Bryan Ruiz headed home the only goal of the game as Costa Rica stunned Italy 1-0 and booked their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup with a game to spare.
Few would have given Jose Luis Pinto’s side any hope of reaching the knockout stages prior to the start of the Brazil showpiece.
But, after stunning Uruguay 3-1 in their opening Group D encounter last Saturday, Costa Rica produced another fantastic performance to progress from the group phase of a World Cup for only the second time.
Friday’s game was settled in the 44th minute as Ruiz’s header ensured that England will be heading home early following a 2-1 loss to Uruguay on Thursday.
A below-par Italy now face the prospect of a mouth-watering showdown with Uruguay next Tuesday to determine who will be the other qualifier from Group D.
Costa Rica started brightly and came close after just six minutes when defender Celso Borges headed narrowly over the crossbar from a corner.
But, despite enjoying the better of the opening exchanges, they were unable to really test goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was restored to the starting XI after missing the 2-1 win over England due to an ankle injury.
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