Uruguay 1 Costa Rica 3 14 June 2014 By Ben Smith BBC Sport at Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza Story of the match * Cavani penalty puts Uruguay ahead * Navas pulls off acrobatic save from Forlan * Two goals in three minutes puts Ticos in front * Pereira red-carded for late challenge Costa Rica produced a breathtaking second-half revival at Estadio Castelao to beat Uruguay for the first time in their history in their Group D opener. The victory was inspired by Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, who scored one and made another in the first match in Englands group. It was a far cry from a first half in which Edinson Cavani put a comfortable Uruguay ahead from the penalty spot. Costa Rica scored twice in three minutes through Campbell and defender Oscar Duarte to spark scenes of jubilation in Fortaleza. But they were not finished there as substitute Marcos Urena raced onto Campbells through ball and clipped his shot beyond Fernando Muslera. To make matters worse, Uruguay had Maximiliano Pereira sent off in injury time for a spiteful challenge on Campbell. He will now be suspended for Thursdays game against England. This was Costa Ricas first World Cup victory since 2002, and only their fourth in the tournaments history, against a Uruguay side missing the injured Luis Suarez. The result means Costa Rica move to the top of Group D with England and Italy still to play, while Uruguay face an uphill battle to qualify for the last 16. Uruguay looked in control for the opening 50 minutes. Cavani wasted a good early chance after Costa Rica failed to clear a Diego Forlan free-kick, with the Paris St-Germain striker slicing high and wide with the goal at his mercy. He soon made up for that miss. Costa Rica defender Yeltsin Tejeda conceded a needless free-kick wide on the Uruguay left and when Forlan curled the set-piece into the area, Junior Diaz tried to stop Diego Lugano by wrapping his arms around his waist. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and Cavani did the rest, steering a piercing low shot beyond Keylor Navass dive and into the bottom corner. The goal settled nerves. Uruguays passing improved, as did their movement. Forlan, the player of the tournament in 2010, might have made it 2-0 before half-time when his shot struck Duartes leg, deflecting it high into the air and requiring Navas to pull off an acrobatic save. Costa Rica, though, were about to turn the game on its head with Campbell - who is yet to make his Arsenal debut despite signing for the club in 2011 - to the fore. The striker, who spent last season on loan at Olympiakos, first arrowed a shot narrowly wide from 30 yards, while Giancarlo Gonzales might have scored twice, missing a difficult headed chance and seeing a scrambled toe-poke deflected into the side-netting. But in the space of three minutes, the game changed beyond recognition. First, Cristian Gamboa chased a seemingly lost cause wide on the right flank, reaching the ball on the byeline. He delivered a cross which flicked off the head of Celso Borges and fell to Campbell, who controlled and fired beyond Muslera. Two minutes later, they swept forward again and Walter Gargano conceded a free-kick for a crude tackle on Bryan Ruiz. Christian Bolanoss delivery was pin-point, Duartes low header was brave, the finish sublime. And there was more drama to come. With time running out, Costa Rica broke forward again and Urena raced away from Godin and captain Lugano, making perfect contact with his right boot, lifting the ball over Muslera to seal victory for Los Ticos. Key facts * Costa Rica scored more than twice in a World Cup game for the first time. * Uruguay have now gone six opening games without a win, last winning their first match at a World Cup in 1970. * Costa Rica scored with three of their four shots on target, all of which came in the second half.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 00:31:30 +0000
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