World Cup 2014: All you need to know about giant-killing Costa Rica

June 21, 2014

Rio de Janeiro, Jun 21: When Group D earned the moniker of the Group of Death the 2014 World Cup, nobody gave a thought to little Costa Rica. They were assumed to be collateral damage as the three former champions in the group – Italy, England and Uruguay - did battle for the right to progress to the second round.

costa ricaExcept someone forget to tell Costa Rica they should just lie down and play dead. The Central American team that could made sure the group lived up to its moniker by beating Uruguay and Italy to go through to the knockouts for only the second time in its history. That means England is already out of the tournament and either Italy or Uruguay will soon follow.

Here are 10 things you need to know about the Costa Rican football team:

- Costa Rica were ranked 28th in the world coming into the tournament. Their three opponents in the group are all ranked in the top 10.

- They finished second in their qualifying group for the 2014 World Cup behind the United States.

- Costa Rica last made the second round in 1990, the year they qualified for the World Cup for the first time. This is the team’s fourth World Cup, which makes them the most successful team from Central America.

- Costa Rica is also the first Central American team to win a game at the World Cup, beating Scotland 1-0 in 1990. They finished second in their group behind Brazil that year before losing to Czechoslovakia in the round of 16.

- Costa Rica is the third most successful team in the CONCACAF region, after Mexico and the United States. They have won the CONCACAF tournament three times –1963, 1969 and 1989.

- According to the International Business Times, the total market value of the Costa Rican team is 32 million euros, ranking them 29th out of the 32 teams in the World Cup. In comparison, Italy’s market value is 350 euros, England’s is 362 million euros and Uruguay’s 236 million euros. Clearly, money doesn’t always buy better football.

- Joel Campbell, who is on contract at Arsenal, is the only Costa Rican player in any of Europe’s top five leagues. Bryan Ruiz, who scored the winner against Italy, used to play for Fulham but is now with PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie

- The foundation of Jorge Luis Pinto’s side is a stingy back line. Costa Rica have conceded just seven goals in their qualifying campaign. They have conceded just one in two games so far in this World Cup.

- Costa Rica finished 31st out of 32 teams in the 2006 World Cup, the last time they played in the tournament.

- This is Columbian coach Pinto’s second spell with Costa Rica. He coached them the first time in 2004-05, with much less success.

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June 9,2020

Jun 9: Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy has released a video, alleging racism within the SunRisers Hyderabad camp. Last week, Sammy had lost his cool after learning the meaning of the word "Kalu", which he alleged was directed at him during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the SunRisers Hyderabad. The T20 World Cup-winning Windies skipper had said that he along with Sri Lanka player Thisara Perera were sometimes called that word when they played for SunRisers Hyderabad. However, Sammy did not specify as to who directed these slurs at him, but now the player has released a video, saying he will message all those who called him that word.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn''t know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

"Now, I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or form? I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to you call me with that word, think about it, let's have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed," he added.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

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June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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April 5,2020

New Delhi, April 5: England batsman James Vince lashed out at people for not taking proper measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and said people are going out as if "everything is normal".

"Just seen the pictures of people out and about today as if everything is normal. What selfish people, surely by now they've realised this is serious. Well done to everyone who's doing their bit and staying in," Vince tweeted.

On March 13, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Europe was now the 'epicentre' of the disease.

The death toll due to the novel coronavirus in the UK has exceeded 4,313 with at least 708 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the largest one-day rise since the start of the outbreak as confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The total number of cases in the UK as on Saturday is 41,903, a rise of 3,735 cases in the last 24 hours.

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