Go
alkeeper Keylor Navas was Costa Rica‘s hero as his penalty shoot-out save put ten-man Costa Rica into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time after a 1-1 draw in extra time against Greece in Recife.
Los Ticos will face Netherlands in the last eight following a hard-earned shoot-out win at the end of a tense, cagey match between two of the surprise qualifiers for the knockout phase.
Bryan Ruiz scored seven minutes into the second half when he spotted Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis out of position and simply side-footed the ball into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.
Oscar Duarte was then sent off 14 minutes later for a second yellow card – a decision he accepted without a murmur – but the Central American side appeared to have held on until Greek defender Sokratis chose the perfect moment to score his maiden international goal, an equaliser shinned into the goal from a rebound in injury time.
Only a fine save from Navas prevented Greece from pinching it at the death – and Navas was again the hero with a brilliant save from Theofanis Gekas in an otherwise-perfect shootout, with Michael Umana converting Costa Rica’s fifth penalty to put his side into the last eight.
