Two nations chasing World Cup glory will do battle today in a match between Uruguay and Costa Rica. The 2014 World Cup group-stage match scheduled for 3 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza and can be live streamed here free. A free Spanish language stream of the match can be found here. Free radio coverage can be found here. Additional TV coverage can be found on ABC and ESPN Deportes.
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Uruguay enter today's match with hopes of repeating its 2010 run in South Africa. Should the Uruguayans achieve such remarkable success, they'll be forced to take the first steps without their key striker, Luis Suarez. The Liverpool man is still battling a knee injury, and though he is healthy enough to play, head coach Oscar Tabarez is in no rush for him to feature against Costa Rica.
"Yesterday afternoon, Suarez did the most important thing in training, which is play football," he said (via Soccerly). "We don't want to pressure him in any way, though, we have prepared for this game without Luis. We are very happy with his recovery, but we need to be cautious. There is still a day to go until the game and that for me is a long time because many things can happen, but if nothing changes, then I have decided on the team."
When asked about his team's chances in the tournament, Tabarez added: "We have the ability to go far, but we don't want to assume the role of favorites because it has never suited us well. The first game is always difficult. A good result takes a weight off your shoulders and allows you to look forward."
Will Uruguay be able to capture that good result against Costa Rica this afternoon? Tell us @SportsWN
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: As cultured as Joel Campbell's left foot is, crosses from the left side of the pitch will test the strength of Uruguay's center-back pairing. Christian Bolaños, an unknown entity at the international level, will be the man delivering those chances. His ability to provide the service for Bryan Ruiz and Campbell inside the area will dictate the deadliness of Costa Rica's counter-attack.
Uruguay's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Muslera; Pereira, Godín, Lugano, Cáceres; Stuani, Ríos, Gargano, Cebolla; Cavani, Forlán
Costa Rica's Projected Lineup (5-4-1): Navas; Diaz, Duarte, Gonzalez, Umaña, Gamboa; Bolaños, Borges, Tejeda, Ruiz; Campbell
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored)
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