Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the final Group D clash for both Costa Rica and England as they go head to head in Belo Horizonte. It has been a contrasting tournament so far for both of these teams and, while qualification for the last 16 does not hinge on this match, there is still pride and top spot in the group to fight for. Unfortunately for England fans, there really is only one place to start...

The Three Lions come into this match having seen their World Cup dream last less than 10 days. Defeat to Uruguay, following on from their loss to Italy in the opener, left their ambitions of qualifying hanging by a thread. To become the first team to make it into the knockout rounds having lost their first two group games, England would have needed Italy to win their last two games and to beat Costa Rica today. Of course, that didn't happen, with the Costa Ricans confirming England's exit with a shock win over Italy last Friday.

Expectations were not exactly sky-high going into this tournament, particularly considering England were drawn in the 'Group of Death', but it has still been a disappointing campaign for Roy Hodgson and his side. They can take some solace in the fact that they were not comprehensively beaten by Italy or Uruguay and, on another night, may have actually won both games, but the alarming realisation for the Three Lions is that they simply were not good enough.

The fact that Costa Rica have done so well (more on them later) will make things even worse for England. Man for man, it is fair to say that England have a more talented squad than their opponents tonight, but somehow they have found a way to succeed where England have failed. To be fair to Hodgson, but Uruguay and Italy played far better against his side than they did against Costa Rica, but that will be scant consolation right now.

The main thing for England to fight for now is pride, with no English side ever having returned from a World Cup without a single point to their name. While another defeat tonight would make this mathematically England's worst ever World Cup campaign, in reality there have been some promising signs despite the results. Indeed, it could be argued that there is more cause to optimism from this World Cup than there was from the 2010 event in South Africa.

The youngsters that Roy Hodgson included in his squad have generally done well, with Sterling impressing against Italy and Barkley always looking lively when coming off the bench. I will get to the full team news for both sides shortly, but Hodgson has already confirmed his starting XI for today's game, with nine changes. Shaw and Barkley are among those starters, so we could see a glimpse of England's future here today.

Many of the post-mortems into England's demise at this World Cup have been incredibly damning. It has been described as 'humiliating' and 'embarrassing', despite the Three Lions having come up against two teams ranked higher than them in the FIFA rankings at the moment. A third defeat to what is expected to be an understrength Costa Rican side could warrant such criticism, but performance-wise, if not results-wise, England have not endured a horrendous tournament in Brazil.

Hodgson's eyes seem to be very much on the future, something that was confirmed to a certain extent by the decision to bring Luke Shaw ahead of Ashley Cole. Only six of the 23-man squad had previously travelled to a World Cup, and not many of them are likely to be around next time. Today is likely to be Frank Lampard's last appearance in an England shirt, while there has been intense speculation regarding the future of Steven Gerrard as well.

In contrast to the downcast and disappointed mood in the England camp right now, Costa Rica must be on top of the world. They could not have dreamt that this World Cup would go any better for them so far as they rubbished pre-tournament predictions that they would be the whipping boys of the group with victors over Uruguay and Italy. It really has been an incredible campaign for them so far.

What's more, they've actually deserved both wins so far. They went behind against Uruguay and, at that stage, very few people gave them a chance. However, they rallied in the second half and scored three good goals to cruise to a 3-1 victory in the end. Admittedly, Uruguay were without Luis Suarez on that occasion, but Costa Rica proved that they can cope with world-class players by stifling the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli in a 1-0 win over Italy.

There have been many fascinating stories at what has been a magnificent World Cup so far, but Costa Rica's progression is certainly up there with Spain's early exit as the shock of the tournament so far. How much further the Central Americans can go remains to be seen, but it is no exaggeration to say that they have been among the most impressive teams in the competition so far. If they can deservedly beat Uruguay and Italy, whose to say that they can't make it into the latter stages?

A lot will depend on whether or not they can maintain their consistency, and the opportunity to rest players today should help keep the squad fresh for the knockout rounds. They are into uncharted territory now, however, having never won three consecutive World Cup matches. Indeed, the first time that they had won back-to-back games in this tournament came on Friday with the win over Italy.

They have made it into the knockout rounds of the World Cup once before, but that came way back at Italia 90, 24 years ago. Their opponents in the last 16 will be confirmed later today when Group C reaches its conclusion, but the most likely scenario will see Costa Rica top their group and Ivory Coast come second in theirs. Given their performances in the tournament so far, the Central Americans will fancy their chances of winning that one and booking a place in the quarters.

What makes their success at this World Cup even more remarkable is that fact that they were drawn in a group with three former winners - the first nation to ever be confronted with that formidable task. They have already become the third non-European nation - after Brazil and Argentina - to beat two former winners in one World Cup campaign, and they could well make it three out of three this afternoon.

You certainly wouldn't bet against it considering their performances so far in Brazil. England would have viewed this match as their most likely source of a victory in the group, but Costa Rica have already shown that it is very dangerous to underestimate them. However, the Central Americans are in a rather unfamiliar position of coming into this match with a fair few people expecting them to come away with something. How will they respond to not being huge underdogs for once?

I mentioned earlier that Roy Hodgson had confirmed his side for this match yesterday, but the news for Costa Rica is now out as well. Let's take a look at who will be on show for both teams...

TEAM NEWS: Well, Jorge Luis Pinto has sprung something of a surprise by naming a strong team for this match. Indeed, there are only two changes to the team that beat Italy, with Miller and Brenes coming in for Umana and Bolanos. That means that Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz both start. As mentioned earlier, England make nine changes, with Cahill and Sturridge the only two to retain their place in the side. Full teams for both nations on the way...

COSTA RICA STARTING XI: Navas; Gamboa, Duarte, Gonzalez, Diaz, Miller; Ruiz, Borges, Tejeda, Brenes; Campbell

ENGLAND STARTING XI: Foster; Jones, Cahill, Smalling, Shaw; Milner, Lampard; Wilshere, Barkley, Lallana; Sturridge

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, Jorge Luis Pinto is certainly looking for three wins from three with that selection! It is very interesting that he has not taken the chance to rest the likes of Campbell and Ruiz given that his side are almost certainly guaranteed top spot in the group, barring a substantial goal swing. Is it a touch of naivety on his part, or does he believe that he would harm the team more than help it if he broke up a winning formula? I'm leaning towards the latter.

Perhaps the name English fans will have been most aware of, before this World Cup at least, is Bryan Ruiz. The winger spent time at Fulham recently and is widely regarded as his country's most important player. He showed exactly why with the winning goal against Italy on Friday, coming in at the back post to nod past Gianluigi Buffon. He will once again look to pose a threat to an unfamiliar England defence.

The Three Lions will also need to come up with a formula to stop Joel Campbell, the Arsenal man who was out on loan at Olympiacos last season. He has been a breakout star of the World Cup so far, and given how shaky England have looked at the back at times in the tournament, he will fancy his chances of causing problems again. Jones and Smalling will particularly know about him as he scored a fine goal against Manchester United in the Champions League last season.

Another key player for the Costa Ricans is goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who really impressed in La Liga last season. He is capable of making very good, athletic saves, and England will need to be at their best offensively to find a way past him this tournament. He is yet to concede a goal from open play at this World Cup, with Edinson Cavani's penalty in the first game the only goal anyone has scored against Costa Rica so far.

As for England, changes were called for and Hodgson has responded with nine, giving the fringe players of the squad a run out. It is interesting that he has opted to stick with Cahill and Sturridge in the side, particularly the latter when Rickie Lambert may have started. It is a vote of confidence for the duo, and they will be looking to repay that with a good display today.

They will get a chance not afforded to many of the other members of the squad as they attempt to exorcise the demons of the first two matches. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines have been criticised for their displays so far, and they will not want the opening two matches to be the lingering memory of this World Cup for them. They will be desperate to get on and restore a little pride, particularly Gerrard, who could have made his final appearance for the Three Lions if he doesn't make it on today.

It is the defence that has drawn the brunt of the criticism for England's early World Cup exit. It has certainly looked shaky at times, and the likes of Jones, Smalling and Shaw will be eager to stake a claim for a place in the starting lineup during the Euro 2016 qualifiers. However, the last time Hodgson went for an unfamiliar defence was against Ecuador in the warm-up matches, and they looked as shaky as ever on the way to a 2-2 draw.

Frank Lampard takes the armband off Gerrard for England tonight in what is his 106th and most likely final appearance for his country. He has been a fantastic servant for the Three Lions over his career and will want to go out on a high tonight, but it remains to be seen how his ageing legs will cope in the heat of Brazil. At the other end of the spectrum, Shaw is making his competitive debut, while Barkley, Wilshere and Lallana are all starting a match in a major international tournament for the first time.

Can Costa Rica's fairytale continue today? Well, they will need to continue to play above expectations and above their own normal ability levels if they are to trouble the latter stages of the tournament. In truth, there were no signs of such an impressive showing from the Central Americans coming into this World Cup, with Costa Rica having won just one of their last six games before their opener against Uruguay. In that run they had also lost four games, with the only victory coming against Paraguay.

Their warm-up matches were nothing special either as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of fellow World Cup participants Japan - who they could still meet in the next round - and drew 1-1 with Republic of Ireland. The latter of those two matches could well have been designed with a view to tonight's encounter, but they would not have dreamt that so little would be riding on the game for them.

It is fair to say that Costa Rica are far from being World Cup powerhouses, but their recent record against European teams is quite good. They have scored in all seven of their matches against teams from Europe at the World Cup, and have won three, drawn one and lost three of those meetings. Two of the victories came in 1990, against Sweden and Scotland, and they have a chance to match that tally tonight following on from the win over Italy on Friday.

Before their remarkable run in this tournament, the Costa Ricans hadn't actually won a World Cup match for 12 years. Before their 3-1 triumph over Uruguay, their last success on the grandest stage came all the way back in 2002, when they beat lowly China. The 1990 tournament is rightly regarded as their best moment on football's world stage, but 2014 may well have topped it already. Should they beat England tonight, it most certainly will do.

Having conceded both of the goals that proved to be winners in the second half of matches, England will be wary of the threat that Costa Rica pose in the second 45. They have scored 12 of their 16 World Cup goals in the second half of matches, including all three against Uruguay in their opening match. In the heat of Brazil both sides are likely to get tired, but Costa Rica will be more suited to the conditions than England, and that could play a part today.

The Central Americans tend to find the net in the World Cup as well. Only one team has managed to keep them at bay in their last 10 outings in the tournament, with Costa Rica scoring in the other nine. For and England side that has struggled defensively throughout, and has an unfamiliar back five playing today, they will certainly fancy their chances of extending that impressive record.

Costa Rica's success in Brazil could well be down to familiarity between the players as much as their ability. While Harry Redknapp accused some England players of asking him to get them out of international duty while he was Tottenham boss, the Costa Ricans will play their 30th match in the space of 18 months this afternoon. That tally will rise to at least 31 by the time their World Cup is over.

While Redknapp's revelations have caused uproar and outrage in England, it can't come as too much of a surprise. For a long time now it has been claimed that the England players don't put as much into their international performances as they do at club level, with the latter form of the game becoming increasingly dominant in football nowadays. Be it pressure or the lack of world-class foreigners around them that they get at club level, once again England's biggest players have failed to perform at this World Cup.

Aside from pride, the only tangible reward England could gain from a win tonight would be avoiding finishing bottom of the group. Even then, they would need a helping hand along the way to haul themselves off the foot of the group. If they can beat Costa Rica tonight and Italy beat Uruguay then Roy Hodgson's men to move third, while Uruguay would drop to bottom on goal difference.

England reached the finals of the World Cup fairly comfortably, albeit not until the last game of qualifying. They finished top of Group H in the European section, edging out Ukraine by one point courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Poland. They remained unbeaten throughout the campaign and also boasted the best goal difference in the European section. Only Holland and Germany scored more than England's 31 goals, while only Spain conceded fewer than their four.

It is a tired old story that England cruise through qualifying only to disappoint at the tournament itself, however. Rarely are results this disappointing, though, with England on the verge of going five matches without a win since 2006-07. They have never come away from a World Cup without a point to their name, and the last time that they lost three games in a row was in Euro '88.

The young nature of the squad has been a positive in an otherwise disappointing campaign, but youth may not necessarily work for England. This is the second-youngest squad they have ever taken to a World Cup, behind only 1958 - incidentally the last time that they failed to progress to the knockout rounds of a World Cup that they were involved in.

That 1958 campaign is also the only time that England have failed to win a single game at a World Cup, although the flip side could be seen as that tournament being the start of the building process that led to England winning the competition eight years later. Still, until this year, it was one of only two occasions that England had failed to progress from the groups, the other being in 1950 - the last time the World Cup was held in Brazil.

To continue the bad omens, the last time England played a World Cup match in Belo Horizonte was in that 1950 tournament, and it was the scene of one of the darkest days in the nation's football history. They were beaten by the then-amateur USA side 1-0 in one of the biggest World Cup shock of all time. Indeed, the result was so unexpected that papers in Brazil assumed it had been reported back to them as a mistake and some printed the scoreline as 10-1. Others, thinking that it was a hoax, didn't print it at all. While defeat to Costa Rica today wouldn't be on the same level as that loss, it would signal the worst ever England performance at a World Cup and another miserable day in the country's football history.

PREDICTION: We're now 10 minutes from kickoff in Belo Horizonte, which means that it is time for my prediction! This is a tough one to call today, with Costa Rica not making many changes to what has been an impressive side so far this tournament. England's XI is something of an unknown quantity in terms of how well they will work together, so it could really go either way. I'm going to sit on the fence and plump for a 1-1 draw, however.

A draw in what is the first ever meeting between these two sides would be enough for Costa Rica to ensure that they top the group against all the odds. Colombia are expected to top Group C, meaning that Costa Rica will face either Ivory Coast, Japan or Greece in the last 16. As things stand, it looks most likely to be Ivory Coast, but that could all change when Group C concludes tonight.

England really could do with going out on a high tonight, if only to improve their dismal record at the tournament in recent times. They have conceded eight goals in their last three World Cup outings, as many as in their previous 14 games combined. They have also only picked up one win in their last seven World Cup outings, with that being a drab 1-0 win over Slovenia four years ago.

There is, of course, the small matter of who else progresses to the last 16 to decide in Group D today. It is a winner-takes-all contest between Italy and Uruguay for that final spot, and you can follow our live commentary of that game here. I will also be keeping you up to date with major events from Natal and what impact they have on the final group standings.

Your referee tonight is Djamel Haimoudi, who spends his domestic time officiating in the Algerian Ligue 1. He was in charge for the Netherlands' entertaining 3-2 win over Australia in the last round of fixtures, while he was also the fourth official for Argentina's win over Bosnia earlier in the tournament.

Right, the national anthems have been badly sung, the flags have been exchanged and the hands have been shaken. We're just about to go here in Belo Horizonte as the final round of Group D fixtures get underway.

KICKOFF: Costa Rica get us underway here as they look to finish a remarkable group campaign with a third win from three. England, meanwhile, look to salvage some pride in their last outing at the 2014 World Cup.

SHOT! It is a very bright start from Costa Rica as they knock the ball about nicely. Campbell is the first to have a shot as his effort deflects off Cahill and narrowly past the post with Foster stranded. Somehow the officials don't spot the huge deflection, however, and England get a goal kick.

The England fans are chanting 'Football's Coming Home', rather tongue in cheek I presume. They are still determined to have a good time in what has been an expensive trip for them, but they will be hoping that the team help them out with a positive display here.

Good play from Tejeda as he plays a long pass to Diaz, whose first touch takes him away from Milner and gives him the chance to cross. His delivery is not as impressive as the one that led to Ruiz's goal against Italy, however, as it goes straight behind for a goal kick.

England have been very sloppy in these opening exchanges, with a couple of sliced clearances and misplaced passes drawing boos and whistles from the crowd. Costa Rica have made the brighter start here.

One or two England players are trying to up the tempo with some decent pressing high up the pitch, but when they get on the ball they are just lacking a bit of quality at the moment.

When England do get the ball, Costa Rica are biding their time to win it back before looking to launch a quick break. One such break almost leads to a chance here as Brenes looks to be through on goal, but the linesman's flag is up. That was a close one.

CLOSE! Almost an opener for England as the ball is slipped through to Wilshere, who immediately accelerates at the Costa Rica defence. He then slides it to Sturridge, who turns on the edge of the box and curls an effort a yard or so wide.

The front three of Costa Rica is quite fluid, with Brenes spending a bit of time in the middle now. Campbell is out on the wing, looking to use his pace against Jones on that side.

We've had just over 15 minutes now and the match is yet to get really going. Sturridge's effort is the closest we have come to a goal so far, but other than that it has been slim pickings. Neither side are quite playing with the freedom that the situation could allow.

SHOT! Again Sturridge is the man to threaten as he spins his man to latch on to a quick throw. He stops the keeper off his line and has a go on the volley from 30 yards, but his effort swerves wide of the post.

Lovely play from Milner as he spins away from his marker with a lovely bit of skill before looking to slide the ball through for Sturridge. Gonzalez is alert to the danger, however, and slides in to poke the ball back to his keeper.

It has been mostly a midfield battle so far, and it is fairly even in there. England are struggling to keep the ball for any real length of time, but so far their defence is coping with the Costa Rican attack quite comfortably.

OFF THE BAR! Superb effort from Borges as he whips a free kick towards the keeper's side, only to see it hit the top of the bar and go over. Foster just got the slightest of fingertips to help it onto the woodwork, and that has to go down as a very good save. Great free kick from Borges, though.

Hint of an opening for England as Lampard and Lallana combine to set up Wilshere, but the Arsenal man didn't seem to be expecting it and was on his heels as the ball rolled to safety.

Foster has made a sturdy start for England here. He hasn't had too much to do, but that stop from the free kick was very impressive, and he has looked commanding under the high ball as well.

PENALTY SHOUT! Big penalty shout for England as a slick build-up results in Shaw lifting a cross into the middle for Barkley to nod down to Sturridge. The England striker only has the keeper to beat, but Duarte comes in from the wrong side and brings the Liverpool man down. The keeper collects, and the referee waves away the protests. That's a penalty for me.

England's passing has been very poor at times today. They have either been too heavy or a couple of yards off their intended target, making it much harder for them to keep the ball.

Tejeda and Borges are doing a good job of not allowing the likes of Lallana, Wilshere or Barkley any space in midfield. All three of those England men are good on the ball when they get running with it, but they haven't been given the chance so far.

Lallana makes a good run behind the defence, timing it perfectly to beat the offside trap and travel down the right flank. His eventual cross is deflected behind for a corner, but the usual pushing a shoving results in a quick word from the ref before they can take it.

The first delivery hits the first man and goes behind for another corner, while the second is just a yard in front of a diving Cahill before being put behind for yet another corner.

CHANCE! Big chance for England as Barkley's deep delivery finds Jones at the back post, and the Manchester United man nods it back into a dangerous area. Sturridge finds himself unmarked in the middle but can't quite get over the ball as his header goes too high.

Better from England as Lampard spreads the ball out wide to Milner, who beats his man with some skill before hanging a ball into the box. Lallana looks favourite to get on the end of it, but Navas comes a long way to make a great take.

More good play from Navas here as he is quick off his line to collect a Barkley through-ball that looked dangerous. It was nice build-up play from England again, who are looking the more threatening right now.

England have just about shaded this first half so far. They have had the better chances through Sturridge, who has made some good runs, and are looking capable of making a breakthrough. Costa Rica have been assured in possession, but they haven't created much aside from a long-range free kick that hit the bar.

Shaw made a couple of errors in possession earlier in this match and that seems to have affected his confidence a little. He isn't making as many overlapping runs forward right now, which Milner needs with England attacking increasingly down the left flank.

SHOT! England come forward again as Wilshere gives it to Barkley, who plays a one-two with Sturridge before taking on three defenders. He just about gets around them but is off balance and sends a wild left-footed effort well off target.

Sturridge has looked like England's most dangerous player in this opening 45 minutes, but he is being ably assisted by Barkley and Wilshere. Both midfielders have been wasteful in possession at times but are growing into the matches.

Poor from the England defence as Navas sends a goal kick forward that beats the entire backline. As the 70-yard kick drops out of the sky, Brenes cuts back, only to see his eventual shot blocked by Cahill.

The referee brings an end to the first half in Belo Horizonte, and it is as you were for both teams as they go into the break goalless. Neither side has managed to complete dominate the game, but England have looked more threatening going forward than their Central American counterparts.

Despite that, it is Costa Rica who have come closest to scoring so far. Borges went for goal with a free kick from all of 30 yards, catching Foster out by going to the goalkeeper's side. Foster got the slightest of touches to tip it onto the crossbar, denying Borges what would have been a superb goal.

England have had the better chances, and all of them have fallen to Daniel Sturridge so far. He sent a curling effort narrowly wide early on and then fired a volley past the post from a long way out. The best chance came 10 minutes before the break as Jones nodded a corner back into the middle for Sturridge, who could only head over from close range.

England could also have had a penalty in that opening 45 minutes, with Duarte getting the wrong side of Sturridge and bringing him down when the England man looked likely to poke it home. It was by no means a stone-waller, but the defender reached a leg across Sturridge and didn't get any of the ball, so it could well have been given.

England have been sloppy in possession on a number of occasions today, but the midfield eased their way into the match and were beginning to have an influence towards the end of the half. Barkley made some bright runs forward while Wilshere also started to create more as the half wore on. Lallana has made some decent runs, while Lampard has spread some trademark passes, so all of the English midfielders are playing their part in this one. Still, they aren't exactly having things all their own way in this one.

UPDATE: In the other Group D match it is still goalless between Italy and Uruguay. As things stand, the Azzurri will be going through to the last 16, although they will be without Mario Balotelli should they make it through. The striker picked up a yellow card in the first half in Natal.

KICKOFF: England get us back underway for the second half as they look for their first World Cup points of the tournament. Can they do enough to inflict defeat on the unbeaten Costa Ricans, or will England end their doomed campaign on a high?

Costa Rica are in no rush to do anything in this match. It is clear that their intensity levels have dropped from the opening two games, understandably so, and you feel that they would be content with a goalless draw in this match. The onus is very much on England to make something happen.

CHANCE! A cleared free kick falls to Shaw outside the box and, despite a heavy first touch, he gets to the all first to shoot. The ball deflects off a red shirt to Sturridge, whose first touch lets him down, allowing Navas to come out and smother the ball. Really good goalkeeping once again.

It was a painful one for Navas as Sturridge make contact with the keeper with his studs. It was a genuine attempt for the ball, and credit must go to Costa Rica for not reacting to what was a heavy challenge from the Liverpool striker.

YELLOW CARD! Barkley becomes the first name in the book for a shirt tug on Gamboa, but the Costa Ricans wanted play to continue as the full-back had shrugged off the challenge and was racing clear. The ref should have played advantage there.

There has been plenty of enthusiasm from this alternative England side, but there is a distinct lack of quality at times. They are perhaps lacking a Gerrard or a Rooney to inject that moment of class into proceedings, although neither of those two players have exactly shone at this World Cup.

YELLOW CARD! The match has been broken up by a couple of fouls in the last few moments, but the referee gets this one right as Adam Lallana scythes down Ruiz.

Navas is there again to thwart England as Lallana makes another good run behind the defence. He carries the ball down the left channel before looking for Sturridge in the middle, but the keeper reads the ball and intercepts it with a good stop.

COSTA RICA SUB: The first change of the day sees Cristian Bolanos replace Brenes, who was the man to come into the starting lineup for him today.

YELLOW CARD! Another yellow card is shown, but this time to a Costa Rican player as Gonzalez upends Barkley with a really poor tackle. There can be absolutely no complaints about that one.

ENGLAND SUB: England make their first change of the afternoon as Raheem Sterling replaces Lallana.

SAVE! Foster is called into a rare piece of action as Jones gives the ball away, allowing Bolanos to shoot from outside the box. It is a comfortable one for the keeper, and he gets down well to make the stop.

UPDATE: The news from Natal is that Italy have been reduced to 10 men, with Claudio Marchisio being sent off. That is a big blow for the Azzurri, who need to hold on to the draw to stay in the World Cup. Cesare Prandelli's side would now be missing Balotelli and Marchisio if they make it through to the last 16.

CHANCE! Huge chance for England to break the deadlock as Sturridge plays a lovely one-two with Wilshere on the edge of the box, with the return pass releasing the Liverpool striker through on goal. Sturridge opens his body and looks to curl it into the bottom corner, but it flashes inches wide. It was lovely build-up play, but Sturridge really should have scored there.

COSTA RICA SUB: Joel Campbell's race is run tonight as he makes way to be replaced by Marco Urena.

This tournament has seen a lot of games open up in the final 20 minutes, and this one is just bubbling under the surface, suggesting that we could see another exciting finish. I would be quite surprised if this one ended 0-0, even if neither side have any huge incentive for going for the win.

Half a chance for Sturridge as he is slipped down the left channel and races through on goal. The angle is against him and he is just about caught by the defence, with an inadvertent touch resulting in a corner. There were muted calls for a penalty, but the referee got it right.

Sterling gives the ball away when trying to take an opponent on, but he atones for his error by getting back and making the tackle. From the resulting corner Foster comes to claim, only losing the ball after being fouled by Duarte.

ENGLAND SUB: Interesting change from England as Jack Wilshere makes way to be replaced by captain Steven Gerrard. It is his 114th cap - one behind David Beckham in the all-time list - but will it be his last?

Sterling shows incredible pace down the left as he exchanges passes with Sturridge, just about keeping the return ball in to win a corner for his side. The delivery comes to nothing as Lampard can't get on the end of it, but it was decent play from Sterling to create the chance.

ENGLAND SUB: We've seen Gerrard and now Wayne Rooney is the third and final change for England as he replaces Milner. Roy Hodgson is going for the win here, and why not?

COSTA RICA SUB: Another change for Costa Rica as Borges makes way to be replaced by Michael Barrantes. That is a straight swap in the middle of the park.

SAVE! Good play from Rooney as he takes the ball down on his chest before turning towards goal and attempting to lob Navas from 25 yards. The keeper is alert, though, and just pushes the effort over his bar.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in Natal and it has gone to Uruguay! Diego Godin, who got some crucial goals for Atletico at the end of last season, could have just put this side into the last 16 with the opening goal. As things stand, Uruguay are through and Italy are out.

Costa Rica, meanwhile, will be group winners whatever happens in Natal if they can hold on to this scoreline. There aren't too many signs of anything changing here, with Costa Rica seemingly happy to settle for a goalless draw.

Jones hasn't had his best game today, but he does well here to get back between Bolanos and the ball after the Costa Rican had sold him a dummy. Good strength from the defender, who shepherded the ball out of play well.

Costa Rica are seeing more of the ball in these closing stages as England struggle to keep hold of possession. A goalless draw really would be a disappointing way to end what has been a poor World Cup campaign for the Three Lions. Why not go all out for the win now?

Gerrard shapes a free kick in towards Rooney, who has peeled away from his man at the back post. However, the striker throws himself at the ball only to come up a yard or so short as it goes behind for a goal kick. Will there be one more chance here?

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match, which means three minutes left of England's World Cup campaign.

Good defending from Luke Shaw as he races back to catch Urena, who had broken clear on a counter-attack. Shaw stays on his feet before making his tackle, and he wins a goal kick for his side as an added bonus.

The referee brings an end to the match and to England's World Cup campaign as they play out a goalless draw with Costa Rica to finish a disappointing fortnight in Brazil. The Three Lions head home without a win, but at least they have picked up a solitary point today. Every cloud, right?

Costa Rica hit the woodwork on their way to the last 16 as they qualify as group winners against all of the odds. England had the better chances in this match, however, and they should have claimed all three points in truth. Sturridge had one or two really good openings, but he wasn't clinical enough as England drew a blank.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening. Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the final game of England's World Cup campaign here as the Three Lions play out a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. The live action keeps on coming with the culmination of Group C later today, so make sure you check back in for that. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!