RECIFE, Brazil ¨C Costa Rica buried predictions of its early demise to emerge into the knockout stages of the World Cup for only the second time with a 1-0 Group D win over Italy on Friday that sent England crashing out.
Forward Bryan Ruiz headed powerfully home a minute before halftime to leave Costa Rica fans dancing in the sunshine at Recife¡¯s Pernambuco arena and mocking those who thought it would be the sacrificial lamb in one of the tournament¡¯s toughest pools.
The watertight defence and quickfire counter attacks that helped unpick Italy ensures that Costa Rica is going to be a handful for any future opponent, while it could even be a dark horse to go deep into the knockout stages.
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