Suárez Makes Heroic Victory For Uruguay Meanwhile Costa Rica Surprises Italy And Qualifies First!

Just weeks after undergoing knee surgery, Luis Suarez scored both of Uruguay's goals here Thursday in a 2-1 victory over England.

The result leaves Uruguay with three points after two matches and a chance of advancing to the knockout stage.

The "dual of the desperate" between England and Uruguay unfolded in front of 62,572 spectators - including some 20,000 Uruguayans - at São Paulo's Arena Corinthians.

England had the better of the play for long periods in the first half, but were unable to finish.

The best chance belonged to Wayne Rooney, an accomplished scorer for Manchester United in the Premier League and England international since 2006 who came into Thursday's contest with no goals in World Cup play.

Rooney's thundering shot after teammate Danny Welbeck was fouled sailed less than three feet over the top of the net.

 Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge also had opportunities, yet it was Uruguay who struck first, on Suarez's header in the 39th minute off a beautiful ball from Edinson Cavani.

The South Americans dominated for the first 20 minutes or so of the second half, though to no avail, as both Suarez and Cavani squandered chances to double the lead.

England regrouped and began applying pressure. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera needed cat-like reflexes to turn aside a point-blank shot from Rooney.

 The Man United stalwart would get another chance, however, and this time, he made no mistake, hammering the ball past Muslera at the 75-minute mark.

The sides traded blows, but the English had the edge and Muslera was tested by a shot from Sturridge, Suarez's Liverpool teammate and partner in the Premier League's most potent offensive.

Who else but Suarez to deliver the win for Uruguay, taking advantage of a defensive miscue to make it 2-1 in the 85th minute

Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process.

Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz gave his side the lead in the 44th minute, heading in off the underside of the crossbar following a cross from Junior Diaz. Goal-line technology was used to show that the ball bounced down and in after hitting the bar.

There was a frenetic end to the first half, as moments before Ruiz’s goal Costa Rica had a penalty appeal waved away when striker Joel Campbell was bundled over by Giorgio Chiellini.

Costa Rica leads Group D with six points, while Italy and Uruguay have three each before Tuesday’s showdown. England has zero points after losing to Italy and Uruguay.

So after entering the tournament as an expected underdog in a group featuring three former world champions, Costa Rica is now on top.

“Maybe there are a lot of people who didn’t have faith in us because we were in the ‘Group of Death.’ But the dead are the other ones and we’re going to the next round,” Ruiz said.

Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto was on the same wavelength.

“We have played a historic team. They’re really good,” he said. “They have wonderful players so, of course, we feel really proud. Our team feels proud, our country feels proud. We want to go even farther.”

"La Celeste" Makes a Stand This Thursday Against The British, After Falling 3-1 At The Hands of Costa Rica

Uruguay defender Diego Lugano has described the Group D meeting with England on Thursday as 'life or death'

Still smarting from a shock opening defeat, Uruguay’s coach and captain said on Monday they were working on how to annul England’s speedy strikers in a “life-or-death” Group D clash.

Although the 2010 World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay were surprisingly beaten 3-1 by Costa Rica on Saturday, many considered England hard done by in a 2-1 defeat by Italy after one of their best attacking performances under Roy Hodgson.

“England deserved better luck,” Uruguay’s coach, Óscar Tabárez, said after a training session at the team’s hotel in rolling countryside outside the town of Sete Lagoas.

“The English attackers showed their great technical potential. They’re fast in decision-making and running. We have to limit them, because they are going to repeat that offensive style against us,” he added.

Also known for their attacking prowess, Tabárez declined to confirm if striker Luis Suárez would start against England. The Liverpool forward has recovered from knee cartilage surgery but is short of match fitness and practice.

“It’s a possibility he will play, I can’t say more,” said Tabárez , known as El Maestro or “the Teacher” at home.

“It’s a tough game but not impossible. We need a victory in order to progress, they do too.”

Uruguay’s captain, the defender Diego Lugano, familiar with the English style from the Premier League where he plays for West Bromwich Albion, said the team was doubly motivated after their disappointing debut.

“It’s life or death on Thursday. We’re up against two of the best in the world now [England and Italy]. It’s an enormous challenge,” said Lugano, a veteran of the 2010 finals in South Africa where Uruguay finished in fourth place.

Expected to breeze past Costa Rica, the South Americans were devastated after their capitulation.

“We were annoyed, furious, disappointed,” Lugano said. “But you have to be mature and understand this is football, mistakes cost you hard. Now we’re united again. Our faith is intact. 

We mustn’t lose our heads, lose our way. We must keep having fun and dreaming.”

England will be hoping the scintillating Suárez does not make it for Thursday, but even without him Uruguay have another of the world’s best strikers, Edinson Cavani, at their disposal.

“We hope Luis is fine and plays but if not, then it’s up to the rest of us,” Lugano said. “The English players are fast and strong. That demands a lot of the defenders. It’s not going to be easy. We have to improve.”