England’s disappointing World Cup campaign comes to end on Tuesday as they take on Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte in their final Group D match, live on ITV and ITV HD.
After two defeats in the two matches against Italy and Uruguay, Roy Hodgson’s side officially exited the World Cup after Costa Rica avoided defeat against Italy, a result which signaled the beginning of an uncomfortable post mortem for the manager, players, FA and English football as a whole.
England have made wholesale changes for their final game in Brazil with many of the younger players getting their chance to shine on the world stage, and with only pride for which to play, Hodgson will hope for a positive end to a poor tournament.
Costa Rica have already qualified for the last 16 and a point against England would confirm their top spot in Group D.
Jorge Luis Pinto’s side have been one of the stand out sides in the World Cup so far and they will enter their first ever meeting with England full of confidence and belief.
The other match in Group D – live on ITV4 – is all to play for in terms of a place in the knockout stages as Italy and Uruguay shootout for the second spot from the group in Natal.
A nation held its breath as Luis Suarez battled back from knee surgery, but the Liverpool striker lead the line for Uruguay with his two goals against England in the second match.
Juventus men Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, as well as the legendary Andrea Pirlo and the volatile Mario Ballotelli, will have to be at the top of their game to keep him quiet.
In the evening, Group C draws to a close on the BBC with Ivory Coast, Japan and Greece fighting for the second qualifying spot in the group alongside the Colombians.
The Ivorians boast more star quality than the Greeks, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure the headline names in their squad.
But their international careers have so far been unfulfilled – the Ivory Coast failed to advance from the group stage at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and suffered defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2006 and 2012.
In contrast, Greece have earned a reputation as a battling side who get the most out of limited resources and this will be their final tournament under Portuguese coach Fernando Santos, who guided them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
The other fixture in Group C sees reigning Asian champions Japan, who are hoping to reach the last 16 for the third time in four World Cups, against Colombia.
Coached by Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, the Blue Samurai will hope for inspiration from AC Milan star Keisuke Honda, who was man-of-the-match in two of their four games at the 2010 World Cup.
The Colombians were tipped as potential dark horses prior to the start of this tournament, despite having not played at a World Cup since 1998, and have reached the last 16 for only the second time in their history following their two opening wins.
You can watch all 64 matches from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil live across the BBC and ITV, with live streaming available online across multiple platforms.
Visit our dedicated World Cup page – sport-onthebox.com/worldcup – for a full rundown of both channel’s comprehensive coverage of the tournament.
SOTB’s TV viewing guide to Day 13 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup:
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DAY 13: TUESDAY 24th JUNE
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| GROUP D LIVE: 4.00pm-7.30pm Venue: Belo Horizonte |
WATCH LIVE ONLINE via ITV PLAYER
Roy Hodgson’s men look to end their group campaign on a high at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, having lost their first two matches 2-1 to Italy and Uruguay.
Those defeats left England on the verge of exiting at the group stage for the first time since 1958 and only victory here would allow the team to regain some semblance of pride.
The Costa Ricans went into this stage expected by many to finish bottom of the table, but they showed in their opening 3-1 victory against Uruguay that they are genuine contenders for a place in the knockout stage.
The two sides have never previously met, but England faced Central American opposition in the group phase of the 2006 World Cup, prevailing 2-0 against Trinidad & Tobago thanks to late goals by Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard.
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| GROUP D LIVE: 4.00pm-7.05pm Venue: Natal |
WATCH LIVE ONLINE via ITV PLAYER
Italy and Uruguay take to the pitch at the Estadio das Dunas in Natal for what is their final and most crucial match of all in Group D.
With Costa Rica and the already eliminated England facing each other simultaneously, the result of this encounter will have a decisive bearing on which side progresses, with Italy and Uruguay both having already beaten England.
While Uruguay may not be strong at the back, they have an abundance of attacking prowess in the likes of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, and they will need to be at their very best against Italy, who like so many of their nation’s teams over the years base their style of play on a tight defence and the ability to counter-attack with effectiveness.
For several members of Cesare Prandelli’s squad this is likely to be their last appearance at a World Cup finals, including veterans Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo, who have represented their country with distinction and will be remembered alongside Italy’s greatest-ever players, regardless of whether they can inspire the Azzurri to success in Brazil.
ITV4’s build-up programme will be a simulcast of ITV’s coverage of the other match between Costa Rica and England.
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| GROUP C LIVE: 8.00pm-11.10pm Venue: Fortaleza |
WATCH LIVE ONLINE via BBC iPLAYER
Greece and Ivory Coast must both go for victory in Tuesday’s Group C clash in Fortaleza as they chase a last 16 berth.
A win would be enough for Ivory Coast to also progress, with Japan and Greece still winless after two matches.
This is the first time Greece and Ivory Coast have met and it could prove to be an interesting clash of styles, with the Greeks known for their defensive resilie.
The Greeks know they have no room for error and must take three points at the Estadio Castelao to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the Ivorians contain a number of impressive attacking players in their ranks, including Manchester City star Yaya Toure, Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony and former Chelsea hero Didier Drogba.
There will also be also extensive analysis and reaction from England’s match against Costa Rica, which takes place a few hours earlier.
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| GROUP C LIVE: 8.30pm-11.00pm Venue: Cuiaba |
WATCH LIVE ONLINE via BBC iPLAYER
Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba hosts the other concluding Group C match on BBC Three as winless Japan take on table-toppers Colombia.
The South American side have already qualified for the last 16 with two victories so far to their name.
Japan and Colombia have met on two previous occasions, with the Colombians recording a 1-0 win in the group stage of the 2003 Confederations Cup in France, and the nations drawing 0-0 in a friendly in Saitama four years later.
However, with attacking talent such as Japanese creative midfielders Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda, and Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez set to be involved, this evening’s fixture could well be a far more thrilling spectacle for the neutrals.
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SPORT ON THE BOX’S COMPLETE WORLD CUP TV GUIDE
Tuesday 24th June Match of the Day: World Cup Highlights – Day 12 (rpt) 7.20am-8.20am BBC Two COSTA RICA v ENGLAND Group D – Belo Horizonte | Kick-off: 17:00 LIVE: 4.00pm-7.30pm ITV Replay: 1.05am-2.50am BBC Two ITALY v URUGUAY Group D – Natal | Kick-off: 17:00 LIVE: 4.00pm-7.05pm ITV4 GREECE v IVORY COAST Group C – Fortaleza | Kick-off: 21:00 LIVE: 8.00pm-11.10pm BBC One JAPAN v COLOMBIA Group C – Cuiaba | Kick-off: 21:00 LIVE: 8.30pm-11.00pm BBC Three.
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