Having one of the worst teams in the tournament made the group difficult in a different way. Everyone wound up getting 3 points against Cameroun with only two spots to advance to the top 16.
Good Job Mexico. Seriously, you did a lot better than I thought you would. But as you all say there are no Moral Victories. Have fun on the flight home suckers.
Unreal the way Mexico was screwed by that very soft penalty call at the very end. Refs certainly did not do them any favors all along the tournament, they could have faced Chile instead of the Dutch if they had not been robbed of two legit goals against Cameroon.
1) Mexico got away with kicking Robben in the first half. 2) Mexico was lucky to be in this tournament so que sera, sera.
Man, that sucks... I was really looking forward to an all-CONCACAF quaterfinal. At least my hopes of an all-CONCACAF semi are still alive! (Wishful thinking as it may be.) Props to Mexico for another nice tournament, holding the hosts scoreless in particular. 2-1-1 is nothing to be ashamed of, though it definitely stings having been soooo close to the next stage.
Ruiz clinical. Costa Rica man-down since 66' -- but a bit too wasteful with the longballs to nowhere all 2H. Greece one moment of magic AER. Navas made the 1st save, but his defense didn't box out three guys. Costa Rica held out all of ET. Campbell utterly spent, had breakaways and his legs didn't work. Navas huge one more time at 120+2' (of 2'). PKs And Greece must take off 1 PK shooter to equalize numbers ...
Navas bounces a ball (the ball) at 24m arc left. Karnezis wanders over for a chat. By rule, everybody else must be in center circle. Costa Rica shoots first. 1 | 1 _ _ _ _ #5 Celso Borges, right instep, rising rocket into center back high (Karnezis dove right) 1 | 1 _ _ _ _ #9 Kostas Mitroglou, left instep, short approach -- opens hips, softly lifts into back left 1/4 high (Navas dove wrong) 2 | 1 1 _ _ _ #10 Bryan Ruiz, left instep, rising into 1/3 right high (Karnezis dove left) 2 | 1 1 _ _ _ #16 Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, soft pass into back right low (Navas dove wrong)
3 | 1 1 1 _ _ #3 Giancarlo González, right instep into right (Karnezis dove wrong) 3 | 1 1 1 _ _ #20 José Cholevas 4 | 1 1 1 1 _ #9 Joel Campbell, left instep, waits for dive wrong, soft bend into back left 3 | 1 1 1 0 _ #17 Theofanis Gekas, right instep to left post 1/3 high, Navas dives and saves 5 | 1 1 1 1 1 #4 Michael Umaña, right instep lifts to upper back left (Karnezis didn't matter) 3 | 1 1 1 0 ~
That game gave me a heart problems xD congrats Ticos, now show the world what you got vs. Netherlands!
I don't see why it should matter if the teams have an unequal number of players taking penalty kicks, although it's a moot point unless it goes to 11 shooters each. Congratulations to Costa Rica.