4. Costa Ricas Final Bow
Chris O'Meara/AP/Press Association ImagesWhat Costa Rica have achieved already is quite incredible given they arrived at these finals with most pundits giving them no hope in a tough group that contained three former winners of the World Cup. But we are down to the last eight and Costa Rica are the last team standing from the Group D and the sole representative of CONCAF. Breezing through the group stage amassing seven points and a set of penalties in their last sixteen penalty shoot-out against Greece that would give Germany a run for its money. It has been a compelling team effort that has seen them get this far, inspired by captain Byran Ruiz (who is making Fulham fans wonder what might have been) they will do their best but in Holland they are coming up against their toughest opposition yet and sadly it surely will prove beyond them. After stunning the world in their dismantling of Spain in their first group game things have got harder for the Dutch. They scraped a win over a spirited Australia, left it late to beat the energetic Chile side and on behalf some cheating by Arjen Robben the beat Mexico. This is certainly the most one sided quarter finals on paper but dont be fooled. Costa Rica will play like they have done against the bigger sides in this competition and hope that the likes of James Campbell, Byran Ruiz and Cristian Bolaños can find an opening in the Dutch backline. In the last game the Costa Ricans tired from the 80th minute onwards so this where the likes of Klass Jan Hunterlaar and Memphis Depay from the bench for Holland and change the game and send Holland through to the semi-finals.