Costa Rica
Costa Rica were in the Group of Death alongside England, Italy and Uruguay, so psychologically they had to go all out with nothing to lose. And they did just that, and thanks to quality players like Bryan Ruiz, who scored the winner against Italy, and Joel Campbell they went on to top Group D beating both Italy and Uruguay en route. Tactically, technically and defensively Costa Rica are a strong team and proved this with a sturdy draw against England, which was enough to take them to the second round. They play Greece next, a quarter-final spot seems certain.


Costa Rica players celebrate their goal against Uruguay during a Group D match at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza recently. Pic/AFP 

Australia
Australia had an equally tough group (Spain, Italy, the Netherlands). One thought they would totally depend on striker Tim Cahill. But surprisingly, they played like a well-knit unit both in attack and defence. This showed this in the game against the Dutch, which they nearly won (2-3). Though they did not make it to Round 2, they thoroughly entertained and provided one of the goals of this tournament — a fantastic volley from Cahill against the Netherlands.