Costa Rica vs Germany LIVE: World Cup 2022 latest updates

Costa Rica’s coach Luis Fernando Suarez hopes his side can emulate the Costa Rican team from 2014 who reached the World Cup last-16 ahead of England and Italy.

“Eight years have gone by and players have changed but you have good memories,” said Colombian Suarez.

“Maybe it’s down to the genes of the Costa Ricans. When they reach a World Cup they do things differently and they play well. I’m not just talking about 2014 in Brazil, I think also about Italy 1990.

“They reached the last 16 when no-one believed in them. They are never the favourites, which is good.

“We need to be emotionally strong and break our backs in this match. If Germany is knocked out it would be a major thing and we would be proud to be responsible for that.”

If substitutes were Germany’s nemeses against Japan, a replacement turned their rescuer against Spain. Hansi Flick was outwitted as Hajime Moriyasu’s changes conjured a famous win for the Japanese. Flick could at least savour the sense of a role reversal when Niclas Fullkrug lashed a shot past Unai Simon after a move that involved another whom Flick had introduced, in Leroy Sane. Germany, who had conceded in the 83rd minute to Japan, scored in it against Spain.

Given the gulf in class at times, they may not have deserved a draw. Yet for decades, Germany were the specialists in prevailing, whether emphatically or efficiently, on penalties or within regulation time. They pilfered a point.

Now a team accustomed to finals in the truest sense of the phrase face another. There is a finality to their game against Costa Rica. There can be a gratitude towards their opponents, too. Given Spain’s superior goal difference, a draw at the Al-Bayt Stadium would have all but eliminated Germany if, as expected, Japan beat a side coming off a 7-0 walloping. Yet if the most important goal of Germany’s World Cup has been scored in previous years by Helmut Rahn, Gerd Muller, Andreas Brehme or Mario Gotze. in 2022 it has come courtesy not of Fullkrug, but of Keysher Fuller. If the name scarcely sounds Germanic, he is from Costa Rica, not Cologne and plies his trade for Herediano, not Hannover.

Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Rudiger, Sule, Raum; Goretzka, Gundogan, Sane; Musiala, Gnabry, Muller

Costa Rica XI: Navas; Duarte, Waston, Vargas; Fuller, Borges, Tejeda, Oviedo; Aguilera, Venegas, Campbell

Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez believes the milestone appointment of a female referee at the men’s World Cup is a major step forward for the “very sexist” football industry.

France’s Stephanie Frappart will make history on Thursday as the first woman to take charge of a match at the men’s tournament when she oversees the crunch clash between Suarez’s side and Germany.

The 38-year-old will lead an all-female on-field team after FIFA selected Neuza Back of Brazil and Mexico’s Karen Diaz Medina as her assistants.

Germany must win the Group E match to stay in contention for the knockout stages, while Costa Rica can guarantee a last-16 spot with victory.

Costa Rican defender Francisco Calvo picked up a second yellow card against Japan and is suspended. Hansi Flick has no fresh injury concerns and must choose betweern Thomas Muller or Niclas Fullkrug in attack.

Costa Rica: Navas, Fuller, Duarte, Chacon, Watson, Oviedo, Torres, Borges, Tejeda, Campbell, Contreras.

Germany: Neuer, Klostermann, Sule, Rudiger, Rau, Kimmich, Gundogan, Gnabry, Musiala, Sane, Fullkrug.

French referee Stephanie Frappart will make World Cup history as part of an all-female officiating team when she takes charge of Germany’s match against Costa Rica on Thursday.

Frappart will become the first female official to referee a men’s World Cup match, while Brazilian Neuza Back and Mexican Karen Diaz will be the assistant referees for the Group E match.

Frappart, the fourth official for the Poland-Mexico clash in Group C last week, will be the main referee as she reaches another milestone in the sport.

Still to come tonight. Costa Rica are taking on Germany in a winner-takes-all clash in Group E.

Hansi Flick’s Germany are bottom of the group with just one point from their two matches and must win tonight if they want to make it through to the next round.

They also need Spain to avoid defeat to Japan to make it happen.

Costa Rica’s best chance of qualifying is to beat Germany and also hope that Spain do them a favour.

“It’s not easy to win games in the World Cup. We weren’t ourselves in first game we had a deserved defeat in second game. Today we were ready, we created opportunities and today there is no regrets. We’re out but we can leave with our heads held high.

“You see Youri Tielemans and other young players – the golden generation is doing something that is bringing the next generation on. It’s not what names are on the pitch the legacy can be left in many ways.

“No, we wanted to get through but I’m sure the other national teams wanted to get through and that’s the tournament. In the previous World Cup we won three games in the group stage, we wanted to go all the way.”

Croatia know how to deliver when it matters most. Finalists four years ago, this group are battle-hardened in knockout football, this game to close out Group F – a lose and go home match one round early – playing right into their hands. In what would be a heated contest with much to gain and everything to lose, they needed cool heads. Fortunately for them, they had the three coolest in the stadium.

Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic have seen it all in the colours of their national team, veterans and star turns of this gilded run of a golden group of players. Croatia saw off Denmark, Russia and England, all via extra time, to reach the final in Russia back in 2018. They know how to win in these moments. Crucially for this one here, they also know how not to lose.

Safe in the knowledge that a point would secure progress to the last 16, a performance of calmness and control among the was desperately required. And the three safest hands of all helped deliver it.

Is this the end of the road for Roberto Martinez?

The Belgium manager’s contract comes to an end following this World Cup and after such disappointment it would be a surprise if he wasn’t offered an extension.