BRAZIL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Costa Rica thinking big before World Cup clash with Greece

Record ID: 567118

  • Title: BRAZIL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Costa Rica thinking big before World Cup clash with Greece
  • Date: 28th June 2014
  • Summary: TRAINING CENTRE WILSON CAMPUS, GUARIBARA, RECIFE, BRAZIL (JUNE 28, 2014) (REUTERS) COSTA RICA PLAYERS WALKING ON TRAINING PITCH COSTA RICA STRIKER BRYAN RUIZ (WEARING GOALKEEPING GLOVES) WALKING ON TRAINING PITCH COSTA RICA COACH, LUIS PINTO WALKING WITH CLIPBOARD
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABHEE9T4YY427PPX9CC53EYM08
  • Story Text: Costa Rica have every intention of continuing to gatecrash the World Cup party when they take on Greece in the last-16 on Sunday (June 29), coach Jorge Luis Pinto said in the Pernambuco arena of World Cup host city Recife on Saturday (June 28).
    Pinto's unbeaten Ticos can become the first Costa Rican side to make the quarter-finals of the World Cup with another victory at the Pernambuco arena. Their previous visit ended in a 1-0 win over Italy, putting them on the road to finish surprise Group D winners.
    "I think it is going to be very important and we are really doing our job, we are writing history in football for our country and we want to do things well and we know that Costa Rica is enjoying this to the maximum and this is the most important thing. We are concentrated on the work we do here, we want to do things right and the country will certainly be enjoying all the way to the last minute," said midfielder Michael Barrantes.
    Pinto said Costa Rica had come with the tag of 'dark horse' and surprised the world because the team trusted in themselves.
    Barrantes, who has been restricted to two substitute appearances in Brazil, says the atmosphere in the squad is good, even among those who have yeat to feature in the tournament.
    He said the team was confident but not complacent.
    "The team is cool and calm, relaxed, but it's not the kind of relaxation that says 'we've made it' - we are really concentrating on achieving our goal."
    Despite seeing off three former world champions to top Group D, coach Pinto claimed that his side will not be favourites against 2004 European champions Greece, the only side to qualify for the knockout stage with a negative goal difference.
    "Greece has performed well in Europe. They have won in the European cup in 2004 and I think they have had a good and solid structure. They come out well onto the pitch, they are aggressive and it is a team with great technical capacities. And no we are not going to change our structure," said Pinto.
    The Colombian-born Costa Rica coach brushed off suggestions that he had already made plans to stay in Brazil until the weekend of the final and third-place playoff, saying that instead he was concentrating on the task of beating Greece.
    "Think big," he told reporters with a flicker of a smile. "Be realistic, but think big."
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