Sports All you need to know about matchday 3: Costa Rica shock Uruguay,England put to size by Italy

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If there is anything the 2014 World Cup has shaped up to be,it is a surprise package that one does not know what to expect inside a box.

Still recovering from the shock of matchday two that saw Holland completely rip off Spain,the events of the third day was even more riveting.

Below are how the games that were played on Saturday panned out across match centres in Brazil,with the exception of Ivory Coast vs Japan played in the early hours of Sunday.


Colombia 3-0 Greece
With star player Radamel Falcao missing out of the tournament with an injury,it was something of an interest to see how Colombia would fare in his absence.

Coach Jose Pekermen's team were menacing with lightning pace and looked a threat whenever they countered.

Colombia opened the scoring early on in the game,with Pablo Armero's strike setting them in motion.

Teofilo Gutierrez got the last touch off a corner kick to make it 2-0 for the South Americans who were then comfortable.

Theofanis Gekas headed Greece's best chance against the bar and Mitroglou would have found the net but for quick intervention off a Colombian defender.

However,Colombia finished up the proceedings when Cuadrado burst to the edge of the penalty area and laid up a pass to the impressive James Rodriguez who made sure it ended in the net.




Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica
The biggest shock of the day,Costa Rica showed that their qualification for the 2014 World Cup was no fluke with the surprise defeat of Uruguay.

Perceived by many as the group of death,it lived up to that billing with the great spectacle it offered spectators.

Prior to the World Cup,Costa Rica was viewed as the whipping boys of group C,but they made mockery of that with the 3-1 win over their South American counterparts.

Having gone in front through an Edison Cavani's well taken penalty,coach Oscar Tabarez's team were left shell-shocked with Costa Rica's play.

Joel Campbell was magnificent on the night and deservedly won the man of the match award.

The Arsenal player was a handful for Uruguay and really troubled them,scoring one of the goals and making another.

Costa Rica scored twice in three minutes through Campbell and defender Oscar Duarte adding the third goal through substitute Marcos Ubreno,latching on to a through ball and sailing it over the onrushing Fernando Muslera to kill off the contest.

Uruguay was frustrated to the point of Maximiliano Pereira committing a reckless foul on Campbell which resulted in him being sent off late on in the game.

Costa Rica now top their group and will now fancy their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition.

How Tabarez will need the services of Luis Suarez now,with the Liverpool player still recovering from an injury,although he could make an appearance against England.


Italy 2-1 England
Once again England fell short on the big stage,and again Italy gets the better of England,makes for a better well planned script.

With so much pressure on Roy Hodgson's young English team,expectations were high on what they can do.

England had so much pacy players on the night,and playing with four attackers, a goal fest was anticipated.

The English team fell behind to a well crafted goal from the Italians,Andrea Pirlo with a clever dummy from a corner kick to leave the ball for Claudio Marchiso who lined up his shot and rifled it beyond Joe Hart for the opener.

England produced an instantaneous reply,Raheem Sterling finding Wayne Rooney in space for the Manchester United striker to cross to an unmarked Daniel Sturridge who tapped in for the equaliser.

Things was levelled up,but a late flourish in the first half for the Italians saw Mario Balotelli's effort headed off the lines by Phil Jagielka.

Italy continued in that momentum into the second half and went back in front through none other than Balotelli who headed in Candreva's pinpoint cross at the near post to beat his former teammate Joe Hart.

Pirlo almost made it three,hitting a free kick that bounced of the bar late on the game,and would have capped uyet another performance that he bossed with a superb goal.

Italy with the win moved into second position on the log,only behind Costa Rica on goals difference.

While England and Uruguay who play each other on Thursday will know a loss in that match all but ends the dreams of either of them.

*Noteworthy in the World Cup so far has been the amount of goals scored so far.
* Averaging four goals per match.
 
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