Uruguay skipper Diego Godín scored to send Italy crashing out of the World Cup on Tuesday amid a new biting controversy for South American star striker Luis Suárez.
Júnior Díaz set Bryan Ruiz up with an excellent cross. The team captain headed the ball past Italy's keeper, clanging it off the crossbar and just barely across the goal line at the 44th minute. That's all the Ticos would need. Costa Rica closed out Italy in a 1-0 victory.
Italy striker Mario Balotelli joked on Thursday that if his side rescues England's chances of World Cup qualification by beating Costa Rica, he expects a kiss from British monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
Italy go to the World Cup finals looking to equal the record of hosts Brazil and lift the trophy for a fifth time.
With the first Group D game against England and tricky encounters with Uruguay and Costa Rica to follow, Coach Cesare Prandelli still has tough decisions to make.
Costa Rica takes on Paraguay in a crucial World Cup warm-up at 8 p.m. at San José's National Stadium. But before that match could even begin, the three other teams in Costa Rica's World Cup group completed their friendlies today.
