30th June, 2014
Costa Rica continue their fairy tale journey in the World Cup tournament in Brazil, edging out hard-fighting Greece 5-3 on penalties in World Cup last 16 clash, to qualify for the quarter-finals, against The Netherlands.
It was the first time the central American nation will reach the World Cup quarter finals.
The two sides were 1-1 after regulation time with Bryan Ruiz scoring for Costa Rica and Sokratis Papastathopoulos levelling in injury time to force extra time which also ended in deadlock.
Fanis Gekas missed Greece’s fourth penalty and Michael Umana converted Costa Rica’s fifth to seal the historic victory.
The victory became even more significant for Costa Rica, as they played with 10 men after Oscar Duarte was sent off in the 66th minute, after fouling Jose Holebas of Greece.
Just before this, Bryan Ruiz had put the 10-man Costa Rica ahead at the 52nd minute, with a goal, from outside the box.
The goal brought Greece out of their shells and the pressure began to tell on the Costa Ricans. Oscar Duarte brought down Jose Holebas in the 62nd minute and his second yellow card meant his immediate expulsion.
Greece poured forward but still Costa Rica held on and believed the game was theirs when Papastathopoulos struck in the second minute of injury time.
Gekas fired in a low shot which Keylor Navas could not hold and the Borussia Dortmund defender hit in an easy rebound.
Then the two teams went into extra time, with no goal to show.
The penalties followed, with Greece’s Theofanis Gekas, missing his shot.