Match 52: Costa Rica in first ever World Cup quarterfinal after historic penalty win over Greece

Costa Rica's defender Michael Umana on Sunday scores the winning 5-3 penalty during the shootout against Greece

Michael Umana scored the final winning penalty after Theofanis Gekas missed the fourth penalty for Greece with the scores at 4—3.

Costa Rica reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time in its history after a dramatic 5—3 penalty shoot-out win over Costa Rica on Sunday.

The game had ended 1—1 after extra time and the victory on penalties sets up Costa Rica to play The Netherlands on June 5 in Salvador for a place in the semi—finals. Michael Umana scored the final winning penalty after Theofanis Gekas missed the fourth penalty for Greece with the scores at 4—3. Both teams were trying to reach the quarter—finals for the first time in their history. But with the defences dominating for both the teams, the first half was a cagey affair with only two attempts on goal — both from Greece.

Costa Rica’s best chance in the first half fell to Christian Bolanos in the 8th minute. But after Joel Campbell played him in, the Tico midfielder blasted high and wide from 12 metres out when he should have tested the keeper.

The first shot on target came in the 29th minute when Georgios Karagounis shot tamely from distance straight into the arms of Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas. Navas had to work harder to keep out the second and last goal—bound attempt of the half in the 42nd minute. Jose Cholevas sent in a raking cross from the left to the far post where Dimitrios Salpingidis met it perfectly, but Navas managed to stick out a leg and turn it around the post for a corner.

The referee blew for half—time a few minutes later, and for one of the only times in this World Cup the 41,000—plus crowd booed and howled as the players left the field to show their frustration at the lack of attacking verve.

As the second half got underway the crowd reignited their enthusiasm for the Latin American team with chants of “Ticos, Ticos.” Greece were still on the front foot, with Georgios Samaras testing Navas with a header from a free kick.

But Costa Rica took the lead in the 53rd minute with its first goal—bound shot of the entire game. Bolanos passed the ball across the edge of the penalty box and the Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz swept a sweet left—footed shot first—time into the corner of the Greek goal.

Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas makes a save off Greece's Fanis Gekas during the penalty shoot-out, giving his team the critical 4-3 lead.

The goal seemed to invigorate the Ticos, who previously had shown little of the dynamism that had made them one of the World Cup’s surprise teams with well-deserved victories over Uruguay and Italy to top a that also included England. From a deep cross two minutes later Vasileois Torisidis was lucky not to concede a penalty when the referee missed his handball while clearing the danger.

Greece failed to seriously threaten the Tico goal even after defender Oscar Duarte was dismissed in the 66th minute after receiving a second yellow card for tripping a Lazaros Christodoulopoulos.

Despite losing Duarte soon after the goal, Costa Rica remained compact and well-organised, succeeding in keeping a frustrated Greek team to a minimum of chances.

Playing with 10 men Costa Rica pulled Ruiz back into midfield leaving Joel Campbell as a lone striker.

Navas was called into action in the 71st minute when he had to claw away a Samaras cross as two Greek attackers rushed in to his far post. Minutes earlier Dimitrios Salpingidis headed tamely wide when he at least should have hit the target.

With three minutes left on the clock Navas dived into a bunch of players to come out with the ball when it seemed that a Greek attacker was sure to poke it goal ward. It was not until the first minute of injury time that Greece equalised with Sokratis tapping home after the ball came out to him from a Navas save.

Greece then went for the kill, with a looping header from Motroglou forcing Navas to tip over acrobatically.

Extra time started with a Greek cross that luckily deflected into Navas’s hands as the strain of playing with 10 men began to tell.

Greece was repeatedly breaking into the Tico area, but fell short on the last pass.

It looked only a matter of time till the Greeks scored, with a shot count of 20 to Costa Rica’s four. Randall Brenes did go close for Costa Rica in the 106th minute, but by now an exhausted Costa Rica was just trying to hang on for penalties. They almost came undone when they advanced for a corner in the 112th minute, which allowed Greece to break. But with a three—man advantage Christodoulopoulos shot straight at Navas when a pass would have been a much better option. Mitroglou had a golden chance to win it in stoppage time but Navas rushed out to block him, deflecting the ball for a corner and setting up a penalty shoot—out.

Match 40: Late penalty gives Greece win

Greece's midfielder Andreas Samaris kicks the ball to score a goal during the Group C football against Ivory Coast

Greece advance to the knock-out stages of the World Cup for the first time by beating Ivory Coast 2—1 in Group C.

Greece advance to the knock-out stages of the World Cup for the first time by beating Ivory Coast 2—1 in Group C.

Georgios Samaras converted a penalty three minutes into injury time to give Greece the victory and the spot in the last 16, where they will play Group D winners Costa Rica.

Andreas Samaris scored the Greeks’ first goal of the tournament in the 42nd minute before Wilfried Bony equalised in the 74th minute — a result which would have sent the Africans to the knockout stages for the first time.

The Europeans fought back to win and jump into second place in Group C behind Colombia with four points. Ivory Coast had three points.

Match 23: Greece, Japan Play To Scoreless Draw

Both Japan and Greece picked up their first point and can still qualify from Group C, although they must win their final matches to do so.

Colombia qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 24 years after Japan and 10-man Greece played out a dire 0-0 draw in Natal on Thursday.

Japan failed to take advantage of the Greeks being reduced to 10 men from the 38th minute when captain Konstantinos Katsouranis was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Both sides picked up their first point and can still qualify from Group C, although they must win their final matches to do so.

Greece will play Ivory Coast, who are on three points, in their final match while Japan tackle Colombia, who have a perfect six points.

Japan winger Shinji Kagawa's terrible year continued as after a miserable season with Manchester United Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni dropped him to the bench after a poor showing against Ivory Coast.

Japan controlled affairs in the first-half thanks to the surging runs of left-back Yuto Nagatomo and the tight, short passing of a potent midfield being marshalled superbly by Keisuke Honda.

Greece's chances of taking something from the game lessened dramatically during a disastrous five minutes in the first-half.

First leading striker Kostas Mitroglou's injury nightmare, which saw him barely play a game for Fulham after a multi-million pound move in January, continued as he hobbled off in the 35th minute.

Three minutes later he was followed by his captain Katsouranis, though for a less commendable reason as he was sent for an early shower after being booked for a second time in the game.

Greece coach Fernando Santos reacted to Katsouranis's red card by turning to the experience of substitute Georgios Karagounis, Greece's most capped player of all time, and sacrificing Genoa midfielder Ioannis Fetfatzidis.

Greece, though, have shown that they are never more dangerous than when their backs are against the wall and soon after they produced their best chance of the half, Vasilios Torosidis stinging the palms of Eiji Kawashima with a fierce drive from the right of the area.

Zaccheroni eventually sent on Kagawa on 57 minutes as Greece appeared to be comfortably holding their opponents.

Greece, however, again came closest to breaking the deadlock as Kawashima did brilliantly to get down and turn away for a corner a header from Theofanis Gekas.

Japan found their rhythm again and carved out a fine opportunity when Kagawa sighted Atsuto Uchida ghosting in deep on the right, but after the defender's delivery across goal Yoshito Okubo could only splice wide from a tight angle.

A Nagatomo delivery then caused confusion in the Greek box, but Uchida spurned another chance with a sliding effort that was just off target.

A speculative 30-metre drive from Okubo forced Orestis Karnezis to parry on 77 minutes and Japan's final chance fell to Yasuhito Endo in the 90th minute when a free kick was awarded on the edge of the area, but the midfielder's curling effort was parried to safety by Karnezis at his far post.

Match 5: Colombia crushed Greece by 3-0

SETTING THE BALL ROLLING: Pablo Armero's early strike pushed Greece onto the backfoot right from the word go

Making a grand return to the World Cup after 16 long years, an attacking Colombia recorded its best ever win in the finals as it outclassed Greece 3-0 in a Group C match at Estadio Mineirao, here on Saturday.

A fifth-minute goal by defender Pablo Armero set the ball rolling for Colombia and then Teofilo Gutierrez scored his first World Cup finals goal in the 58th minute to leave Greece with a daunting task to save the game.

Adding insult to injury, young talent James Rodriguez netted in stoppage time for a superb finish to the contest, which Colombia dominated for most part.

The South Americans were missing star striker Radamel Falcao and centre-back Luis Perea from their ranks due to injuries but that did not stop them from playing their brand of game.

Fast game

The Colombians played at a good pace and unsettled Greece with an early goal through Armero. It was a risky ploy to push the full-backs up, but it paid off.

Juan Cuadrado set it up for Colombia as he showed great skills in dribbling past a Greek defender and feeding a low ball in front of the post for Armero, who slammed it in to spark celebration.

It was only the second international goal for the 27-year-old Armero.

Conceding an early goal was a worry for Greece, a side which had only 12 goals from 10 games during qualification.

Greece struggled to find an answer to Colombia’s tactics but gradually made it a contest with several raids. It had the opportunity to get the equaliser in the 28th minute when Dimitrios Salpingidis tackled his marker to send a cross into the area, but Panagiotis Kone’s shot went over the bar.

Three minutes later, Georgios Samaras darted towards the area from the left, got himself into a good position to aim at the post, but his strike was collected safely by Colombia’s goalkeeper David Ospina. Colombia kept the lead intact, going into the break. The second half, after a sedate start, produced scintillating stuff from both sides, but the day belonged to Colombia as it doubled the lead in the 58th minute through centre-half Gutierrez but Greece failed to grab the chances.

James Rodriguez sent the ball into the box, Abel Aguilar flicked it and Gutierrez slotted home the deflection from close range.

Missed chance

Greece did not help its cause by missing the easiest of opportunities to reduce the margin when Vasilis Torosidis volleyed a ball into the area but Theofanis Gekas’s header bounced off the underside of the crossbar.

The game slowed a bit with Greece almost having given up.

In a fantastic finish for Colombia, Juan Cuadrado ran forward into the box after a free-kick. Rodriguez found the ball and slammed a left-footer in to complete the grand win.