In total, day nine of the 2014 World Cup saw 11 goals and one potential candidate for goal of the tournament. Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz, France’s Olivier Giroud and Ecuador's Enner Valencia, were just a few of the players responsible for Friday’s onslaught of offensive efficiency.
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Below are highlights of all 11 goals and brief recaps of each result.
Goals: Costa Rica—Ruiz 44'
A tactical masterclass saw Costa Rica defeat Italy 1-0, securing advancement to the Round of 16 for the second time in the nation's history. Dominating early and dictating the pace of the match, Costa Rica was finally rewarded in the 44th minute. A pristine cross from Junior Diaz was met by the head of Bryan Ruiz. The 28-year-old left little doubts with his finish, lifting the nation to a 1-0 win.
Goals: Switzerland—Dzemaili 81’, Xhaka 87’; France—Giroud 17’ Matuidi 18’ Valbuena 41’ Benzema 67’ Sissoko 73’
A comprehensive performance saw France capture a 5-2 victory over Switzerland on Friday. Olivier Giroud’s superb header in the 17th minute gave the French the early lead. Blaise Matuidi doubled the advantage just 60 seconds later, pouncing on comical error from Switzerland’s Valon Behrami. Switzerland showed fight late in the match—thanks to goals from Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka—but Mathieu Valbuena, Karim Benzema and Moussa Sissoko had already put the match out of reach.
Goals: Honduras—Costly 31'; Ecuador—Valencia 34', 65'
An enthralling 90 minutes saw Ecuador earn its first three points of the 2014 World Cup, defeating Honduras 2-1 in Curitiba. Carlos Costly opened the affair in the first half. A strike from distance gave Honduras an early 1-0 lead, but more importantly, ended the second-longest scoring drought in World Cup history (510 minutes). The euphoria, however, would be short lived. An equalizer from Enner Valencia brought Honduras back to reality just three minutes later. A towering header in the second half served as the final blow.
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