Costa Rica qualify from Group D with 1-0 win over Italy

The game in Recife was decided by captain Bryan Ruiz, who headed in a wonderful Junior Diaz cross from the left to beat Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon in the dying minutes of the first half. The ball bounced off the crossbar and out, but FIFA's goal-line technology confirmed it had crossed the line.

Italy, whose performance was well below par compared to their opening 2-1 win against England, now need to avoid defeat against Uruguay to avoid going home.

Costa Rica, on the other hand, take on England in their final Group D game without too much pressure. Indeed, they may well end up topping the so-called Group of Death with a win on Tuesday in Belo Horizonte.

"We'll let the world know that we are here," defender Giancarlo Gonzalez had said on the eve of Friday's match. And the Latin Americans certainly showed no deference towards the four-time world champions at the Arena Pernambuco stadium.

Italy, for their part, were going for a win knowing that their final game against Uruguay could be no easy matter after the return of Luis Suarez, the England slayer.

Perhaps wary of the heat, the game was played amid temperatures of 29 degrees and 70 per cent humidity, and with only the occasional cloud providing partial relief, both sides had a slow start to the game.

Italy's strategy during the first half appeared to consist mostly of retaining possession and then trying to surprise the opposition with deep balls to Mario Balotelli, the lone striker.

Costa Rica were content to sit back and try the occasional sting with Arsenal striker Joel Campbell.

For the first 30 minutes, the game was evenly matched, with just a Celso Borges header drifting over the crossbar in the 7th minute and Thiago Motta firing the ball wide for Italy in the 27th.

Amid scorching temperatures, the players rushed to the sidelines to refresh themselves at the first opportunity. And it was perhaps not a coincidence that Italy suddenly came alive soon after the brief water break.

A delightful ball from Andrea Pirlo left Balotelli alone in front of goal, but the AC Milan striker sent his lobbed ball well wide. Two minutes later, Balotelli had another good opportunity but blasted the ball against keeper Keylor Navas.

Italy were upping the tempo but it was Costa Rica who scored a sensational opener as Ruiz headed home from Diaz's superb left-wing cross.

The Italians had not taken the warning from moments earlier when Campbell had appeared to be bundled over as he surged into the penalty box.

Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli sought to shuffle things around after the break, replacing midfielder Thiago Motta with forward Antonio Cassano. It was then the turn of Lorenzo Insigne to make his World Cup debut, replacing an ineffective Antonio Candreva.

Italy indeed seemed to display more attacking force, with a trademark Pirlo free kick in the 52nd forcing Navas to a difficult save. But there was little more from the lethargic Italians.

Two episodes during the second half summed up what turned out to be a miserable day for them: One came in the 57th, when FC Copenhagen midfielder Christian Bolanos ridiculed the Italian defenders with some clever legwork on the left flank. The second came in the 69th, when a frustrated Balotelli was booked for bringing down Diaz with the ball nowhere near him.

Italy brought on forward Alessio Cerci in an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation, but it was Costa Rica who could remained the more threatening with some good counter-attacks.