Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/335393
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2014 20 20 Costa Rica top Group D after 0-0 draw with England Costa Rica secure first place in Group D of the 2014 World Cup with an unspectacular 0-0 draw against England Costa Rica ............... 0 England .................. 0 COSTA Rica secured first place in Group D of the 2014 World Cup with an unspectacular 0-0 draw against England yesterday evening. The Costa Ricans went into the game already qualified for the last 16 and good chances of topping the group, therefore not pushing forward with much resolve. England were already eliminated from the tournament but were un- able to breach the Costa Rica de- fence in hopes of getting their first victory in Brazil. Costa Rica topped Group D with seven points and were joined in the knock-out stages by Uruguay, who finished with six points after defeating Italy 1-0. Italy dropped out with three points and England were last with one point. In the last 16, Costa Rica will face off against the second placed team from Group C - either Colombia, Ivory Coast, Greece or Japan. With his team already into the knock-out stages, Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto made two changes to his line-up. His coun- terpart Roy Hodgson swapped nine players, with Daniel Stur- ridge and Gary Cahill the only survivors from England 's loss to Uruguay. Costa Rica had the first chance after just two minutes as Joel Campbell 's shot went off Cahill, looped over new keeper Ben Fos- ter but just past the far right post. Sturridge was close after 13 min- utes but his good effort sailed just past the post. The Costa Ricans were stopped by the woodwork in the 23rd minute with Foster just turning Celso Borges' free kick off the crossbar. England claimed a penalt y in the 28th minute as Oscar Duarte ap- peared to take down Sturridge in the box. But the Algerian referee Djamel Haimoudi did not point to the spot. The English invested more in the game but Sturridge's header went just over the crossbar in the 34th. Sturridge had another oppor- tunit y four minutes after the re- start, breaking free left of goal but Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas rushed out just in time to block the Liverpool striker's attempt. Navas was again spot-on in the 59th minute, snatching Adam La- llana's dangerous cross from the left side with Sturridge lurking to finally hit home. With his team lacking any sort of offensive rhythm, Pinto brought on Christian Bolanos just before the hour mark and the FC Copen- hagen midfielder challenged Fos- ter with a blast from 25 yards out. England however continued their push forward and were the more dangerous team. Sturridge was a bit too greedy though in the 65th, sending his at- tempt just wide of the far left goal with Raheem Sterling wide open on that side. England star Wayne Rooney was brought on in the final quar- ter hour and tried a nice chip but Navas got back to bat it over the bar. And England depart having scored just two goals. Costa Rica 1. Keylor Navas, 16. Cristian Gamboa, 6. Oscar Duarte, 3. Giancarlo Gonzalez, 19. Roy Miller, 15. Junior Diaz, 10. Bryan Ruiz, 5. Celso Borges 78', 17. Yeltsin Tejeda, 14. Randall Brenes 59', 9. Joel Campbell 65' Subs 18. Patrick Pemberton, 2. Johnny Acosta, 4. Michael Umana, 7. Chris- tian Bolanos 59', 8. David Myrie, 11. Michael Barrantes 78', 12. Waylon Francis, 13. Esteban Granados, 20. Diego Calvo, 21. Marco Urena 65', 22. Jose Cubero, 23. Daniel Cambronero England 13. Ben Foster, 16. Phil Jones, 12. Chris Smalling, 5. Gary Cahill, 23. Luke Shaw, 8. Frank Lampard, 7. Jack Wilshere 73', 17. James Milner 76', 21. Ross Barkley, 20. Adam Lallana 62', 9. Daniel Sturridge Subs 1. Joe Hart, 2. Glen Johnson, 4. Steven Gerrard 73', 6. Phil Jagielka, 10. Wayne Rooney 76', 11. Danny Welbeck, 14. Jordan Henderson, 18. Rickie Lambert, 19. Raheem Sterling 62', 3. Leighton Baines, 15. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 22. Fraser Forster Steven Gerrard (C) of England comforts teammate Wayne Rooney after the FIFA World Cup 2014 group D preliminary round match with Costa Rica. Photo by EPA/PETER POWELL Suarez in another bite controversy URUGUAY'S 1-0 World Cup victory over Italy yesterday was marred by controversy when Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. The Uruguay striker pushed his head towards Chiellini and appeared to bite the defender in the shoulder in the penalty area just before Diego Godin headed Uruguay's winner. Chiellini pulled his shirt down to show the referee an apparent mark on his shoulder made from the clash. "It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off," Giorgio Chiellini told Rai TV. "It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn't have done." Liverpool's Suarez was banned for 10 games for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match in April 2013. He was also banned for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal's shoulder while Ajax captain in 2010. Suarez was involved in a World Cup controversy in 2010 when he handled on the line to deny Ghana a winner in the last minute of extra-time in the quarter-finals. Asamoah Gyan misses the resulting penalty and Uru- guay won the shoot-out to reach the semi-finals. There was an almost immediate Twitter reaction to the latest Suarez incident. Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen said: "Tell me I'm seeing things. Surely Suarez didn't bite someone again? I'm genuinely gutted. I love watching him play more than any other player but he obviously can't con- trol himself." Suarez seems to be biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini Suarez bites Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic Suarez bites PSV Eindhoven's Otvam Bakkal