Costa
Rica booked a World Cup quarter-final date with Holland as they held on with 10
men to see off Greece 5-3 on penalties.
A
keenly-contested last-16 encounter in Recife ended 1-1, with Bryan Ruiz’s
opener cancelled out by Sokratis Papastathopoulous in second-half
stoppage-time.
An
extra 30 minutes failed to deliver another goal, despite Costa Rica playing
close to an hour at a numerical disadvantage following the dismissal of Oscar
Duarte, and the contest was settled with a test of nerve from 12 yards out.
Oscar
Duarte: Picked up two yellow cards
It
took 52 minutes for the deadlock to be broken in normal time, with Christian
Bolanos cutting back to the edge of the box for Ruiz to sweep into the bottom
corner.
Costa
Rica, who had overcome Uruguay and Italy en route to the second round, found
themselves in dreamland, but their night took a turn for the worse on 66
minutes as Duarte picked up a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Jose
Holebas.
Jorge
Luis Pinto’s men were always holding on from that point and they fell
agonisingly short inside 90 minutes as Papastathopoulous found himself in the
right place to bundle home in the dying seconds as Keylor Navas parried an
effort from substitute Theofanis Gekas.
Greece
had the better of the chances to win the game inside the distance from there,
most notably through Kostas Mitroglou, but spot-kicks were to decide the
outcome and Navas became a national hero as he saved from Gekas and Michael
Umana stroked home the match-winner.
Sokratis
Papastathopoulous: Dramatic late strike
It
was an exciting end to a scrappy match in which the only moment of note in the
opening 20 minutes was a left-footed drive from the recalled Cristian Bolanos
that flew just over.
Greece
were enjoying the lion's share of chances but were looking susceptible
defensively at times, with skipper Giorgos Karagounis avoiding a penalty more
through luck than judgement when catching Joel Campbell on the edge of the box.
It
looked like a penalty on first glance but referee Ben Williams was right
adjudge the foul to have taken place just outside the area, with the resulting
free-kick coming to nothing.
Veteran
Karagounis tried his luck from distance when Greece returned to the attack - a
chance Navas dealt with easily, before having to be at his best to keep the
scores level in the 37th minute.
Meeting
a fine left-wing Jose Holebas cross, Salpingidis looked certain to score from
close range only for the Costa Rica goalkeeper to stop the goal-bound strike
with his right leg.
Keylor
Navas: Crucial save from the spot
Duarte
joined Andreas Samaris in the referee's notebook just before the half-time
whistle went, with the locals letting their displeasure at the lack of quality
known.
Los
Ticos failed to conjure a single shot on target in the opening period but
changed that just seven minutes after the restart, breaking the deadlock in the
process.
Bolanos
pulled the ball back from the left into the path of Ruiz, who was afforded too
much time to coolly roll home a first-time left-footed strike, which trickled
past Orestis Karnezis.
It
was a fine placed effort and Costa Rica should have had the chance to double
their advantage moments later when Vasilis Torosidis turned away a cross with
his hand.
Substitute
Oscar Granado was booked for his remonstrations as tensions rose, with Costa
Rica reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute when Duarte picked up a needless
second booking for tripping Holebas.
Georgios
Samaras flashed a header wide almost immediately before Navas flapped at his
looped ball as Greece upped the ante.
Michael
Umana: Stroked home the winning spot-kick
Substitute
Gekas turned wide, Kostas Manolas headed over and Karagounis wasted a free-kick
as the game looked to have got away from them, only for Papastathopoulos to net
a stoppage-time leveller.
With
the ball fired into the box, Gekas saw a snapshot parried by Navas and the ball
fell kindly for the centre-back to fire home.
It
was the first time the Costa Rica goalkeeper had been beaten from open play in Brazil
and he had to be at his best to stop Greece doing so again moments later,
tipping over a powerful header from substitute Mitroglou.
The
Fulham striker failed to get a telling touch to beat Navas again as extra-time
began, before an unsighted Gekas directed wide and Konstantinos Katsouranis had
a close-range effort blocked.
Randall
Brenes came close for Costa Rica at the start of the second period of extra
time in which Lazaros Christodoulopoulos stung the palms of Navas, who then
denied Mitroglou at the death as the match went to penalties.
Greece
coach Santos was sent to the stands before the spot-kicks began, with every one
finding the net until Navas denied Gekas with Greece's fourth of the night.
It
gave Umana the opportunity to secure victory, which he duly did by firing the
ball into the top right-hand corner.
Post a Comment