Monday, June 23, 2014

Costa Rica vs England



England players react to Luis Suarez's second goal in the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay
23 June 2014 Last updated at 21:23 GMT

2014 Fifa World Cup

  • Venue: Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte
  • Date: Tuesday 24 June
  • Kick-off: 17:00 BST
Coverage: ITV, BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Sport website, highlights on BBC TV

Match Stats

Possession50%50%0minsCosta RicaEngland

Shots

0 0

On target

0 0

Corners

0 0

Fouls

0 0

TEAM NEWS

Eliminated England have made nine changes to the side that lost to Uruguay for their final World Cup Group D match against Costa Rica.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been omitted, with Daniel Sturridge the lone striker.
Ben Foster replaces Joe Hart in goal, while James Milner, Frank Lampard, Ross Barkley, Jack Wilshere and Adam Lallana are brought into midfield.
Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw come into the defence.
Of the 11 players that Hodgson selected for England's defeats by Italy and Uruguay, only Sturridge and centre-back Gary Cahill have kept their places.
West Brom keeper Foster, 31, is set to make his first competitive appearance for the national side since the 3-0 win over Belarus in 2009.
Cahill is the only one of the four defenders playing in front of Foster who has appeared in the tournament so far while 18-year-old Shaw will make his competitive debut.
Lampard, who is to captain the side in the absence of Steven Gerrard, will win his 106th cap, while Milner's start will be the Manchester City midfielder's first appearance at these finals.
Play media
England players look dejected after they lose 2-1 against Uruguay at the 2014 World Cup
Highlights: Uruguay 2-1 England
Barkley, Wilshere and Lallana have all featured off the bench but this will be a first start in a major tournament for all three.
Costa Rica, who need only a point to guarantee winning the group, will rest several first-team regulars.
Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz are among those expected to miss out, with Marcos Urena starting up front.

MATCH PREVIEW

As if to rub salt into the wounds, England's final act at the 2014 World Cup comes in Belo Horizonte, the scene of one of their greatest humiliations: a 1-0 defeat to the then-amateur United States at the 1950 World Cup.
When the draw was made, this fixture was earmarked as a chance to perhaps banish those 1950 memories and create happier ones.
However, the venue could now punctuate English football history as the place where they lose three World Cup group games for the first time.
With Barkley and Shaw getting their first competitive starts, it also now marks a new chapter.
Roy Hodgson believes his side's performances, if not results, have created a platform for their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
"I believe England have a very strong basis for a team," the manager said. "It's very young. These players within the space of two years will get better and stronger as an England team."
Hodgson is looking forward to seeing how the midfield partnership of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere and Everton youngster Ross Barkley shows up against the Costa Ricans.
He said: "This is the chance for them to really show they are good players. They are playing in a game where a lot of other young players and they can go out and show the faith and hope we have that these boys are really going to develop in justified."
Play media
World Cup 2014: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica highlights
Highlights: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica
Hodgson, meanwhile, admitted both he and England had learned a cruel lesson.
"I have learned this level is unbelievably unforgiving," said Hodgson of defeats by Italy and Uruguay. "I have learned a moment of sheer misfortune can throw people into a realm of despair you don't know is even possible."
England's pain is Costa Rica's gain. The Central Americans are arguably the story of the World Cup, having qualified with a game to spare. At a time when Harry Redknapp has questioned English players' desire to play for their country, especially in friendlies, it is perhaps worth noting this will be the Ticos' 30th game in 18 months.
Assistant manager Paulo Wanchope said: "The first thing is to manage our emotions. We've already qualified but it is important to look forward, it's important to keep growing as a team."
Belo Horizonte translates into English as beautiful horizon, something that felt a little ironic now as it did back in 1950 given the state of English football and the mood of the nation.
England, of course, recovered from that humiliation to be crowned world champions 16 years later. Might another another beautiful horizon await in the coming years?

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
  • Costa Rica and England have never met previously.
Costa Rica
  • Costa Rica have played seven World Cup matches against European sides, beating Sweden 2-1 and Scotland 1-0 in 1990 and defeating Italy 1-0 in their last game during the current tournament. They have also recorded one draw and three defeats.
  • The Ticos are the third North or Central American country to have reached the knockout stages at more than one World Cups, after USA and Mexico. They had previously qualified for the knockout stage in 1990.
  • Costa Rica have scored at least once in nine of their last 10 World Cup matches.
  • Michael Umana could make his sixth World Cup appearance, which would equal the Costa Rican record held by Luis Marin, Mauricio Solis, Paulo Wanchope, Ronald Gomez and Walter Centeno.
England
  • England have been eliminated at the initial group stage for the first time since the 1958 World Cup.
  • This is the first time England have lost their first two matches at a World Cup.
  • The only World Cup in which England failed to win a game was 1958 (D3, L1).
  • England have won one of their last seven World Cup matches (D3, L3), a 1-0 success over Slovenia in the group stage four years ago.
  • They have conceded eight goals in their last three World Cup games, as many as the previous 14 games combined.
  • England have played four World Cup matches against Concacaf nations, winning two and drawing and losing one.

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