Sports Updates

101Sports updates Quartet eye knockout stage

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Quartet eye knockout stage:</h1>
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 The action continues in Brazil with four teams victorious in
their opening games vying to build on winning starts. Costa Rica were
particularly impressive in their surprise success against Uruguay, racking up
three goals for the first time in a FIFA World Cup™ match, and they now take on
an Italy team that has scored at least once in their last 15 finals fixtures. 
Elsewhere, Group E rivals Switzerland and France
know each other well already. The neighbouring nations have met 36 times in the
past, with Les
Bleus enjoying the upper hand thanks to a record of 15
wins, nine draws and 12 defeats. France also looked more assured in their
opener, making light work of Honduras, whereas the Swiss needed to dig deep to
secure a late triumph against an enterprising Ecuador side. The winners of the
summit meeting between the section leaders will advance if the other match ends
drawn.
In that game, Honduras can expect a stiff
examination from Ecuador, and will need all their defensive solidity to
frustrate opponents boasting considerable attacking flair. The history books
slightly favour the South Americans too, with La
Tri earning three victories and seven draws from
their 12 encounters.
Italy-Costa Rica (Group D), Arena Pernambuco,
Recife, 13.00 (local time) 
Switzerland-France
(Group E), Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, 16.00 (local time) 
Honduras-Ecuador
(Group E), Arena da Baixada, Curitiba, 19.00 (local time) 
Ecuador and Honduras can make do without
training-camp spies as their respective coaches are already fully clued into
what makes their opponents tick. Ecuador boss Reinaldo Rueda oversaw the
CONCACAF hopefuls at the 2010 World Cup, no less, although his reign was not a
fruitful one. As for Honduras's Luis Fernando Suarez, he steered La Tri to
the Round of 16 at Germany 2006.Karim Benzema's double against Honduras made him
the first France player to score two goals in a World Cup game since Zinedine
Zidane lit up the Final on 12 July 1998. Benzema came close to notching a
treble too, Los
Catrachos's goalkeeper
turning a shot from the Real Madrid forward into his own net. As a result, he
missed out on the team's first World Cup hat-trick since Just Fontaine fired
three goals past Paraguay in 1958, en route to ending the tournament on 13
strikes. Encouraging omens for Les
Bleus? </div>

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101Sports updates Quartet eye knockout stage

Quartet eye knockout stage: The action continues in Brazil with four teams victorious in their opening games vying to buil...

101 sports updates Ruiz stuns Italy, sends Costa Rica through:

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Ruiz stuns Italy, sends Costa Rica through:</h1>
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Costa Rica’s amazing run here at the 2014 FIFA
World Cup Brazil™ continued in Recife, the Central American upstarts adding
Italy’s scalp to their Group D belt after opening with a win over Uruguay. Los Ticos are
now through to the knockout phase for only the second time in their history,
thanks to a Bryan Ruiz header just before the interval attheArenaPernambuco. 
Costa Rica, playing with a five-man backline,
were eager to break on the counter-attack early. And the CONCACAF minnows
produced the first chance of the opening period. Celso Borges met a swirling
corner with a flying leap, but the veteran midfielder was unable to keep his
effort down and it flew over the crossbar of captain Gianluigi Buffon, backintheAzzurri line-upaftersittingoutthefirstmatchinjuredinManaus.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli admitted before the
match to being fearful of Costa Rica’s combination of “European-style
organisation” and the “explosiveness of the Americas.” He had reason to be
nervous too. Mario Balotelii had trouble keeping the ball up front in a
lone-striker’s role and Los
Ticos blasted forward like lightning whenever they had
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Balotelii finally slipped his man on the
half-hour mark, racing free on the end of a long ball from Andrea Pirlo, in his
traditional deep playmaker’s role. But the enigmatic AC Milan forward was
unable to put his delicate lob of Keylor Navas into the back of the net. The
Italians’ best chance of the half spurred a Costa Rican response. 
Buffon was called into action shortly after and
had to be on his toes to keep out a curling effort from Copenhagen-based winger
Cristian Bolanos. It was a hint of things to come and Costa Rica upped the
tempo in the dying moments of the half, heaping heavy pressure on Italy. Oscar
Duarte’s header zipped just over the bar before Campbell saw a
penaltyshoutwavedaway.
But the Italian resistance gave way a minute
before the interval. Junior Diaz whipped in a devastating cross from the left
that Bryan Ruiz headed off the underside of the bar and into the goal from a
tight angle. Goal-line technology confirmed what the Tico fans
had desperately hoped: that the ball had crossed the line.  
The Italians were desperate to get back into the
game as the second-half got underway. Prandelli brought on forward Antonio
Cassano for holding midfielder Thiago Motta for the restart. It didn’t have the
desired effect and only managed to leave more room for Costa Rica’s rampaging
striker Campbell, who was just barely denied by a sprawling Buffon, who raced
well-outside his area on the hour-mark. In the end, the Ticos didn’t
need another goal as 1-0wasenoughtowinonanhistoricday. 
Costa Rica, amazingly through the knockout
stages after two games, take on England in their third game on 24 June in Belo
Horizonte. Italy, with three points from their two matches, take on
Uruguay in Natal at the same time.

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101 sports updates Ruiz stuns Italy, sends Costa Rica through:

Ruiz stuns Italy, sends Costa Rica through: Costa Rica’s amazing run here at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ continued ...