All the focus pre-match was on Luis Suarez, but it might be that Uruguay need a solid defender before they worry about their talisman up front.
On the bench to start thanks to knee surgery just two weeks ago, Suarez saw his side break down defensively on more than one occasion as Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte both struck soon after halftime to earn Costa Rica a 3-1 win.
Both teams started brightly but cautiously, as Costa Rica looked to lock down Uruguay’s Suarez-less attack with a very physical style of play.
It came back to bite them early, and while Yeltsin Tejeda got away with a disgusting two-footed challenge on Cristian Rodriguez, the ensuing free kick in the 24th minute saw Diego Lugano tackled football-style by Junior Diaz, and Edinson Cavani buried the penalty for a 1-0 Uruguay lead.
Down early, Los Ticos didn’t seem like they knew how to build a sustained attack, keeping the South Africa semifinalists at bay going forward but not finding many opportunities themselves. Joel Campbell fired just wide of the corner after the Cavani goal, but there wasn’t much else to note in the half.
Halftime saw Uruguay lose their edge, and coming out of the break there was a slight shift in momentum.
Costa Rica knew they were just a goal down despite the seeming Uruguay dominance, and they nearly pulled back level just five minutes after the break. Christian Bolanos took a free kick after a yellow card to Diego Lugano, and it sailed to Oscar Duarte at the post who headed on target, but right at Muslera who saved. Had he gone far post he may have drawn it 1-1.
However, it would come level just three minutes later, as Uruguay held possession but could not prove incisive, and Costa Rica struck on the counter.
Combination play down the right-hand side saw a cross come in which sailed over Celso Borges, but the ball fell to a trailing Joel Campbell completely unmarked at the far post, and he powerfully buried the chance for an even score.
It wouldn’t be level for long, because the Uruguayans again failed miserably to defend set pieces and soaring balls into the box. Walter Gargano earned a questionable yellow card, and it set up another Costa Rican free kick.
Bolanos took the free kick to the far post, and Bolanos beat Cristian Stuani to the ball for a diving header that went across the face and into the net for a 2-1 Costa Rican lead.
Following the goal, the Costa Ricans once again shut up shop, and as they had throughout much of the first half, Uruguay claimed solid possession but couldn’t find anything solid on goal.
Looking for a shocking win, Jorge Pinto’s Costa Rica sealed the deal as the manager picked out a great substitution for an instant and memorable impact. Removing Bryan Ruiz who had been a creative menace much of the match, Pinto brought on Marcos Urena with seven minutes to go in regulation, and just a minute later he would put the game away.
On a lovely thread from Campbell, Urena slotted home a slow-roller from a tight angle past a helpless Muslera off his line for a 3-1 lead and one of Costa Rica’s best-ever wins.
Things were made even worse for Uruguay as Maxi Pereira needlessly hacked down Campbell in extra time just seconds from the final whistle, producing a baffling kick to the Costa Rican’s shins which produced the tournament’s first red card from the referee.
The upset surely makes the incredibly deep Group D much more interesting, as it would seem that two results and only two results will now get Uruguay through, and those points must come against England and Italy. For Costa Rica, the win is a massive boost, and while there is still work to do to beat out a former World Cup champion to a knockout round berth, there is now serious hope that the previously unthinkable is possible.
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LINEUPS:
Uruguay – Muslera; Pereira, Lugano, Godin, Canaceres; Gargano (Gonzalez 60′), Arevalo, Rodriguez (Hernandez 76′), Stuani; Forlan (Lodeiro 60′), Cavani.
Goals: Cavani 24′
Costa Rica – Navas; Duarte, Umana, Gamboa, Gonzalez, Diaz; Borges, Tejada (Cubero 75′); Ruiz (Urena 83′), Campbell, Bolanos (Barrantes 89′).
Goals: Campbell 54′, Duarte 58′, Urena 84′