Latest Scores
- IP
Institute 1 - 4 Linfield
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NwrCty 2 - 0 Ards
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Coleraine 1 - 1 Glentoran
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Ballymena 2 - 1 Cliftonville
- NL D Grp 3
Malta 0 - 5 Kosovo
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Azerbaijan 2 - 0 Faroes
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Turkey 0 - 1 Sweden
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Romania 3 - 0 Lithuania
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Italy 0 - 0 Portugal
Photo Gallery for Brazil -v- Costa Rica
| Brazil | |
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Alisson Becker Goalkeeper |
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Fagner Conserva Lemos Defender |
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Marcelo Defender |
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Joao Miranda Defender |
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Thiago Silva Defender |
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Philippe Coutinho Booked: 81' Scored: 90' |
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Casemiro Midfielder |
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Paulinho 68'  Subbed Off: 68' |
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| Neymar Da Silva Santos JuniorBooked: 81'Scored: 90' |
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| Willian Borges da Silva 46' Subbed Off: 46' |
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| Gabriel Jesus 90' Subbed Off: 90' |
| Substitutes | |
| Fernandinho 90'  Subbed On: 90' |
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| Douglas Costa 46' Subbed On: 46' |
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| Marquinhos Correa Defender |
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| Taison Barcellos Freda Midfield |
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| Renato Augusto Midfield |
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| Roberto Firmino 68' Subbed On: 68' |
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| Fred Forward |
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| Pedro Geromel Defender |
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| Filipe Luis Defender |
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| Ederson Moraes Goalkeeper |
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| Cassio Ramos Goalkeeper |
| Costa Rica | |
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Keylor Navas Goalkeeper |
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| Bryan Oviedo Defender |
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| Giancarlo Gonzalez Defender |
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| Cristian Gamboa Defender 75' Subbed Off: 75' |
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| Oscar Duarte Defender |
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| Johnny Acosta Defender Booked: 84' |
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| Bryan Ruiz Midfielder |
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| David Guzman Midfielder 83' Subbed Off: 83' |
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| Celso Borges Midfielder |
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| Johan Venegas Forward |
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| Marco Urena Forward 54' Subbed Off: 54' |
| Substitutes | |
| Kendall Watson Midfield |
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| Rodney Wallace Midfield |
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| Yeltsin Tejeda Midfield Subbed On: 83' |
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| Ian Smith Defender |
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| Patrick Pemberton Goalkeeper |
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| Leonel Moreira Goalkeeper |
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| Ronald Matarrita Defender |
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| Daniel Colindres Forward |
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| Joel Campbell Forward |
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| Francisco Calvo Midfield Subbed On: 75' |
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| Christian Bolanos Midfield Subbed On: 54' |
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| Randall Azofeifa Midfield |
That's it from live updates. Macdara Ferris will have a match report for you from St Petersburg very shortly!
FULL TIME!
GOAL!
Neymar Da Silva Santos Junior scores for Brazil. That's the clincher, as Douglas Costa races through and unselfishly crosses for Neymar to volley home. Hint of offside, but the goal stands.
What a difference a goal makes. Neymar relaxed now, pulling out the tricks with an audacious flick over his own head from a corner.
Looks like the end of Costa Rica's tournament as they just can't get hold of the ball.
Chance for Firmino to make sure as he exchanges passes with his old Liverpool teammate Coutinho, but when the chance opens up he blazes wide.
Substitution
GOAL!
Philippe Coutinho scores for Brazil. They've done it! Heartbreak for Costa Rica as the direct approach works for Brazil. Robert Firmino beats two defenders to nod down a header. It runs behind Neymar but who's there? It's Coutinho arriving late to slip the ball under Navas' legs. Great finish.
Short free kick from Marcelo to Neymar and he floats in a diagonal cross, and Navas is out decisively to punch it clear. He stays down and referee Kuipers awards him the free kick. We're edging close to the end of normal time...
Douglas Costa has made a difference on the right hand side since coming on at half time. He tees up Casemiro for a long, long range shot but, once more, it's straight at Navas.
Time running out here for Brazil, while Costa Rica numbers continue to arrive from nowhere to disrupt any ball they get around the box.
Yellow Card
Substitution
Yellow Card
Yellow Card
NO PENALTY! Referee Bjorn Kuipers consults VAR and changes his original decision!
PENALTY Brazil! It's a pull from Gonzalez on the shirt of Neymar.
A good run by Marcelo down the left sees the ball cleared only as far as Coutinho, and he clips a ball in with the outside of his right boot, but there's nobody there to get on the end of it.
Substitution
Another great chance for Brazil and again it's off an unforced Costa Rican error. Gamboa gifts the ball to Neymar just outside his own box, but the PSG striker lashes it wide again.
Firmino on now for Paulinho as Brazil finally sacrifice a holding midfielder, but they continue to labour up front. Neymar's corner finds Casemiro's head but he can't find the target.
Substitution
That was a great chance for Costa Rica and it came about through a good, old-fashioned, ENGLISH game of head tennis. Bolanos can't get his head to the final touch, however, and Brazil clear.
Good work from the susbtitute Bolanos to win a corner kick off Marcelo. He takes it himself... but it fails to beat the first defender. Gamboa returns the ball into box and Brazil scramble it free, but the counter breaks down with Neymar.
Coutinho the latest to have a crack but, again, it's no trouble for Keylor Navas, who makes a simple save.
Was that the chance? Costa Rica give the ball away cheaply and Paulinho scampers into the box and pulls it back for Neymar, who has to score but he puts it over the bar. Referee gives a corner, but the striker just has to score that.
Substitution
How have Brazil not scored there? Douglas Costa, on for Willian at half time, has already had an effect. He tees up Fagner for a cross that Jésus heads off the bar (he should score), and from the resulting melée Coutinho's shot is somehow deflected behind.
A bit of goalmouth drama as Oviedo plays his goalkeeper into all sorts of bother, but his shanked clearance is fortunately played back to him, and Neymar fouls him in attempted to force the ball home.
Substitution
Second Half
Half Time
One minute played here, as referee Kuypers is unimpressed by Neymar's fall under the challenge of Gamboa. Up the other end, Costa Rica will finish on the attack as Urena is fouled wide on the right. Guzman's ball in is way overhit though.
Marcelo rampaging forward again and this time he cuts in on his weaker right foot. His shot is weak, but it does at least draw a save from Navas.
Big Paulinho showing the balance problems sometimes experienced by big guys when they come up against smaller defenders in the opposition box, tumbling to the ground following a slight coming together with Oscar Duarte.
68% possession for Brazil to Costa Rica's 32%, but until the past couple of minutes they haven't made their dominance count, as they have had just five shots to Costa Rica's three.
Best passage of play so far from Brazil as Paulinho punishes a heavy touch in midfield from Guzman and drives forward, passing to Neymar. He twists inside and out before clipping a cross towards Jésus at the back post, but Oviedo gets up well to head clear. It turned out to be offside anyway.
The shots are raining in now for Brazil but they're still not troubling Navas. Coutinho cuts inside on his right foot and curls a shot over the bar.
Marcelo starting to push forward more from left back now and he rifles a cross/shot towards the far post, but it's always curling away from goal.
Costa Rica living dangerously now, and Navas has to be out quickly to deny Neymar down low after Coutinho clips a ball over the defence.
Brazil have the ball in the net... but it's ruled out! Willian's shot is miscued but controlled by Gabriel Jésus. He finished in spectacular style on the volley, but it's correctly whistled for offside. Duarte had stepped up just in time.
You'd wonder whether Brazil need to play with two holding midfielders against a side who have set their stall out to defend.
Two free kick deliveries into the box in quick succession from Neymar. The first is well cleared, but the second is overhit and an easy take for Keylor Navas.
Wow, chance of the game so far and it goes Costa Rica's way. The underdogs break down the right as they make the best of their man advantage, and the ball is pulled back to the edge of the box, where Celso Borges arrives undetected and drags a shot wide of the target. That was a great chance to shake up Group D!
Brazil briefly down to ten men as Casemiro leaves for treatment on a nosebleed.
Neymar lines up a free kick on the right-hand side of the box, and clips it in, but it's well-headed clear by Gonzalez, and Costa Rica boot the ball up the pitch.
Early chance for Philippe Coutinho - who scored a spectacular goal in the opening game against Switzerland - as Bryan Ruiz coughs up the ball on the edge of his own box, but he flashes his shot well over.
GAME ON!
Dave Donnelly here, providing live updates for this clash between two Latin American outfits in St Petersburg. Macdara Ferris will also be buzzing around to provide colour from inside the stadium!
The teamsheet lists all the official including the main VAR man and his Assistant VARS. The wonderfully named Michael Boys in the General Co-ordinator while Lennart Wangel is our match commissioner. I'm told Sepp Blatter is here today. He ain't on the teamsheet!
Casemiro will miss the next match if he picks up a booking today. Same situation for David Guzman and Costa Rica sub Francisco Calvo.
Thiago Silva is back captaining Brazil.
We have Dutch ref Bjorn Kuipers in charge today. Very experienced ref, whose hobbies include playing tennis, and he has taken charge previously the 2014 Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. He was the ref also for this year's Europa League final.
Brazilian coach Tite said yesterday his team would be unchanged but Danilo has picked up a hip injury and the Manchester City player is out. In comes Fagner in his place to make his World Cup debut.
Not the first time I've seen these teams play at the World Cup - back in 2002 these teams played out a seven goal thriller.
Hello from St. Petersburg. Macdara Ferris in control of updates from Russia on today's Brazil v Costa Rica game. I was out at the pre-match press conference yesterday and got the view from the Brazil camp ahead of this crucial game.