Switzerland 2-2 Costa Rica
Full-time: The clock runs down to the full-time whistle. It was an enthralling last ten minutes of the game. Switzerland finish second. Brazil finish first in the group. Switzerland will face Sweden.
GOAL!! SUI 2-2 (Bryan Ruiz) Bit of fortune there for the Costa Rica captain, who hit the bar, and the ball hit Sommer before rolling into the net. All square.
PENALTY FOR COSTA RICA. Zakaria is the culprit for making a clumsy foul at the edge of the area. The drama continues.
89’ So much late drama! A penalty is given against Costa Rica. VAR was taken for a foul on Ricardo Rodrigues. The on-field referee’s decision is overturned.
87’ GOAL (DRMIC) SUI 2-1 CRC
What finish by Drmic. He latched on to Zakaria’s right-wing cross and sidefoots into the bottom corner. Navas had no chance.
86’ The story is the same for both matches that are happening simultaneously. Hang on, there is late drama.
83’ What happened here? The referee is having a word with Sommer. Lichsteiner once again, is an animated figure after an infringement from a Costa Rican. Wallace bundled his head on the Swiss captain’s shoulder.
82’ Fabian Schar goes into the book. He will not feature in Switzerland’s round of 16 clash.
80’ Wallace replaces Colindres, who was a livewire for Costa Rica in the first half. Lang replaces Shaqiri in what will be Switzerland’s final substitute.
77’ Off the bar! Drmic heads it on the bar from a cross. That came out of nowhere as it was all Costa Rica till then. Switzerland could have easily taken the lead and Navas was left flat-footed.
75’ It’s looking like the match is locked in a midfield battle..unless.
68’ Two changes for the Swiss: Drmic and Gavranovic come in.
66’ Once again, Costa Rica are on the ball and surging forward with great gusto. Switzerland are going to make some changes considering how dire they have been in the second half.
62’ Costa Rica have a good spell of possession since the goal. The Swiss have been pegged back. Costa Rica are now reading Dzemaili and Co well.
55’ GOAL!! SWITZERLAND 1-1 COSTA RICA (Waston)
What a finish! Now, all teams have scored a goal in the World Cup. Watson gets a thumping header on target and this time, Sommer can’t get his hands on it. Wild celebrations from the Costa Rica fans and the players.
51’ Saved! Now, it is Keylor Navas who is facing the music. Embolo from close range tries to slot it between the Real Madrid goalkeeper under the cosh.
48’ Rodriguez comes close with a shot from outside the area. The ball goes a few feet over the bar. Again, space opened up for the Swiss attackers.
The second-half is underway
Half-Time: Switzerland 1-0 Costa Rica
What a half of football. Costa Rica could have been 3-0 up but they find themselves a goal behind. Dzemaili’s finish was top class and so was Embolo’s header at the back post. As things stand, Switzerland and Brazil are going through. Can Costa Rica get their first goal of the tournament?
40’ It continues to be end to end here. Campbell starts an attack for Costa Rica, Schar clears. Then, at the other end, Swiss almost score but Costa Rica hold on
36’ CLOSE! Watson at the back post had lots of space and he could have pulled things back for his side. His shot, though, went just wide of the post.
What a stunner! Costa Rica must feel deflated. They have done everything right except score for the first time in this tournament. Embolo meets Lichsteiner’s cross at the back post. The youngster pulled it back in the box and Dzemaili ghosted in to finish from close range.
31’ GOAL!! SWITZERLAND 1-0 COSTA RICA (Dzemaili)
28’ Joel Campbell goes into the book following a challenge on Akanji. The former Arsenal midfielder pleads for innocence after the Costa Rican players swarm the referee.
24’ A friendly pat on the back nearly turns out to be a bit of an altercation between Litchsteiner and Oviedo. The Swiss captain thought his hair was pulled. The referee settles it and the players shake hands. It’s all good between the two.
22’ Finally, we can take a breather. Perhaps not. Colindres takes another shot from inside the box as Swiss continue to be sloppy on the ball.
18’ And....the shots keep on coming, Oviedo comes close with a thumping shot but Sommer once again denies the Central Americans, pushing the ball out for a corner.
16’ Now, the Swiss come close. Gavranovic comes close with a right foot curler from just outside the box. The shot went just wide of the post. End to end stuff this
13’ Switzerland are building some pressure, finally having woken up following being under the cosh for the first quarter of the game.
9’: Off the bar! This is turning out to be quite an ordeal for Switzerland and Costa Rica are flying off the blocks. Yet again, Switzerland were ripped wide open at the back. It was Colindres’s curler.
6’: POST!! 0-0.
Borges with a header that Sommer can only tip onto his goal-frame. The Swiss had their hearts in their mouths there.
4’: Shaqiri dribbles his way into the box. 0-0.
The Swiss star’s fancy footwork sees his dance into the Costa Rica box as Gavranovic’s shot is blocked.
1’: 0-0. We have kick-off in Nizhny.
11:25 pm: Will this be Bryan Ruiz’s last World Cup match? His tweet ‘To defend it as if it were the last time in a World Cup’ certainly seems to indicate this. He will be 33 come August. The teams are out for the national anthems.
11:20 pm: Costa Rica haven’t been able to replicate their efforts from 2014, where they reached the quarter-finals in Brazil. Relive their journey:
11:15 pm: Difficult to see anything topping that pulsating ending to Group F, as holders Germany crash out. These teams will certainly try, though.
For Brazil to fail to qualify, Serbia will need to beat the Selecao and Switzerland will need at least a point against Costa Rica. Read more about Group E scenarios here.
11:10 pm: Switzerland start with Gavranovic up front as Haris Seferovic is dropped. Breel Embolo will also start up front. Bryan Ruiz is the Costa Rica captain and will lead the line.
After Germany’s shock exit from the World Cup, the focus shifts to Nizhny, where Switzerland face Costa Rica.
Following their stunning come-from-behind win against Serbia in their previous game, a political angle crept into the World Cup. Switzerland players Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner escaped bans on Monday for celebrating goals with a pro-Kosovo double eagle gesture.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica are already out of the tournament following their defeat to Brazil. Their defence and Keylor Navas had done a fine job to keep Neymar and Co at bay but two late goals from the five-time champions sealed their fate.