An enthralling and end-to-end affair finished all square between Costa Rica and Korea on Saturday night.

Costa Rica opened the scoring after 17 minutes, Melissa Hererra capitalising on some poor defending, but Korea turned the game on its head within eight minutes, goals from Ji So-Yun and Jeon Gaeul giving them a 2-1 lead. However, their opponents fought hard in the second half and got a deserved equaliser in the final minute of the game through substitute Karla Villalobos.

With Brazil defeating Spain earlier, Korea and especially Costa Rica were given the chance to take pole position in the running for second place in Group E tonight.

Brazil qualified for the knockout stages with their victory, and victory for Costa Rica would all but secure their place in the next round too, as long as they avoided defeat against Brazil in their final group game. It was a huge game for the Central Americans and we would see how they could cope under pressure tonight.

Both teams made changes to the starting line-ups that played last time out. For Korea, Hwang Boram came into the team for Kim Doyeon, whilst Costa Rica's sole change came as Cristin Granados led the line at the expense of the benched Carolina Venegas.

Prior to learning the result of the Brazil - Spain match, I predicted that this game would be tight, cagey and lack goals, with 0-0 or 1-1 my expected scoreline. However, the earlier result completely changed the match and its value to each team.

Consequently, it was expected that Korea would go all out, searching desperately for a result that would keep their knockout round dreams alive, whilst Costa Rica would be far more defensive and look for opportunities on the counter, albeit without taking too many risks as another point would keep them in second place in Group E.

The attacking play expected from Korea was showcased as early as the second minute as a driving run down the right by Kang Yumi resulted in a cross that Costa Rica failed to clear properly, allowing Yoo Younga to have a shot at goal with 90 seconds on the clock, one that Dinnia Diaz saved with ease though. A tame effort from Ji shortly afterwards continued the team in red's bright start, with Kang in particular posing a large threat out wide with her fantastic deliveries and electric pace.

However, it was Costa Rica who came closest to opening the scoring with less than twelve minutes on the clock. When they got into Korea's half, their passing was quick, sharp and promising, and they came within inches of turning this good build up play into a goal when Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno, who scored against Spain last time out, deceived Cho Sohyun, cutting inside onto her left and firing just wide of Kim Jungmi's left hand post.

Nonetheless, a minute later, Korea came close at the other end as Kwon Hahnul forced a superb stop out of Diaz, the keeper palming her bending, powerful effort over the bar as she backpedaled.

A goal was certainly coming at one end, and it would do with 17 minutes on the clock in favour of the Costa Ricans. A free-kick into Korea's box was extremely poorly dealt with, the defenders letting it bounce and failing to attack it, which allowed Hererra to sneak in behind them and hook the ball goalwards, just seeing it over the line despite Hwang's best efforts to clear.

However, it was not a lead that lasted long.

Just less than three minutes later, Korea's energy was proving a problem for Costa Rica as they broke into the box, and an unnecessary challenge by Granados saw her trip Yoo Younga in the area, giving the referee, Carina Vitulano, no choice but to point to the spot. Ji was the player who stepped up to the mark, and she showed no signs of nerves as she coolly sent a perfect penalty into the back of the net to equalise.

Either side of Granados having a good shout of her own for a spot kick, Yoo showed that she was certainly in the mood to grab a goal of her own, having a couple of attempts held well by Diaz. Her efforts implied that Korea had the momentum now, with them controlling the game, despite it becoming stretched, and continuing to ask questions of Costa Rica's back line.

Just eight minutes after falling behind, the Asian nation managed to grab the lead too with 25 minutes on the board. Unsurprisingly, the goal came about thanks to some more fantastic work by Kang on the right, her teasing ball met by Jeon's near post run, Korea's number seven glancing a header into the far corner in one of the most well-worked goals of the Women's World Cup so far.

Korea celebrate taking the lead against Costa Rica, coming from behind to do so.

Having worked hard to get back into the game after going behind, and having done so so quickly, one could not argue that Korea did not deserve to be 2-1 up either, especially given the manner of that second goal. They were fully in control and finally playing with some confidence, showcasing that lovely football that they can play as a result.

The game quickly settled down too as Korea began to dictate play. There was a lot more order to the match, with Costa Rica defending with discipline and recognising that they had to wait for their chances to come on the counter. Half time came with little else to note, apart from a fiesty clash between both captains right on the referee's whistle, Shirley Cruz and Cho getting into a heated argument as tensions rose due to the game's increased significance.

Costa Rica certainly needed to be more adventurous after the break. The pace of players like Lixy Rodriguez was yet to be seen in the game, and with them needing a goal, now was the perfect time for her to get involved. Cruz had been quiet too, but if she could start to have an influence on the game, then she could help her team get back into it.

Korea, on the other hand, looked odds on to add to their tally tonight if they continued to go about the game as they were. Costa Rica's defence was far from convincing and Korea were exploiting it, with only Diaz preventing them from extending their lead thus far.

They continued to be lively after half time as well and could have easily won another penalty when Yoo was brought down by Diana Saenz right on the line of the penalty area. By law, this is a penalty, as the line of the box is a part of the box, but, to be fair to the referee, she had to make a fast decision without the aid of a replay.

Still, Jeon almost scored from the awarded free-kick itself, striking powerfully at Diaz who parried and was fortunate in seeing those attacking the rebound fail to convert.

Errors plagued Costa Rica's start to the second half, with a horror clearance by Carol Sanchez almost allowing Kang to double Korea's lead, only for her to see her effort blocked as she cut inside to shoot, allowing it to run through comfortably for Diaz. The goalkeeper, however, made a similar mistake moments later, and Sanchez continued to look shaky at the back in a nervous opening ten minutes for the team in general.

Fortunately, their handful of errors went unpunished, and just after the hour the Costa Ricans actually enjoyed a good spell as they put their opponents under sustained pressure, keeping them in their own half. It wasn't until the 74th minute when they came close to making this count though, Rodriguez racing up from left-back and striking a ferocious effort at goal, only to see it bounce off of the post having beaten the goalkeeper.

Korea remained a threat on the counter still, with Ji racing away just moments after this close call for her side and cutting the ball back into the area to be converted, only to see that her pass had ran behind all her incoming teammates and was cleared easily by Costa Rica.

The best chance for the leading side to secure all three points came with just under 10 minutes to play though as their two substitutes almost combined with devastating effect. Lee Geummin found space on the left to deliver a teasing ball into the box, and Jung Seolbin was the player racing in to connect with it, only to see the ball skim her face and run out for a goal-kick, having come within centimetres of making sufficient enough contact to send it goal-wards.

Yellow cards began to pour in now as Korea desperately tried to hold onto their lead, unafraid to go into the book for a cynical challenge as long as it thwarted a potentially dangerous Costa Rican attack.

However, with just a minute remaining of the 90, their resistance was broken as Costa Rica equalised in dramatic fashion with a delightful goal. It was Katherine Alvarado's defence splitting pass that created the opportunity, finding the run of substitute Karla Villalobos, who controlled the ball superbly with her chest before coolly finishing and wheeling away in celebration.

They certainly deserved the goal too having been the better side in the second half, and Alvarado even came close to winning the game in stoppage time, her free-kick delivery evading everyone and just missing the post, though this would have been harsh on Korea, who were fantastic in the first 45 minutes.

The game ended moments later, sparking celebrations from the Central Americans and looks of dejection from the Koreans. The point puts the former into second place in Group E, with two points, and leaves the latter bottom on goal difference, with one point.

It will all go down to the final games now, where Costa Rica require a result against now group winners, Brazil. If Spain and Korea draw, then they can get away with a draw in the game, but if either are to win then they will have to beat Marta and co. to progress. It certainly sets us up for an enthralling finale to the group, with the final standings to be settled on Thursday at midnight (BST), as both games are played at the same time.

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About the author
Amee Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]