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The 2018 FIFA World Cup continued on Friday, June 22 afternoon with record champions Brazil needing two added time goals to beat a fighting Costa Rica at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.
As one would expect, Brazil had more of the ball in the first half but they rarely bothered the goal of Keylor Navas with the best chance of the half coming for underdogs Costa Rica as Gamboa found Borges, but with the goal infront of him, his effort went wide of the goal. At the break it was goalless.
At the start of the second session, Brazil upped the tempo with substitute Douglas Costa adding width to the Selecao game. But chances from Gabriel Jesus against the crossbar, Coutinho’s shot and a Neymar shot all didn’t go in.
But Costa Rica recovered their composure with things getting a little rough at both ends. Brazil’s best chance came off a Costa Rica mistake, but Neymar’s curler went just wide of the post.
Then VAR stepped in as referee Kuipers showed to the spot for an alleged foul on Neymar, but after having a look at the video footage, the referee changed his opinion and gave it for Costa Rica and not a penalty for Brazil.
Things got even more chaotic in the final minutes with Costa Rica wanting to play down the clock, while Brazil still tried to score and win. In the first minute of added time, Firmino won a header, Jesus played on and Coutinho put the ball into the net to the big celebrations of the Brazilians and their fans.
Could Costa Rica reply? No as the Brazilians sealed the game in their favour in the seventh minute of added time as Douglas Costa found Neymar and he just had to push the ball in. 2-0 in favour of Brazil, a result which after this match was anything but deserving.
FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 – Group E
Brazil 2-0 (0-0) Costa Rica
Goals: 1-0 Philippe Coutinho (90’+1), 2-0 Neymar (90’+7)
Brazil: Alisson – Fagner, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marcelo – Casemiro – Paulinho (68′ Roberto Firmino), Coutinho – Willian (46′ Douglas Costa), Neymar – Gabriel Jesus (90’+2 Fernandinho)
Subs: Cassio, Ederson, Filipe Luis, Geromel, Marquinhos, Fred, Renato Augusto, Taison
Costa Rica: Navas – Gonzalez, Acosta, O. Duarte – Gamboa (75′ Calvo), Oviedo – Guzman (83′ Tejeda), Borges – Venegas, B. Ruiz – Urena (55′ Bolanos)
Subs: Moreira, Pemberton, Gutierrez, Smith, Waston, Azofeifa, J. Campbell, Colindres, Wallace
Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Man of the Match: Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)
