Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Italy 0-1 Costa Rica: England are next challengers

20 June 2014 | by Paul Brown | Match Reports

Costa Rica successfully defended the UFWC title with this impressive victory over Italy. Temperatures hit the high 20s celsius during what was a 1pm kick-off at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, in the north-east of Brazil. Italy boss Cesare Prandelli had called ahead of the game for water breaks, and without them his team visibly wilted in the heat. Unsurprisingly, Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto went with the same team that had taken the UFWC title from Uruguay in a 3-1 win on Saturday, playing a 5-4-1 formation, with Joel Campbell as a lone striker.

Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica: Costa Rica take title, Italy await

14 June 2014 | by Paul Brown | Match Reports

Costa Rica pulled off a major shock in the heat of Fortaleza to take the UFWC title from Uruguay with an excellent 3-1 win, inspired by Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell. The new Unofficial Football World Champions will face Italy in another title match on Friday. This was actually Costa Rica’s sixth UFWC title match victory, although their first since 1963. They were ranked 29th by FIFA going into this tournament, compared to Urugauy’s 7th. Brazil 2014 is the 12th World Cup Finals at which the UFWC title has been contested.

Enjoy the World Cup – except when you play against us!

12 June 2014 | by Michael Hudson | Features

While the public mood is muted in Argentina and one of building resentment in Sao Paulo, enthusiasm for the forthcoming World Cup is bubbling on the streets of Montevideo, capital city of reigning Unofficial Football World Champions Uruguay. ‘Welcome! Enjoy the World Cup – except when you play against us,’ a friendly customs officer greeted me at Colonia del Sacramento, an hour-long ferry ride from Buenos Aires. Two-time winners of FIFA’s showcase competition, Uruguayan fans on Montevideo’s main boulevard, the Avenida 18 de Julio, described a draw which places La Celeste in the same group as England, Italy and Costa Rica as ‘both a dream and a nightmare’.