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Attendance: 40,285
Italy national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 20, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Costa Rica national football team

0-1

FT(HT: 0-1)
Ruiz (44')

Cesare Prandelli: 'Italy deserved Costa Rica defeat'

Italy manager Cesare Prandelli admits that his side deserved to lose their World Cup Group D match against Costa Rica.

Italy manager Cesare Prandelli has admitted that his side deserved to lose their World Cup Group D match against Costa Rica.

A first-half goal from Bryan Ruiz gave the Central Americans a 1-0 win that booked their place in the last 16 of the tournament.

The result means that Italy can still progress to the knockout stages if they avoid defeat against Uruguay in their final group match.

Prandelli believes that his side gave everything they could, but could not match the aggressive approach of their opponents.

"It was a defeat where Costa Rica were much more aggressive and played with passion," Prandelli told RAI Sport. "We already knew this was a particularly tough group and that we'd have to gamble our qualification in the last game with Uruguay.

"We thought that we'd find a third midfielder, but never did. If we had scored, then perhaps it would've been a different game, but we deserved this defeat.

"I don't know if we were superficial and it would be a huge mistake if we were. The players ran hard and in these conditions gave all they had."

Italy's defeat in Recife means that England have been knocked out of the tournament.

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Costa Rica players celebrate after Bryan Ruiz scored their team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match against Italy on June, 20, 2014
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Match Analysis: Italy 0-1 Costa Rica
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

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Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

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Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

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Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

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Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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