Brazil 2014: Costa Rica stuns Uruguay with 3-1 win
By Opeyemi Oladunjoye
Costa Rica stunned Uruguay with a 3-1 win at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza on Saturday, adding to one of the many shocks of the still young world cup.
Second half goals from young starlets, Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte and a sinker from sub Marco Urena cancelled out a first-half penalty which was converted to a goal by Edinson Cavani to deal the South Americans a memorable defeat.
Uruguay were potential title fighters, and are the reigning South American champions. Costa Rica are one of the weaker teams in CONCACAF and had won just three games at this tournament, ever.
”We made mistakes today that we haven’t made for a long time. It’s too early to explain this,” Washington Tabarez said after the match. ”Football means that sometimes you have to lose. You can’t lose heart, you just have to improve.”
Uruguay were without star striker, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, who is still nursing a knee injury. 35-year-old, Diego Forlan – the Golden Ball winner of the 2010 edition of the World Cup and a veteran of this tournament since 2002 – was in the match in his place but without Suarez’s invention, Uruguay looked labored for much of the first half.