Costa Rica and Greece, two teams that very few would have picked to be at this stage, locks horns in a "one more win and we are in the quarterfinals of the World Cup" battle in Recife on Sunday.
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The game is set for a 5 pm local time (1.30 am IST, 9 pm BST, 4 pm ET) start, with live telecast on Sony Six in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online in India HERE. Catch the game in Australia HERE, while South Africa viewers can do so HERE. Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can live stream the match HERE. Viewers in the US can catch the action on ESPN and ABC, with the option to live stream the game HERE or HERE. UK viewers can catch the action in BBC and ITV while the matches can also be live streamed HERE or HERE.
The two teams have reached the last 16 in contrasting fashion, with Costa Rica showing their prowess in the Group of Death to not only qualify, but qualify as the winners. Finishing first meant they avoided the dangerous Colombia in the pre-quarterfinals, with Greece looking like a much easier proposition.
Costa Rica got off to the most brilliant of starts in this World Cup, outclassing Uruguay with some brilliant attacking play. They then showed they can defend when needed as well, beating Italy 1-0, before a goalless draw against England ensured top place in Group D.
Jorge Luis Pinto's side have shown they can do both aspects of the game quite well, and Greece will be up against a team with sky high confidence couple with some tremendous team spirit and ability.
"We are really doing our job, we're writing history of football for our country," Pinto said on Saturday. "We want to do things well. We know that Costa Rica is enjoying this to the maximum.
"We came here with the tag of dark horses, and we've surprised the world," the 61-year-old said. "Since we came here we've trusted in ourselves, we have no ceiling for our performance. I can't tell you how far we're going to go, but we want to go as far as possible."
Costa Rica, if they beat Greece will most likely face the Netherlands, if they get the better of Mexico as expected. Costa Rica are unlikely to be the favourites in the quarterfinals, no matter the opponents, but Pinto insisted they go in as the underdogs for this round of 16 tie against despite being the group winners.
"We're not favourites, we're going to face off against a great team," Pinto said. "Greece is a great team, and they have the merits to go further. We will give Greece all they respect they deserve."
Greece were not looking like they were even going to make it to this stage with one minute to go in their group campaign, before a Giorgios Samaras fall inside the box and conversion of the ensuing penalty gave them a dramatic win over the Ivory Coast.
The European side have not exactly been the most impressive of sides in this tournament, unlike Costa Rica. They made it to the last 16 by the skin of their teeth, and despite scoring just two goals in three games, with both of those goals coming in that 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast.
However, in that final group game, they did show their attacking prowess and they were undoubtedly the deserved winners. If Greece can be a little more proactive going forward, rather than battening down the hatches all the time, they might find a little more success.
It's all well and good to take the Euro 2004 route, but as Fernando Santos has insisted, even if proof of that came about only in the final game, this Greece side do have an attacking level as well.
"After the group stage, it is an opportunity to rewrite history," Greece coach Santos said. "There have only been eight winners [of the World Cup], but this is an excellent opportunity to go on and continue to enjoy playing in this unique tournament.
"There is no pressure. There was pressure in the group stage when our objective was to qualify for the last-16. Of course we cannot be complacent. It is a huge opportunity for the country and we want to qualify and be among the top eight teams in the world.
"We will have to play even better than we did against Ivory Coast. They are very well-structured and have good tactics -- they are a real team in every sense. But we have as good a chance to qualify as them."
Team news: Costa Rica: Pinto does not have any injury worries, with Michael Umana and Christian Bolanos expected to return to the starting lineup after sitting out the England game.
Greece: Skipper Kostas Katsouranis is available for selection after serving a one-match suspension, but playmaker Panagiotis Kone is a major doubt through injury. Goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, though is expected to lineup after coming through a knock.
Expected lineups: Costa Rica: Navas; Gamboa, Duarte, Gonzalez, Umana, Diaz; Ruiz, Borges, Tejeda, Bolanos; Campbell.
Greece: Karnezis; Torosidis, Manolas, Papastathopoulos, Cholevas; Maniatis, Katsouranis, Christodoulopoulos, Samaras, Salpingidis; Mitroglou.
Prediction: 2-0 to Costa Rica
