World Cup

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Attendance: 41,242

World Cup | Round of 16

Jun 29, 2014 at 9pm UK

Costa Rica
1-1
Greece

Ruiz (52')
Duarte (66')

FT
(aet)

Papastathopoulos (90+1')

Costa Rica win 5-3 on penalties

Jorge Luis Pinto: 'Our penalties were perfect'

By Simon Sinclair, Reporter

Published: June 30 2014 | 03:50

Last updated: June 30 2014 | 23:25

Costa Rica boss Jorge Luis Pinto praises the quality of his side's penalties and keeper Keylor Navas in his side's victory over Greece in the last 16 of the World Cup.

Costa Rica boss Jorge Luis Pinto has hailed his side's penalty takers and keeper Keylor Navas in his team's second-round win over Greece at the World Cup.

Pinto's men led late in normal time before Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored a 90th-minute equaliser to take the game into extra time before penalties ensued.

All of Costa Rica's penalty takers found the net as Michael Umana scored the winning kick after Navas made a brilliant stop to deny Theofanis Gekas to seal their place in the last eight.

Pinto told reporters: "This is a big, big result. Words can't describe how I feel right now. It's never easy playing with ten men, and even less so against opponents like that in a World Cup match.

"We looked secure throughout the game, and we were full of confidence in the shoot-out, and that goes for the goalkeeper, who was amazing, and the penalty takers, who were just perfect.

"I'll say it again – we're delighted and we'd like to dedicate this win to all the people of Costa Rica. We respect the Netherlands, just as we respect all our rivals, but the story goes on and we're hungry for more."

Costa Rica take on the Netherlands in their quarter-final clash later this week.