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Saturday 14 June 2014

Uruguay 1 Costa Rica 3 (yes, really!): Shock start to Group D as Suarez watches Arsenal hitman Campbell rip his country apart

Joel Campbell of Costa Rica (L) celebratesIAN LADYMAN IN FORTALEZA; England's hopes of qualifying out of Group D were given a major boost when Costa Rica beat 3-1 Uruguay on Saturday. Joel Campbell, Oscar Duarte and Marcos Urena cancelled out Edinson Cavani's opener

With only a game gone, there is already a peculiar look about England’s group after Costa Rica stunned fancied Uruguay in the stifling heat of Fortaleza this evening.
With Uruguay ranked seventh in the world, they were expected to provide a real threat to Roy Hodgson and England over the next eleven days in Brazil.
Here, though, they were swept aside by an energetic and ambitious Costa Rica team that refused to lie down after going behind to an early Edinson Cavani penalty.


Hand it to them: Costa Rica's players applaud their fans after pulling off a shock victory over Uruguay
Hand it to them: Costa Rica's players applaud their fans after pulling off a shock victory over Uruguay
Time to celebrate: Costa Rica's players celebrate in front of their fans at full time
Time to celebrate: Costa Rica's players celebrate in front of their fans at full time
Party time: Yeltsin Tejeda (left) and Patrick Pemberton of Costa Rica celebrate after defeating Uruguay 3-1
Party time: Yeltsin Tejeda (left) and Patrick Pemberton of Costa Rica celebrate after defeating Uruguay 3-1
Spot on: Edinson Cavani opens the scoring for Uruguay from the penalty spot before celebrating (below)
Spot on: Edinson Cavani opens the scoring for Uruguay from the penalty spot before celebrating (below)
Edinson Cavani
Cavani celebrates his penalty
Cavani celebrates his penalty

MATCH FACTS

Uruguay: Muslera 6; M Pereira 6, Lugano 5, Godin 5, Caceres 6; Stuani 5.5, Arevalo 6, Gargano 5.5 (Gonzalez 60mins 5), Rodriguez 5 (Hernandez 76 mins 5); Forlan 5 (Lodeiro  60mins 5), Cavani 6
Goals: Cavani (pen) 24
Booked: Gargano, Caceres
Sent off: Pereira
Costa Rica: Navas 7; Gamboa 6.5, Duarte 7.5, Gonzalez 7, Umana 6, Diaz 6; Borges 6, Tejeda 6.5, Ruiz 7 (Urena 82 mins 6), Bolanos 7, Campbell 7
Goals: Campbell 54, Duarte 57

Referee:Felix Brych

Attendance: 58,679

Star man: Oscar Duarte
Prefacing the start of the second half with a group huddle, Jorge Luis Pinto’s team were so superior to Uruguay for the second 45 minutes it was quite startling.
Goals from young Arsenal striker Joel Campbell – who was excellent throughout - and then from the superb Oscar Duarte and late substitute Marcos Urena left Uruguay reeling and significantly
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was not brought on, even as his team started to chase the game.
Having undergone knee repair surgery at the end of the Barclays Premier League season, Suarez is clearly not fit and there has to be huge question mark now over his participation against England in Sao Paolo next week.
To make matters worse, right back Maxi Pereira was sent off in injury time for a dreadful hack at young Campbell near the corner flag. He will miss the England game, too. 
With Suarez left among the substitutes, Uruguay were still able to field a striking partnership that looked more threatening than many at these championships.
Head boy: Oscar Duarte (left) scores to make it 2-1 to Costa Rica before celebrating (below, left)
Head boy: Oscar Duarte (left) scores to make it 2-1 to Costa Rica before celebrating (below, left)
Oscar Duarte
Oscar Duarte
 
Sure enough, it was Cavani and Diego Forlan who caused Costa Rica most of their problems early on.
Cavani’s physical presence and sure touch always make him a handful while Forlan remains the same willing runner he was at Manchester United more than a decade ago. 
These days, he has some experience and presence in front of goal, too.  
Certainly both began the game here on a hot afternoon as if on a mission to prove that Uruguay can function without the celebrated Suarez. Cavani flicked on a free kick for Diego Godin to score early on, only for the linesman to spot an offside, before Forland almost found a way through the Costa Rica defence with some direct running.
It was Cavani who was presented with the first genuine chance of the afternoon, though, and he missed it.
Can't believe it: Luis Suarez (right) was an unused substitute as Uruguay crashed to defeat
Can't believe it: Luis Suarez (right) was an unused substitute as Uruguay crashed to defeat
Luis Suarez
A free-kick from deep caused a little bit of panic in the Costa Rica defence and when defender Michael Umano could only head the ball towards his own goal Cavani should have done better than slash a volley horribly wide off the outside of his right foot.
It was a hurried, snatched attempt by the PSG striker but fortunately for him he was soon offered an opportunity to put things right. 
Another free-kick – this time taken by Forlan – was heading for Uruguay captain Diego Lugano but German referee Felix Brych spotted Junior Diaz’s arms wrapped all over the Atletico Madrid player and awarded a penalty.
Level best: Joel Campbell (centre) scores to equalise for Costa Rica against Uruguay
Level best: Joel Campbell (centre) scores to equalise for Costa Rica against Uruguay
Comeback trail: Joel Campbell celebrates scoring Costa Rica's first goal
Comeback trail: Joel Campbell celebrates scoring Costa Rica's first goal

Mr Brych has earlier denied Costa Rica a spot-kick when he spotted that a Lugano handball had been brought about by a push  from behind. It took double the amount of courage to award this one, then, but replays showed that he got the call absolutely right.
Cavani drove the penalty low into the corner with a certain degree of conviction and Uruguay were ahead.
It was a deserved lead on the balance of play but Costa Rica did not roll over. The impressive Joel Campbell drove a shot narrowly wide from distance before Giancarlo Gonzalez shot weakly when offered a chance 12 yards out and then saw a corner pass narrowly in front of him at the far post as half-time neared.
The save of the opening half still came from Costa Roca’s Keylor Navas, though, and some effort it was, too, as he arched backwards to turn over a Forlan shot from 20 yards that took a huge deflection and looked to be heading in to the top corner.
Three and easy: Marco Urena scores past Uruguay's Fernando Muslera to make it 3-1 to Costa Rica
Three and easy: Marco Urena scores past Uruguay's Fernando Muslera to make it 3-1 to Costa Rica
Ecstasy: Marco Urena is mobbed by his team-mates are scoring the goal that clinched victory for Uruguay
Ecstasy: Marco Urena is mobbed by his team-mates are scoring the goal that clinched victory for Uruguay

Soon after the break it was the turn of Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera to excel. A free-kick found Oscar Duarte totally unmarked at the far post – something to encourage England – and his downward header was going in before Muslera dropped sharply to save to his right.
Minutes later, though, the Uruguay goalkeeper could no nothing as Costa Rica equalised.
A smart move down the right side culminated in a deep cross from Cristian Gamboa and when two Uruguay defenders went for the same ball and missed it Campbell cleaned up by driving an unstoppable shot to Muslera’s left from 12 yards.
Ugly scenes: Maxi Pereira (centre) is sent off for kicking Joel Campbell (right)
Ugly scenes: Maxi Pereira (centre) is sent off for kicking Joel Campbell (right)
Marching orders: Maxi Pereira leaves the pitch and heads for the tunnel after being sent off late on
Marching orders: Maxi Pereira leaves the pitch and heads for the tunnel after being sent off late on

Uruguay had started the second half poorly and were stunned. Soon after, much worse was to come.
Once again the South Americans were embarrassed by a straight forward free-kick and this time Duarte escaped the rather slack attentions of Cristhian Stuani at the far post to stoop bravely and head across goal in to the far corner.  
Uruguay immediately made two substitutions but Suarez was not among them, indicative of ongoing injury issues. They did rally, though, and twice Cavani almost made decisive contributions, crossing dangerously from the by-line one moment and bringing a save from Navas with a header the next. 
Ultimately, though, it was the irrepressible Costa Roca team that struck the decisive blow with six minutes left. Substitute Urena had only been on the field four minutes when he was released down the right.
There really shouldn’t  have been too much danger but goalkeeper Muslera dashed injudisciously from goal and Urena slid the ball past him with some ease from an angle that initially looked to be against him. 
 


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