Goals: Uruguay—Cavani 24' (penalty); Costa Rica—Campbell 54' Duarte 57' Ureña 84'
Recap: Despite the odds, despite all pundits picking against them—this soccer scriber included—the Costa Rican national team was able to endure and tactically frustrate Uruguay en route to a shocking 3-1 victory.
The Uruguayans were able to capture an early lead after a clear foul inside the area from Junior Diaz forced referee Mark Borsch to point to the spot. Edinson Cavani would bury the subsequent penalty and give his team the early 1-0 lead. It all went downhill from there.
A second-half onslaught from Joel Campbell, Oscar Duarte and Marco Ureña saw Costa Rica pull the shock of the tournament. The Group D minnows, at the moment, sit atop with three points.
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Key Moment: Costa Rica had two chances to miss the opportunity to equalize. Fortunately for Los Ticos, Cristian Gamboa toed the line, keeping the ball in play. His cross, begging to be cleared, soared above the reach of Uruguay's Diego Lugano. It landed at the feet of Joel Campbell. The rest...is history.
Man of the Match: If Arsene Wenger doesn't want him, half of England will. Joel Campbell enjoyed a coming out party with Greek outfit Olympiakos in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Today, in Fortaleza, the young starlet enjoyed a Sparta moment for the ages. Campbell overcame a shaky start to finish with 75 minutes of inspired football. His 55 touches and four dribbles showcased every bit the pace and power he possesses. His equalizer in the 54th minute proved, without a doubt, he is the transcendent talent Deportivo Saprissa groomed on the shoddy pitches of Costa Rica.
Lesson Learned: Costa Rica was lucky. Surely, a 3-1 scoreline says otherwise; however, with no Luis Suarez, Uruguay remained tactically predictable. A five-man back line from Costa Rica was easily able to frustrate and stymy the opposition's attack, especially the daunting talents of Edinson Cavani. With no menacing striker to test the limitations of Costa Rica's center-back trio, Los Ticos were able to comfortably parry the ball safely and allow the midfield to possess and move forward. Similar fortunes won't be available against a stacked Italian and English squad, but with Jorge Luis Pinto at the helm, Costa Rica can once again prove its ability to remain disciplined in every sense of the word.
Up Next: Costa Rica travels to Recife to face a tough Italy side on June 20, while Uruguay hopes to rebound in Sao Paulo against England on June 19.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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