England Knocked Out Of The 2014 World Cup As Costa Rica Progresses

When England were analyzing their 2014 World Cup group, they knew it would be tough, but never in a million years did they realize that they'd play so well and still fall short. After two straight defeats, England needed two Italy wins and a big win themselves, but things didn't go to plan. Group rivals Uruguay scored late to ensure they beat England 2-1 yesterday, and today, Costa Rica stunned the Italians, winning 1-0, confirming their place in the next round and sending England to an early exit.

Luis Suarez was supposed to be a half-fit shadow of himself, but the Liverpool forward, who the English fans know all too well, condemned them to their exit, scoring either side of a Wayne Rooney consolation goal. England were praying that Costa Rica would lose, but the underdogs rose to the occasion, making it two wins from two.

Now England will play Costa Rica with nothing on the line, other than a chance to play the youngsters, whilst Uruguay and Italy will fight it out for the other remaining qualification spot on Tuesday. England will learn from this experience, but they will keep boss Roy Hodgson, hoping it helps the squad learn from their horrific campaign. With a young core, it looks likely this will be a beneficial experience for the young players.

England went in to the 2014 World Cup with no pressure to perform, but nobody expected the young Three Lions side to be knocked out so early, especially because of four soft goals across two games. Can England bounce back?