World Cup

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Attendance: 58,679

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 14, 2014 at 8pm UK

Uruguay
1-3
Costa Rica

Cavani (24' pen.)
Pereira (90+4')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Campbell (54'), Duarte (57'), Urena (84')

Half-Time Report: Uruguay leading Costa Rica

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 14 June 2014

Uruguay are currently leading Costa Rica 1-0 in tonight's World Cup Group D opener in Fortaleza.

Uruguay have taken a 1-0 lead into the half-time interval against Costa Rica in tonight's World Cup Group D opener in Fortaleza.

Uruguay's forward Edinson Cavani celebrates with his teammate Uruguay's midfielder Cristian Rodriguez after scoring during a Group D football match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June © Getty Images

The game was lively from the start, with both sides probing into the opposition's final third.

La Celeste thought that they were in the lead after 14 minutes when Diego Godin poked the ball into the Costa Rica net from a free kick, but the referee judged the 28-year-old to be offside.

Just a minute later, Edinson Cavani came close for Uruguay after a long free kick from Diego Forlan, but the striker sliced his volley wide after the ball had fallen kindly for him.

Uruguay's defender Diego Lugano falls after being brought down by Costa Rica's defender Junior Diaz during a Group D football match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 14, 2014 © Getty Images

Eventually, the 2010 World Cup semi-finalists broke the deadlock when Diego Lugano was dragged to the ground in the Costa Rica box midway through the first half.

Cavani fired the resulting penalty low to the goalkeeper's left to send the Uruguay fans into raptures.

Edinson Cavani of Uruguay shoots and scores his team's first goal on a penalty kick during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at Castelao on June 14, 2014 © Getty Images

Costa Rica, determined to get back into the game, had several good chances of their own, most notably through Arsenal's Joel Campbell, who fired just over from 30 yards, and Giancarlo Gonzalez, who couldn't quite stretch enough to head the ball in at the back post from Bryan Ruiz's corner.

However, the Celeste nearly doubled their lead right at the end of the half when Forlan sent a ball looping towards goal, only for Keylor Navas to recover and tip the ball acrobatically over the post.