Italy 0-1 Costa Rica: Five talking points

Costa Rica pulled off another shock result, this time defeating Italy 1-0 to qualify from the Group of Death, a group where they were considered to be the punching bags for the other heavyweights.Instead they have landed their own knockout punches by defeating Uruguay and now Italy. In the process they have also eliminated England from thisWorld Cup and are sitting on top of the table with a game in hand.They had another phenomenal performance against the Italians and no one can now question whether they deserve to be in the next round.The defeat makes the next game for Italy against Uruguay a Do or Die battle to join the Los Ticos in the Round of 16.Here are the five major talking points of the game:

#1 Win over Uruguay was no Fluke!

Costa Rica came into the game hoping to get at least a point to ensure that they would be in a position to enter the Round of 16. However, they got all 3 points to be the first team to qualify out of the group of death.

Not many would have even considered Costa Rica getting any results, but the way they have gone about defeating two mighty teams in Uruguay and Italy shows that their journey in Brazil is far from a fluke.

In a World Cup that has been strewn with upsets and surprises, the Los Ticos have presented the best story yet in the tournament. Dogged in defense and a hint of unpredictability while going forward , they have played with discipline and their brand of football that has caught the imagination of everyone.

After these 2 brilliant performances they would be the neutral’s choice to go as far as possible in the tournament.

#2 Los Ticos were irrepressible

Italy came into the game on the back of a comfortable showing against England. However, even in that match there were signs of weakness in the defence and the midfield.

What Costa Rica did tonight against Italians was exactly what the English could not manage the other night. After a slow sluggish start, they hassled and pressed the Italians and never allowed them the room or space to create anything.

This was followed up with continuous waves of counter attacks at breath taking speed. It was their precise passing, organization and commitment that made the difference in the game.

They had also nullified the biggest threat in midfield as Andrea Pirlo apart from a couple of key passes was not influential as he was against the English side.

While going forward they would set up a typical 3-5-2 which enabled a midfield overload and allowed their wingbacks to exploit the space between the Italian midfield and defence which most often got stretched. Whereas while defending they would switch to a 5-4-1 which crowded out any space for Pirlo and co to create anything for Balotelli.

Costa Rica were therefore successful and spot on with their tactics that saw them getting an unfancied win against the European powerhouse.

#3 Where Italy lost the plot

The match was lost in the midfield for the Italians. They were negated to such an extent by the Los Ticos, that even Pirlo could not manage to conjure something magical with his free roaming role in the midfield.

Their first half performance lacked any tempo and was error-prone. The defence looked shaky against the pace and precision of the Costa Rican attackers as well as Christian Bolaños’s dangerous set-piece deliveries.

The team was also not helped by some wasteful finishing by their star forward Mario Balotelli. His best opportunity came in the first half when Pirlo played a perfect ball over the top to Balotelli. However a poor first touch and a miscued effort failed to match the quality of the pass.

He also missed another chance later in the half when shooting on either side of the goalkeeper would have got him his second goal instead he shot straight into the keeper.

Italians managed to control the second half, but such was the organization and commitment of Los Ticos that the Italian attackers were restricted to shots from outside the penalty box. Even a change in formation and presence of 2 forwards didn’t bring a change in the fortunes of the team.

#4 Refereeing decision takes centre stage yet again

With Costa Rica growing more in confidence in the first half, the biggest talking point came in the 42nd minute. From a quick through ball, Joel Campbell found himself free and space to run directly into the Italian half. He ran direct at the Italian back line, spinning two defenders as he went. One of them, Giorgio Chiellini chased and bundled him over as they tracked back. It was a blatant foul and a penalty beckoned.

However, the Chilean referee, Enrique Osses, was the only person inside the stadium who did not think it was a penalty. What should have been a routine call and a bookable offence turned out to be absolutely nothing.

Luckily, Bryan Ruiz scored a couple of minutes later to give Costa Rica the lead, which somewhat eased the pressure on the missed penalty decision. However, the referee was lucky his mistake didn’t turn out to be the game changer.

#5 The Rise of Joel Campbell

A completely unknown entity till now, Joel Campbell has taken the World cup by storm. Although he has just scored a goal against Uruguay, it is this blistering pace, passing and an ability to run defenses ragged that has been pivotal to the Ticos’s success in the two games.

He had destroyed Uruguay and even against a more formidable Italian defense was confident on the ball, playing a succession of smart through balls, running at defenders and caused panic every time he received a pass. He was a constant nemesis even in the second half when the Italians dominated possession.

Aged 21, he can become a star for the future years if he is able to develop more and retain the strengths that he has shown in Brazil this year. Whatever happens from now on it can be safely said a young star has already announced his arrival on the grandest stage of all!