches sees Greece make their debut in the knockout round and will ensure one of the two teams makes the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

Costa Rica have been one of the big surprises in this tournament. Expected to be a place-filler in Group D, they surprised everyone by topping the group to set up today's date with Greece. Not a huge offensive threat, Costa Rica get by with strong defence and goalkeeping. It is also a very international mix of players. Their starting 11 in their last match with England featured players plying their club trade in 10 different countries.

Greece were an outside chance at making the knockout round in a weak Group C but managed to advance to this stage in the most improbable fashion. Needing a victory against Ivory Coast, they found it courtesy of an injury time penalty kick by Giorgos Samaras to secure their spot in this game. Also known for their defence, Greece have not been as sharp in this tournament as they typically are and may find themselves vulnerable to a quick Costa Rican counter-attack.

Costa Rica are healthy and have no selection issues. After resting some players against England, would expect them to return to their regular lineup today. It's a variant of a 5-4-1 but will change shape throughout the game as Costa Rica adjust their tactics. While very much a defence-first team, Costa Rica are dangerous when they get forward. Joel Campbell possesses speed and power as the lone striker and gets great supporting play from wide midfielders Bryan Ruiz and Christian Bolanos.

Greece have been the model of defensive organization since winning Euro 2004. They have shown some holes in this tournament though, particularly on the wings. Greece's 4-3-3/4-5-1 typically sees 9 players surrounding the penalty area at all times on defence. Greece may opt to push a bit higher up the field today though against a Costa Rica attack limited in numbers by its own defensive philosophy.

Personnel

In the Costa Rican Third: Costa Rica maintain a good defensive shape and close out attacking players incredibly fast. Greece aren't a team with overly dynamic forwards and have struggled manufacturing goals in this tournament. Greece can get an occasional darting run from their midfield that causes issues but on the whole Costa Rica will not be scared of this lineup. Advantage: Costa Rica.

In the Midfield: Greece passive defensively through the midfield while Costa Rica willing to put some pressure on the attackers. I also feel Costa Rica a bit more creative and effective in possession then Greece are. Advantage: Costa Rica.

In the Greek Third: I think there's holes in this Greek back line, particularly at left back but I don't feel this Costa Rica is the best to take advantage of that. They can get forward but their goals have been the result of shoddy effort or poor man-marking, neither of which Greece will allow. I think they have options on the wings to get deep down the field but will need to find Campbell effectively in the centre to have any hope of goals. Advantage: Greece.

Goalkeeping: First-choice Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis is a game-time decision after leaving the Ivory Coast game with an injury. Panagiotis Glykos will likely start if he can't go. In either case, Keylor Navas has been one of the top goalkeepers in the tournament and has a better club record the past year then either Greek options. Advantage: Costa Rica.

Costa Rica will win if:

Attack the full backs for Greece with long balls and speed and see if that opens up the Greek defensive lines. Colombia find this incredibly effective in their game and are the most similar in style of play to Costa Rica. Create space out wide and they'll be able to flood the penalty area with players. Greece are good at picking players up but Costa Rica should be able to use their quickness to find open holes for shots.

Greece will win if:

Have to provide greater pressure on Costa Rica in the middle of the field. Greece love to sit back and defend before attacking in formation. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Costa Rica does as well, and they're a faster, more athletic team. Pressure higher and win possession without being in your own penalty area is the best way to draw Costa Rica out of position and get quality opportunities at goal.

Prediction

Hardly the must-see game of the tournament. Both teams are counter-punchers with limited options in attack. Goals will be at a premium in this game and first one to score might be the winner. Here's hoping for an entertaining game but don't really see it happening today.

Costa Rica 1-0 Greece

Knockout Round Predictions: Version II

You may remember that two weeks ago I posted my pre-tournament knockout round predictions. Here's what I had come up with:



That's compared with the actual bracket in the header.

Final tally on teams:

• 10 of 16 correct
• 8 of 16 in the correct slot

Dreadful in my opinion. Costa Rica, and the Iberian peninsula messed me up.

Anyway that's not the point of this post. Want to give an overview of the knockout round now that we actually know where everyone is slotted in. Have broken the bracket down in to 4 quarters and will then look at the semifinals/finals. REMINDER AS ALWAYS: I RESERVE JUDGMENT TO CHANGE THIS WHEN I DO GAME PREVIEWS. Without further ado:

Quarter 1

Yes, it appears that a CONMEBOL tournament has broken out in the midst of the World Cup. South American fans have to be thrilled to have 5 teams in the Round of 16. But with 4 in the same quarter, there's no more then 2 that can make the semifinals.

There are 2 constants in CONMEBOL soccer that I have observed. 1) Home field advantage means everything. Brazil would figure to have that advantage but there are plenty of visiting supporters from neighbouring countries at this tournament. 2) Expect the unexpected. On any given day, any of these four teams can beat the other.

In regard to BRAZIL-CHILE, I'm expecting goals and plenty of them. Both teams play fast-paced, sometimes irresponsible soccer but both love to attack. I'm tipping Brazil though due to how they match up personnel wise with Chile. Chile play a 3-man back line which can leave plenty of space in which opponents can operate. That's something Neymar, Oscar and co will surely be looking to take advantage of. I have BRAZIL winning that match.

It's a different COLOMBIA-URUGUAY contest now that Luis Suarez won't be involved. Only thing to go off of is Uruguay's outing against Costa Rica which was poor to say the least. This is a Uruguay team that needs Suarez in order to win games, plain and simple. Facing Colombia won't help either. Colombia has been scary good this tournament. Strong defensively and they punish you for any little mistake on the defensive end. COLOMBIA my pick out of this game. Likely would have taken them even if Suarez was available.

That leaves a BRAZIL-COLOMBIA quarterfinal and I'm completely torn on this. Brazil don't lose games on home soil but I'm just not convinced they're a strong enough team. Reliant heavily on Neymar's individual talent and lose track of players defensively too easily. Colombia work their star players in to their squad's strategy which is why they're so successful. Going with my gut in this game and will say COLOMBIA emerge as the victor in this contest.

Advancing: Colombia
Also have a chance: Brazil

Quarter 2

Unlike the above grouping, there should be little in the way of surprises here.

France have arguably been the best team in the tournament in the group stages. Their shooting fell apart a bit against Ecuador but their defensive line has been a rock and Karim Benzema should probably be alone in the scoring lead this tournament. Nigeria have stretched teams vertically with their speed and power up front but won't have that luxury against this French team. Enyeama will have to be spectacular in the Nigerian goal for them to have a shot in this one. FRANCE to beat Nigeria.

Similar situation in the other game, Algeria go up against a German side that has yet to play to their potential in this tournament. Algeria use their speed up high to get offensive chances and while Germany can be exploited defensively by quickness, their organization and shape will be tough to overcome for Algeria. More concerningly for the Africans though is Germany's ability to pick teams apart in the offensive third. The USA was the only team to hold up well against the German attack and Algeria isn't them. GERMANY in a comfortable win.

That sets up a gigantic clash between France and Germany in the quarterfinals. I think there's only one potential game that can match the hype and intrigue of this game and that would be a Brazil-Argentina final. If/when this match occurs it will likely be the longest game preview I've written. Won't look too closely at it here as it deserves proper attention. I would still take Germany in this match but that could change in a heartbeat.

Advancing: Germany
Also have a chance: France

Quarter 3

Certainly looks different from what I had predicted. I only had one of these 4 teams in the right slot and I didn't have either Costa Rica or Greece in the picture at all.

Right off the bat, Netherlands could not have asked for a better group of teams in this quarter. This is about as easy as a knockout round can get for a team. Granted it's the Netherlands and history tells me they may find a way to mess this up but this is a relative walk in to the semifinals for them.

Biggest concern for the Dutch has to be their first game. Mexico gave up just 1 goal in the group stages and that came in garbage time of their final match against Costa Rica. Mexico area phenomenal defensive team but they'll be put to the test against these Dutch strikers. van Persie and Robben are the top scoring duo in this tournament with 6 goals in 5 man-games (van Persie was suspended against Chile). When you have two players in form that are averaging over a goal per game EACH, you have a great chance of winning any game you play in. I see it being close and I see it being low-scoring but I don't see Mexico being on top at the end. NETHERLANDS to win.

It's always nice to see underdogs succeed and one of Costa Rica and Greece will find themselves in the quarterfinals. As a fan of quality soccer though, my face fell when Giorgos Samaras hit that penalty kick and ensured this match would become a thing. Greece are near intolerable to watch play. Game inevitably gets bogged down and slow frustrates opponents in to trying wild chances on goal that are never going to succeed. Costa Rica started the tournament on a tear before coming back to Earth in their match with England. I still believe their attacking initiative is superior and their defence near equal to that of Greece's. Combine that with better goalkeeping and COSTA RICA should advance from this match.

I sort of gave it away in my preface but I have NETHERLANDS winning in the quarterfinals. Same 2-3-5 formation as Costa Rica but Netherlands simply have better players and better execution in all aspects of the game. No need to overthink this one. FWIW, I would take Mexico over both Costa Rica and Greece should that be the quarterfinal match.

Advancing: Netherlands
Also have a chance: Mexico

Quarter 4

Outside of the CONMEBOL derby happening above, this is the most fascinating of the quarters to me because it's the only one where I see a scenario in which all 4 teams can get out of here.

Argentina-Switzerland is an interesting stylistic matchup. Argentina with the dynamic attacking offence and a really shaky central defence. Switzerland sort of an enigma this tournament, good at everything but not great in anything. If Argentina can step up defensively then I think they're in the driver's seat but I'm not ready to count Switzerland out just yet. My pick for now is ARGENTINA, but I may revisit that come game preview time.

Belgium and USA are incredibly similar style-wise which will either make it a fascinating tactical battle or 90+ minutes of drudgery. Personnel-wise, Belgium have the advantage in every facet of the game. But they just haven't looked very strong this tournament. Not the quick passing and runs that we expected from them and shaky in the back, particularly out wide. The U.S. aren't flashy but they trust their system and most importantly for them it works. Of all the Round of 16 games, this one screams PENALTY KICKS to me. I think whether it gets to that or not, BELGIUM wins but they aren't looking like the potential champion the way they were pegged prior to the tournament.

FWIW, I would likely take ARGENTINA over either Belgium or the USA in the quarterfinals. Things will get interesting though if Switzerland manage to beat Argentina. Regardless of whether their opponent is Belgium or the USA, I think any of those 3 teams could beat the other on any day.

Advancing: Argentina
Also have a chance: Everyone

FINALS

In my little exercise here, this is what I have come up with for semifinals.

The top matchup will be as big a test to Germany's formational strength and organization as anything. Germany have committed more turnovers then usual in this tournament and I feel no other team can better take advantage of that then Colombia. Colombia have been the best counter-attacking team in this tournament and are good enough defensively to hold up Germany. Being played on the home continent, I'm going away from my pre-tournament pick and saying COLOMBIA will emerge from this game.

The home advantage is to be considered in the second game as well (No European team has ever won in the Americas) but frankly I think Argentina will be a bit lucky to make it this far. Weak on defence and Messi has been completely shouldering the load in the goal-scoring department. Netherlands were expected to be in rebuild mode this tournament but they are more then capable of neutralizing Argentina's offence and have the best scoring tandem in the tournament. NETHERLANDS to advance to their second straight final.

Predicting third-place games is always a crapshoot. In my scenario, I'll take Germany, who have finished top 3 in each of the last 3 World Cups.

This leads me to my NETHERLANDS-COLOMBIA final. Personnel-wise, it's a wash in midfield and goal. Netherlands forwards I would give an advantage to against Colombia's defence, but I feel the Dutch can hold up against James Rodriguez and company with their defensive discipline. Yes, that's right folks. I have the NETHERLANDS finally getting over the hump and winning their first World Cup, having lost in 3 previous finals.

Below is my complete prediction:

Questions? Comments? Want to call me a raging lunatic because <insert team> <went too far/didn't go far enough>? Let me know!

All-Group Teams: Group D

All-Group Team for Group D. If you didn't see yesterday, I'm picking my top XI from each group once they're completed. Formation is a consideration but is not the overarching consideration. Will do my best to make a reasonable team without stacking it with 11 forwards. Feel free to let me know your thoughts

Group D



Also Considered:

Costa Rica: Ruiz, Borges, Gonzalez, Bolanos
England: Johnson, Sterling
Italy: Marchisio, Barzagli, De Rossi
Uruguay: Rodriguez, Lodeiro

Game 38 Recap: Costa Rica 0-0 England

COSTA RICA 0-0 ENGLAND

Pointless game, no goals and both sides looked to be cruising. Foregoing a recap in favour of petitioning FIFA to ban Suarez for being a serial biter.

Goals: Nope

Discipline

Costa Rica: Giancarlo Gonzalez (Yellow 60')

England: Ross Barkley (Yellow 53'), Adam Lallana (Yellow 57')

Man of the Match:  Costa Rica GK Keylor Navas

Game 38 Starting Lineups (Costa Rica vs. England)

Game Preview here.
Starting lineups below:

Costa Rica

2 changes for Costa Rica. Brenes and Miller giving Umana and Bolanos a rest.





Substitutes:


Goalkeepers: Daniel Cambronero (#23), Patrick Pemberton (#18)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (#2), Waylon Francis (#12), David Myrie (#8), Michael Umana (#4)

Midfielders: Michael Barrantes (#11), Christian Bolanos (#7), Diego Calvo (#20), Jose Miguel Cubero (#22), Esteban Granados (#13)

Forwards: Marco Urena (#21)


England

England emptying the bench so to speak.



Substitutes:


Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (#22), Joe Hart (#1)

Defenders: Phil Jagielka (#6), Glen Johnson (#2)

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (#4), Jordan Henderson (#14), Raheem Sterling (#19)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (#18), Wayne Rooney (#10), Danny Welbeck (#11)

Game 38 Preview: Costa Rica vs. England

COSTA RICA vs. ENGLAND

 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

June 14th - Costa Rica def. Uruguay 3-1
June 20th - Costa Rica def. Italy 1-0 

England

June 14th - Italy def. England 2-1
June 20th - Uruguay def. England 2-1

Rosters

Injuries/Discipline

Costa Rica: Jose Miguel Cubero (Yellow Card)
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.

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.

Prediction

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

Standings Update: June 20th

Group C
 

Team	W	L	T	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
Colombia	2	0	0	5	1	4	6
Ivory Coast	1	1	0	3	3	0	3
Japan	0	1	1	1	2	-1	1
Greece	0	1	1	0	3	-3	1

Colombia's 2 wins put them free and clear and all but locked in to first place in the group. It's a 3-way battle for second place and all 3 teams have a shot. Ivory Coast are the favourite to advance. They face Greece and should be through with a draw. Greece and Japan absolutely need wins in their final game in order to have a shot at the knockout round. I have a tough time seeing Japan beat Colombia which eliminates them. And Greece have yet to score at all this tournament against a fast, physical Ivory Coast team. Look for Ivory Coast to grab second in the group.

Group D

Team	W	L	T	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
Costa Rica	2	0	0	4	1	3	6
Italy	1	1	0	2	2	0	3
Uruguay	1	1	0	3	4	-1	3
England	0	2	0	2	4	-2	0

England are out after two losses to open their tournament. Costa Rica are the darling of the tournament meanwhile having knocked off two prior champions and wrapped up a knockout round spot today.. They'll secure first place if they can take a point off a third former champion in their final group match against England.

All eyes will be on Italy-Uruguay in their group match. Only one of the teams will make the Round of 16 and the edge goes to Italy, as they hold the goal differential tiebreaker. An Italy win or tie sends them through to the knockout round, while only a win will get Uruguay through.

Group E

Team	W	L	T	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
France	2	0	0	8	2	6	6
Ecuador	1	1	0	3	3	0	3
Switzerland	1	1	0	4	6	-2	3
Honduras	0	2	0	1	5	-4	0

All 4 teams still mathematically in contention to advance or be eliminated. France are through for all intents and purposes though. Honduras is likely out needing a win against Switzerland and some goal differential to go their way in their last match.

With Ecuador set to face France as well, Switzerland look to be the likely team to take second place in this group, despite their blowout loss today.

Game 24 Recap: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica

ITALY 0-1 COSTA RICA

If you needed any more evidence that this World Cup has been insane, look at the current Group D standings. Group D features 3 top-10 teams, all of whom are previous champions, and yet it's Costa Rica who have a pair of victories and have clinched a spot in the knockout round.

And while people questioned the Uruguay result as a fluke or the result of poor performance by the South Americans, there was no questioning this performance. Costa Rica were the better team on the field from start to finish as they picked up their second straight win against one of the world's elite.

Italy on the other hand will have to compose themselves quickly as they now face a critical game against Uruguay in order to avoid a premature elimination.

A slow, disjointed first half for the most part that was highlighted by some continued poor play from the Italian attackers, Mario Balotelli in particular. Balotelli picked up one of Italy's best chances in the 31st minute, hauling down a long pass from Andrea Pirlo. Left on a partial breakaway, his first touch was heavy though and his chip over Keylor Navas was well wide. A very disappointing play that you would expect a top striker in the world to finish off.

Balotelli had another chance 2 minutes later, volleying a Pirlo pass but it was directly at Keylor Navas despite plenty of room in front of him to get closer. That was the last major impact he would have in the game, a bad sign for a striker in the 33rd minute.

Costa Rica found the advantage right before halftime though. Just a minute after a foul on Joel Campbell in the penalty area went uncalled, Bryan Ruiz got on the end of a Junior Diaz cross at the back post. His header smacked off the crossbar and fell just behind the goal line before bouncing out. Goal-line technology was called in to use again and correctly determined it was a good goal giving Costa Rica the 1-0 halftime lead.

It was a second half devoid of chances that was punctuated by great defending from Costa Rica. And while the US defence against Ghana was praised for its effort in the second half, this was different. That was a desperate and frantic type of defending where as Costa Rica were completely in control of this.

Not just sitting back and defending their area, Costa Rica closed down the Italian midfield and pressured everyone on the ball, refusing to allow any scoring chances on their own goal. This is not a team getting by on a whim, this is a team brimming with confidence that has tremendous upset potential as they advance to the Round of 16 and perhaps further.

Goals

Italy: N/A

Costa Rica: Bryan Ruiz (44')

Discipline

Italy: Mario Balotelli (Yellow 69')

Costa Rica: Jose Miguel Cubero (Yellow 71')

Man of the Match

Costa Rican captain Bryan Ruiz got behind everyone in the Italian defence and his headed effort snuck across the line for the only goal of the game. Could have also gone to the entire Costa Rican defence as a whole which completely shut down some of the best players in the world.

Key Moment

I normally go with goals but going away from that this game. Ruiz's goal just before halftime was key but minutes after the restart, Matteo Darmian cut off the wing and rifled a shot at goal that Keylor Navas brilliantly directed over the goal. There was a sense of that save that things weren't meant to be for Italy in this game and they didn't get a good chance on goal for the rest of the half.

What we learned from Italy

They didn't create a lot of organic chances against England and created even fewer against Costa Rica's 5-man backfield. This is a team that is too relient on Pirlo and Balotelli offensively and Balotelli has had an awful tournament so far. They were static defensively but were able to mostly contain the Costa Rican front players. But their defence isn't strong enough by itself to carry them far in this tournament if they don't get help from their goalscorers

What we learned from Costa Rica

If Uruguay was a fluke then this was a statement game from the central American nation. Expected to be a minnow in this group, they've knocked off 2 former champions and locked up a spot in the next round already. Phenomenal defensively, they don't have a lot of attacking initiative but they're efficient when they do get forward which is as important. They'll have an opportunity to test their offence more against England in an ultimately meaningless group finale for them.

Going Forward 

In a group of 3 champions, it's the team to never make the quarterfinals that has clinched a top 2 spot, eliminating England in the process. Still things to play for if you're Costa Rica as the second-place team in Group C is a much more favourable opponent than Colombia.

As for Italy, you have a huge game against Uruguay to end the group. Have to get at least a point from that game and they have plenty of questions surrounding their play before that game.

Game 24 Starting Lineups (Italy vs. Costa Rica)

Game Preview here.
Starting lineups below:

Italy

3 changes for Italy. Buffon back in goal. Abate for Paletta on the defensive end and Motta for Verratti who has supposedly been dealing with illness.



Substitutes:

Goalkeepers: Mattia Perin (#13), Salvatore Sirigu (#12)

Defenders: Leonardo Bonucci (#19), Gabriel Paletta (#20)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (#14), Marco Parolo (#18), Marco Verratti (#23)

Forwards: Antonio Cassano (#10), Alessio Cerci (#11), Ciro Immobile (#17), Lorenzo Insigne (#23)

Costa Rica

No change for Costa Rica unsurprisingly.




Substitutes

Goalkeepers: Daniel Cambronero (#23), Patrick Pemberton (#18)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (#2), Waylon Francis (#12), Roy Miller(#19), David Myrie (#8)

Midfielders: Michael Barrantes (#11), Diego Calvo (#20), Jose Miguel Cubero (#22), Esteban Granados (#13)

Forwards: Randall Brenes (#14), Marco Urena (#21)

Game 24 Preview: Italy vs. Costa Rica

ITALY vs. COSTA RICA

 Date: June 20, 2014

Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT

Venue: Arena Pernambuco, Recife

Overall Head-to-Head Record (W-L-T): 1-0-0 Italy

Last Match: 1994 Friendly. Italy def. Costa Rica 1-0.

Line: Italy -210

Group D Preview here.

Starting Lineups posted separately once they're announced.

Team Profiles 

World Ranking: Italy (9th), Costa Rica (28th)

Managers: Cesare Prandelli (ITA), Jorge Luis Pinto (CRC)

Captains: Gianluigi Buffon (ITA), Bryan Ruiz (CRC)

World Cup Appearances: 18 (ITA), 4 (CRC)

Best Finish: Italy (4x Champions, Last in 2006), Costa Rica (Round of 16, 1990)

Qualifying Records: Italy 6-0-4, GF: 19, GA: 9), Costa Rica (8-4-4, GF: 27, GA: 12)

Previous Game Results

Italy

June 14th - Italy def. England 2-1

Costa Rica

June 14th - Costa Rica def. Uruguay 3-1

Rosters

Injuries/Discipline

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon (Probable - Foot), Mattia De Sciglio (Doubtful - Leg)

Costa Rica: N/A

Overview

Not the circumstances in which this game was expected to be played, Italy and Costa Rica will square off for the lead in Group D today in Recife.

Fresh off a 2-1 victory over England, Italy will be looking to take a stranglehold in this group with a win today and are expected to do so with their captain Gianluigi Buffon back in goal. The heavily favoured Italian team have to be wary of their opponent though, after what they did to Uruguay last weekend.

Costa Rica turned in one of the shocks of the World Cup so far, riding a trio of second-half goals to a 3-1 victory over Uruguay in their opening game. It was no fluke either, as Costa Rica showed a stingy defence that stifled the South American Champions and a deadly striking partnership of Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz. They may have caught Uruguay napping a bit though and should have their hands full against Italy in this contest.

Italy should deploy their typical 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation against Costa Rica. Anchored by Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi in the midfield, It's an ideal formation for Italy to maintain defensive balance and still gives them freedom to attack. They'll be counting on a better performance from Mario Balotelli up front who was largely absent from the England game despite scoring the winning goal.

Costa Rica vary their formation but typically play a 2-3-5 formation that is the rave of this tournament tactic-wise. Costa Rica are known in CONCACAF for their strong defence and will rely heavily on the back 5 to keep Italy at bay in this game.

Personnel

In the Italian Third: Despite 3 goals against Uruguay, that was a dreadful performance by their back line and about the best game Joel Campbell in particular has ever played. I have difficulty seeing Costa Rica replicate that showing against the Italian defenders and midfield which are close to full strength again. Advantage: Italy.

In the Midfield: Costa Rica pressed Uruguay very effectively and won the battle defensively in the midfield. Italy are stronger on ball movement though. Costa Rica also looked for the long ball frequently as opposed to controlling the ball offensively through the middle. I like Italy's ball movement and spacing in the midfield to cause problems for Costa Rica today. Advantage: Italy.

In the Costa Rican Third: Italy took advantage of a poor England back line in their first game but didn't have the same dynamic ball movement we would have expected from them. They'll face a stiffer test in Costa Rica who are stout in the back and should have 5 guys back at all times. Italy absolutely need Balotelli to show up but at best that would probably be an even fight. Advantage: Costa Rica

Goalkeeping: I'm personally impressed with Keylor Navas in the Costa Rican goal but Buffon/Sirigu are some of the class of the world. Buffon's wealth of experience will be huge for Italy in all of their games going forward. Advantage: Italy

Italy will win if:

Shut down Campbell in the centre of the field and get a bigger impact from Balotelli. Italy as a team can shut down any attack in the world with their positioning and intelligence. Campbell was a constant thorn in Uruguay's side though. Big, fast and needs very little room to make things happen. Also let go of some lasers from distance. Has to be shut down immediately. Similar in the other end, Costa Rica don't have a lot of stars in the back relying more on their play as a unit to be successful. More then anyone, Balotelli has the potential to blow that all up with a solo performance. Needs to stay onside, use his size to win balls and draw defenders towards him to free up his midfielders.

Costa Rica will win if:

Horribly cliche but DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. I don't think Costa Rica can play better then that second half against Uruguay. If they do anything though, they have to get more fluid movement in the midfield. Uruguay were horribly irresponsible defensively which freed up a lot of the space for Costa Rica to attack their goal. Italy won't afford them the same luxury. Have to be able to work the ball in the midfield and sustain some possession to build up their attack. Italy will bury them if they can't.

Prediction

Don't think the Costa Rica win over Uruguay was a fluke but also don't think they can replicate that offensive performance against Italy. Costa Rica will get some chances at goal but too much pressure over the course of the game to hold off Italy.

Italy 2-1 Costa Rica.

Game 6 Recap: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica

URUGUAY 1-3 COSTA RICA

It's just the 3rd day of the World Cup and we've already seen 2 favourites go down in stunning fashion. This occasion it was the 2-time champions Uruguay who were stunned by upstart Costa Rica, considered the bottom-feeder in Group D. It was also sweet revenge for the central American nation, who had their 2010 World Cup dreams dashed by Uruguay four years ago in the last stage of qualifying.

With star striker Luis Suarez on the bench, Uruguay came out of the gate dictating pace and imposing their physical style of play on their opponents. Suarez was sorely missed around the penalty area though as Uruguay lacked a consistent finishing touch and could never get a sustained bout of scoring attempts going.

Uruguay picked up the first break in the 22nd minute when Junior Diaz hauled down Diego Lugano in the area off a free kick winning a penalty for Uruguay. Despite guessing right, Keylor Navas could not reach the Edinson Cavani penalty giving Uruguay the 1-0 lead. 

Costa Rica refused to go away though and continued to knock on the door of a beleaguered Uruguay defensive line. Joel Campbell's strike from distance sailed just wide in the 27th. This was followed by a number of squandered opportunities off of both corner and free kicks. Uruguay nearly stretched their halftime lead to 2-0 in the 44th, but Keylor Navas made a fantastic save diving backwards to stop a deflected Diego Forlan shot.

Like Spain against the Netherlands, the second half saw the collapse of Uruguay. A run of good play from Costa Rica ended with Cristian Gamboa sprinting down field to catch up to a through ball. Sending a cross in just before the ball crossed the end line, Campbell settled it down and slotted the ball home for the equalizer.

Minutes later came the shocker when Oscar Duarte got on the end of a Christian Bolanos free kick to head inside the far post for the surprising 2-1 lead.

Uruguay pressure built as the half went on but their lack of finishing failed them and the game fell out of reach in the 84th minute. Just on as a substitute, Marco Urena slid a through ball past a rushing Muslera from a sharp angle to finish things off.

Things turned ugly in injury time, as a frustrated Maxi Pereira hacked down Campbell at the knees for a straight red card. Pereira will miss Uruguay's game against England and additional discipline is not out of the question.

Goals

Uruguay: Edinson Cavani (24')

Costa Rica: Joel Campbell (54'), Oscar Duarte (57'), Marco Urena (84')

Discipline

Uruguay: Diego Lugano (Yellow, 50'), Walter Gargano (Yellow, 56'), Martin Caceres (Yellow, 81'), Maxi Pereira (Red, 90+4')

Costa Rica: N/A

Man of the Match

One of the biggest questions for Costa Rica would be the play of their strikers without Alvaro Saborio. Joel Campbell lay those fears to rest in one game. Campbell's combination of size and strength gave Lugano and Godin fits in the Uruguayan defensive end. He had a number of strikes from distance go just wide and contributed a goal and an assist in the Costa Rican winning effort.

Key Moment

With the crowd still buzzing after the Costa Rica tying goal, Christian Bolanos' lobbed a free kick through the area and found Oscar Duarte who deftly headed inside the far post to shock Uruguay. The South Americans never appeared to get their footing back in the game and Costa Rica was never about to surrender their lead.

What we learned from Uruguay

A bad night from Edinson Cavani contributed but this team really needs Luis Suarez back from injury. No Uruguayan attacker was able to find a scoring touch in this game with the only goal coming off of a penalty kick. Their defence was exactly as advertised although they weren't expected to struggle as much in this one. Too many fouls in the defensive third and unable to handle the power of Campbell in particular.

What we learned from Costa Rica 

Not only are they not a doormat in Group D, this team has everything necessary to advance past the group stage. Similar in style of play to Netherlands, their wing backs switched effortlessly between midfield and defender giving Costa Rica a great balance between offence and defence. They'll be just fine up front as well as Bolanos continually delivered quality balls to the forwards and Campbell may have had the performance of a lifetime on a world stage.

Going Forward

Suspending judgment until after the England-Italy game. Sufficed to say the group is completely in flux at this point.

Game 6 Starting Lineups (Uruguay vs. Costa Rica)

Game Preview here.
Starting Lineups Below:

My best approximation of formation as I have to step out. Should be back to watch most of game.

Uruguay



Substitutes

Goalkeepers: Rodrigo Munoz (#12), Martin Silva (#23)

Defenders: Sebastian Coates (#19), Jorge Fucile (#4), Jose Maria Gimenez (#13)

Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (#20), Nicolas Lodeiro (#14), Alvaro Pereira (#6), Diego Perez (#15), Gaston Ramirez (#18)

Forwards: Abel Hernandez (#8)

Costa Rica



Substitutes

Goalkeepers: Daniel Cambronero (#23), Patrick Pemberton (#18)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (#2), Waylon Francis (#12), Roy Miller(#19), David Myrie (#8)

Midfielders: Michael Barrantes (#11), Diego Calvo (#20), Jose Miguel Cubero (#22), Esteban Granados (#13)

Forwards: Randall Brenes (#14), Marco Urena (#21)

Game 6 Preview: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica

URUGUAY vs. COSTA RICA

 

 Date: June 14, 2014

Time: 3:00 p.m. EDT

Venue: Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza

Overall Head-to-Head Record (W-L-T): 6-0-2 Uruguay

Last Match: 2010 World Cup Qualifying (Inter-Confederation Playoff). Uruguay tied Costa Rica 1-1.

Line: Uruguay -260

Group D Preview here.

Starting Lineups posted separately once they're announced.

Team Profiles 

World Ranking: Uruguay (7th), Costa Rica (28th)

Managers: Oscar Tabarez (URU), Jorge Luis Pinto (CRC)

Captains: Diego Lugano (URU), Bryan Ruiz (CRC)

World Cup Appearances: 12 (URU), 4 (CRC)

Best Finish: Uruguay (2x Champions, Last in 1950), Costa Rica (Round of 16, 1990)

Qualifying Records: Uruguay (8-5-5, GF: 30, GA: 25), Costa Rica (8-4-4, GF: 27, GA: 12)

Pre-Tournament Game Results

Uruguay

May 30th - Uruguay def. Northern Ireland 1-0
June 4th - Uruguay def. Slovenia 2-0

Costa Rica

June 2nd - Japan def. Costa Rica 3-1
June 6th - Costa Rica tied Ireland 1-1

Rosters

Injuries/Discipline

Uruguay: Luis Suarez (Out - Knee)

Costa Rica: Heiner Mora (Out - Permanently replaced by David Myrie)

Overview

The best player in Group D will be in the stands for the first Group D match as Luis Suarez continues to recover from meniscus surgery last month.

Ruled out by the Uruguay camp for this game, the hope is that Suarez will be fit to play against England in 5 days time. Costa Rica will take little comfort though with Suarez out with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Cristian Rodriguez and potentially Diego Forlan still to deal with.

A surprise 4th place finisher in the 2010 World Cup, Uruguay will be looking to top that with a squad made up of many of the same players. Even without Suarez there are a number of attacking options to fit their unique 4-2-2-2 style and they should still see an offensive explosion at the Costa Rican goal. Their defensive end coverage leaves a lot to be desired though.

The heavy underdogs in a group some see as a group of death, Costa Rica have been hampered by injury in the lead up to the tournament, absent 3 potential starters in Mora, Alvaro Saborio and Bryan Oviedo. Tactically, Costa Rica are one of the stranger teams in the tournament as they will periodically rotate between a defensive 2-3-5 and an offensive 3-4-3 depending on what they want to do. I imagine we will see both today as the best defence against Uruguay may be a big offence of their own.

These teams haven't played in five years but Costa Rica will be out for blood. Their last match ended in a draw for the last 2010 qualification spot that went to Uruguay. One more Costa Rican and they would have been in South Africa instead of Uruguay making their semifinal run.

Personnel

In the Uruguayan Third: Uruguay has success in spite of their back line, not because of it. Lugano and Godin are big names in the centre but haven't always played well for their country and they are weak on the wings. Costa Rica are missing some top players up front but I would expect them to go 3-4-3 at times and create some confusion amongst the Uruguayan defence. Advantage: Even

In the Midfield: Both teams have some playmakers in the centre, in particular Gargano (URU) and Borges (CRC). Uruguay should enjoy the better of possession though and while Costa Rica will go forward in numbers, I expect them to be more passive when Uruguay have the ball and give a bit more room to operate. Advantage: Uruguay

In the Costa Rican Third: No Suarez, No Problem. While Uruguay would love to have their top player, they have enough weaponry up front to create plenty of chances on goal. Costa Rica had the best defensive record in CONCACAF qualifying but no team in North America brings the sheer talent and technical skill up front that Uruguay have. Advantage: Uruguay

Goalkeeping: Two excellent goalkeepers in this game. Muslera gets more recognition having been through the 2010 cup run and playing for a giant in Galatasaray but Keylor Navas played a huge role in Costa Rica's defensive success in qualifying and was also one of the top goalkeepers in Spain this year. Levante finished middle of the table with a great defensive record largely due to his play. Advantage: Even

Uruguay will win if:

They can create scoring chances through the midfield as opposed to operating in the Costa Rica penalty area. With three centre backs, Costa Rica can clog the area and make opportunities difficult but they can leave the centre of the field in front of their area open. Uruguay scored goal after goal from this spot in 2010 and should find plenty of opportunities there in this one. Also need to be defensively responsible, not just on the wings pushing forward but in the midfielders getting back as Costa Rica will fly forward when they get a chance.

Costa Rica will win if:

They can be as offensively aggressive as Uruguay is without creating too many holes on the back end. 2-3-5 may be more sensible against this opponent but Uruguay can struggle when they are pressured and their lack of soundness defensively is compounded when they turn the ball over in the midfield. Costa Rica isn't necessarily fit to be in a shootout type of game but that might be their best strategy for success in this one.

Prediction

Costa Rica is better defensively then people might give it credit for and have a dynamite goalkeeper. too many injuries to their goal scorers though and I think the lack of technical skill catches up to them. Both teams score but at least 1 late goal puts Uruguay over the top.

Uruguay 3-1 Costa Rica