RECIFE, Brazil — A solid defense used to be Greece's modus operandi while Costa Rica traditionally relied on maverick individuals but the stereotypes have been shed in this World Cup where the two teams face a last-16 clash Sunday. A World Cup quarterfinal against either the Netherlands or Mexico is the prize on offer for both when they meet in the coastal Brazilian city of Recife. Few said that either team would make it this far. Costa Rica turned heads by finishing above Uruguay, Italy and England in ultra-competitive Group D, yet it was the manner in which the Central Americans accumulated seven points from their three games that proved the most surprising. They were exceptionally organized at the back, ruthlessly quick and punchy on the break and nobody stood out as being more influential than the overall team ethic. While the fleet-footed Joel Campbell provides the focal point in attack, the most impressive thing about Costa Rica is the speed at which they get bodies up to support the lone frontman, without leaving themselves exposed at the back. Greece, which emerged into the knockout stages after a last-gasp Giorgos Samaras penalty gave it a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast to snatch the runner-up spot in Group C, looked anything but organized in their games. They were porous at the back, as shown in an opening 3-0 defeat by Colombia, but sprightly in attack and generally more eager to go forward than in past tournaments, where a solid backline was usually the foundation on which they built. Greece was caught out several times in its opener against group winner Colombia, with the players putting it down to nerves. Against Ivory Coast, however, it arguably played its most aggressive game in years, and the two goals it scored equaled its tally for its eight previous World Cup games combined. “We showed against Ivory Coast how well we can defend but also how good we can be in attack,” said Greece coach Fernando Santos, a former touchline chain smoker. This is Greece's first appearance in the World Cup knockout round, while Costa Rica has never been beyond the last 16. The only previous time the Ticos reached this stage was in 1990 when, having come out of a group that included Brazil, Sweden and Scotland, it lost heavily to Czechoslovakia. — Reuters
