History was made today.
There was a lot riding on this match and most it had nothing to do with the two teams playing. England was closely watching the outcome, rooting for the Italians, because if they won, their World Cup hopes of advancing were still alive.
Unfortunately, you can’t rely on others, only yourself.
In a shocking turn of events, the little Central American country known as Costa Rica pulled off the unthinkable, beating the powerhouse and elite squad everyone knows as Italy, led by the efforts of the incredible Mario Balotelli.
Italy came out swinging in the first half, coming short on numerous shots by Super Mario. Two breakways on separate occasions could have put the Italians up 2-0 after a blink of an eye. Both were close misses, though.
The turning point of the game came at the 43 minute mark, when Joel Campbell was driving towards the goal and was snubbed from a penalty when their was obvious contact. He got up and screamed at the refs for a call but they didn’t give it to him.
Then Bryan Ruiz saved the day.
With a sweet cross by Júnior Díaz, Ruiz barely scored on a header that hit the top of the post and squeezed in past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
By the time the second half rolled around, much of the same play continued, with both teams struggling to set the tempo and capitalize off opportunities. Italy completely dominated time of possession, holding on to the ball for 61% of the time, compared to Costa Rica’s 39%, but the Tico’s had more shots on goal.
Not even Bryan Ruiz can believe it.
The win for Costa Rica marks the first time a Central American team has ever won back-to-back games in a World Cup to advance to the round of 16. It also put England out of contention and now makes the Uruguay vs. Italy match that much more interesting, because the winner will move on from Group D play.
That match takes place next Tuesday and we will be tuned in.
The joy of victory.