Costa Rica Rejoices as National Team Advances to World Cup Quarterfinals in Historic First · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Costa Rican fans celebrate at Tamarindo beach after the national team defeated the Greek team during 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Image by Thornton Cohen. Copyright Demotix (June 29, 2014).
Costa Rica's national football team moved forward to the quarterfinals for the first time ever in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after defeating the Greek crew 5-3 in extra time during a nerve-wracking penalty shootout to break the match's 1-1 tie.
At 52 minutes in Sunday's match, Costa Rica scored thanks to Bryan Ruiz after passes from Joel Campbell and Christian Bolaños. Everything was turning out just fine for the ‘ticos’, as the Costa Rican people are colloquially known, but a foul by Óscar Duarte against midfielder Lazaros Christodoulopoulos earned Duarte a second yellow card, and he was expelled from the pitch.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos then scored for Greece at 91′ and with that tie, the teams had to play an additional 30-minute period. Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas was the shootout hero, blocking a shot by Fanis Gekas and ensuring his team would move to the next phase.
Celebrations erupted throughout Costa Rica, as noted [es] by website El blog de mi fútbol ecuatoriano (The blog of my Ecuadorian football):
En la céntrica Plaza de la Democracia, convertida en la versión local del “fanfest” del Mundial, el estallido de júbilo fue unánime, con saltos de alegría, danzas improvisadas y abrazos al primer desconocido que aparecía por delante.
[…]
Pese a la algarabía, el mandatario descartó declarar asueto entre los empleados públicos el lunes.
At the central Democracy Square, that became a local version of the World Cup “fanfest”, the outburst of joy was unanimous, with people jumping happily, improvised dances and hugs for the first stranger that happened to pass by.
[…]
In spite of the rejoicing, the president rejected the idea of declaring a day off for public servants on Monday.
Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Solís tweeted:
¡Esto es historia! #CRC Un pueblo celebra por ustedes muchachos. ¡Grande Sele! #Brasil2014 pic.twitter.com/SswfgMv9Ia
— Luis Guillermo Solís (@luisguillermosr) junio 30, 2014
This is history! #CRC A whole nation celebrates for you guys. What a national team!
Costa Rica fans took to Twitter to mark the historic achievement by their national football team, starting with goalkeeper Keylor Navas himself:
Esta parada es para Dios,mi familia,mis compañeros,para toda Costa Rica. Viva la sele y Costa Rica!!! pic.twitter.com/55IkL4tgQQ
— Keylor Navas (@NavasKeylor) junio 30, 2014
This block is for God, my family, my teammates, for all Costa Rica. Long live the national team and Costa Rica!!!
@someecardES gave the Netherlands fair warning:
Holanda: la siguiente víctima de Costa Rica.
— Señor Sarcasmo (@someecardES) junio 30, 2014
Netherlands: the next victim of Costa Rica.
Some tweeted photos of the celebrations:
Costa Rica ayer foto por @alvaradofoto #CRC #Mundial2014 pic.twitter.com/NtsBzEY3Sy — Juan Carlos Agüero (@juankaguerom) junio 30, 2014
Costa Rica yesterday (Sunday, June 29), photo by @alvaradofoto.
#CR vivió una locura sin precedentes tras histórica clasificación a cuartos de final (VIDEOS): http://t.co/JxWBeJohAt pic.twitter.com/CAbrnNAg8B
— Everardo Herrera (@alpiedeldeporte) junio 30, 2014
#CR experiences unprecedented madness after historic qualification to quarterfinals (VIDEOS).
Others congratulated the team and were confident about the next match:
IMPACTANTE imagen de un equipo levantándose para ganar. COSTA RICA deja huellas en la historia http://t.co/FBlXlhXGSa pic.twitter.com/JLsoT7UoO5
— José Ramón Fernández (@joserra_espn) junio 30, 2014
IMPRESSIVE image of a team rising up to win. COSTA RICA is making history.
Costa Rica no le teme a Holanda: RECIFE, Brasil — Costa Rica ha sido la gran sorpresa del Mundial hasta ahora y sus jugadores quiere…
— Angel Rap™ (@_AnGelRap) junio 30, 2014
Costa Rica is not afraid of the Netherlands. RECIFE, Brazil — Costa Rica has been a big surprise on the World Cup until now and the players want…
@danudisorder este mundial esta de locos! Costa Rica es un ejemplo de que todo puede pasar
— Maria (@mariaclau94) junio 30, 2014
Crazy World Cup! Costa Rica is an example that anything can happen.
One user, @Aritz_FCB, shared his hope:
Al final va a ser verdad que el Mundial lo gana Costa Rica…
— Aritztóteles (@Aritz_FCB) junio 30, 2014
At the end, it will be true that Costa Rica becomes world champion…