No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeBrazil 2014Greeks won't underestimate Costa Rica

Greeks won’t underestimate Costa Rica

Greece will not take the challenge of Costa Rica lightly when they meet in the second round of the World Cup finals in Recife on Sunday, said coach Fernando Santos after he guided the Greeks to their first ever appearance in the knockout stages.

The 59-year-old Portuguese, who has been at the helm since 2010, said Costa Rica topping what he termed the ‘group of death’ — which saw them beat both Uruguay and Italy and draw with toothless England — meant they were a force to be reckoned with.

Greece’s progress by contrast was not nearly as smooth or impressive with just a penalty in time added on of the second-half seeing them beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and qualify at the Africans’ expense.

However, that could not dilute the joy of Santos and his gritty group of players who yet again had defied the critics in going further than they had been expected to.

“I am delighted first of all that we bring joy to the Greek people,” said Santos.

“We have time to think about the match with Costa Rica. We will go back to our base, think about it and study our opponents.

“We have to pay a lot of attention to this game, they came out top in the ‘Group of Death’. As a result we cannot allow ourself to underestimate them.”

The match comes the day before Santos’ contract runs out and the trained electrical engineer has no intention of having it renewed come what may, although as he joked before the tournament they may have to extend it by a few days as the quarterfinals fall after it.

Santos, who had extensive experience as a club coach in Greece before replacing the Euro 2004 winning handler Otto Rehhagel in 2010, is not so amused by the continuing belief that Greece only know how to defend and hit people with the odd goal.

“I can but laugh as it is a joke. In football one attacks and one defends. We know how to defend well and we are very good on the counterattack.”

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Experiences Moderate Eruption

Guanacaste residents woke up to activity from Rincón de la Vieja volcano yesterday morning. The volcano produced a moderate phreatic eruption at 6:08 a.m....

Costa Rica Peanut Growing Guide From Planting to Harvest

Not long ago, a neighbor gave us some peanuts she said were from Peru. Since we’ve had good luck growing peanuts, we were excited...

Costa Rica Monitors Caribbean Tropical Wave with 70% Storm Chance

Those who live along the Caribbean coast know all too well how quickly weather can turn in October. Right now, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional...

How to Grow Broccoli Successfully in Costa Rica’s Highlands

In Costa Rica's cooler highland regions, home gardeners harvest fresh broccoli that brings a distinct flavor to everyday meals. This vegetable packs vitamins A,...

Venezuela Sloth Rescue Exposes Wildlife Electrocution Crisis

Rescuers in Venezuela recently saved a sloth trapped on electrical lines, a scene that played out on social media and drew attention to a...

Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport Fixes Runway Issues Overnight

Contractors began repairs on the runway at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport this week, focusing on sections that did not meet required standards after...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica