Just as England would do well not to be over-intimidated by Italy and Uruguay, they would be wise not to dismiss Costa Rica. The old adage that there are no easy games at this level hasn't always rung true at the World Cup, but Costa Rica can be hard to beat, as they showed in a qualifying campaign in which they defeated Olympic champions Mexico and group winners the United States. If the 2010 campaign taught us anything it's that the seemingly easy games can be the ones that England labour most with. Even without Everton full back Bryan Oviedo, the deputy for England's Leighton Baines who impressed this season before breaking his leg, Costa Rica have a solid defence of players who have been playing together for years and can be difficult to break down. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Keylor Navas, a regular for Levante in La Liga, has been one of the best keepers in Spain this year. Going forward, Fulham and Arsenal fans may have seen little to impress them from Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell, but both have been performing well on loan at PSV and Olympiacos respectively and both have the ability to cause England some problems. By the time June 24th rolls round, England should have a pretty good sense of the result that they'll need in order to qualify, while Italy and Uruguay play each other. Either way, though, they should adopt a positive attacking style to break down Costa Rica's organised defence as quickly as possible. Once again, playing so many games close together in the heat will require England to make use of their full squad and first teamers, especially Gerrard, will need a rest at this point. Using fresh legs and players who will be keen to prove themselves worthy of a starting place in the next round is not only useful from that perspective, but also would make sure that they play with an eagerness that can counter the kind of slow complacency that England often display against inferior opposition. This, then, is the point to call on the skills of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose finest career moment happened with his equaliser during a friendly in Brazil. Oxlade-Chamberlain has been struggling for fitness at the end of the season, but giving him a break until the final group game should ensure that he is fit and fresh to play. This may also be the chance to give rising star Luke Shaw a chance to shine, resting Baines for the bigger games and allowing the young left back to get experience and show his quality down the flank, where Costa Rica defend less well than through the middle. Following these tactics, and with a bit of luck, it is by no means unlikely that we will see England in the knockout stages in Brazil, from which point the team's likelihood of progress is anyone's guess.
