Bryan Ruiz headed home a late winner to keep Twente Enschede on top of the Dutch league on Sunday with a 4-3 victory over 10-man NEC Nijmegen.
Costa Rica made it to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over four-times winners Italy in their Group D clash on Friday. Captain Bryan Ruiz headed the team to victory with a 44th-minute goal.
Photos from the World Cup match between Costa Rica and Greece.
Spain face Ronald Koeman's Netherlands away on Thursday before returning home for the second-leg on March 23.
Twente Enschede hammered 10-man Groningen 4-0 to stay top of the Dutch league on Sunday after their shock midweek Europa League loss in Moldova.
Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul was back defending himself on Sunday, less than 24 hours after making two stunning penalty saves against Costa Rica to book his team's place in the World Cup semi-finals.
Photos of the quarter-final match between Netherlands and Costa Rica
Images from the World Cup match between Costa Rica and Italy, on Friday.
Branislav Ivanovic will become Serbia's most capped player after he was named in the side for their World Cup Group E opener against Costa Rica at the Samara Arena.
Twente Enschede got a 3-1 derby win at Heracles Almelo to move top of the Dutch league on Sunday as leaders PSV Eindhoven were held to a goalless draw at Utrecht.
Twente Enschede struck twice in the last eight minutes to win 2-1 at Vitesse Arnhem on Saturday and join Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven on 58 points.
Costa Rica coach Oscar Ramirez could task two of his players with man-marking Brazil playmaker Neymar when the teams clash in St Petersburg on Friday, but said his side would not try to foul the forward out of the game.
The Netherlands advanced to a World Cup semi-final with Argentina by beating Costa Rica on penalties after a cagey, tactical last-eight battle finished 0-0 after extra-time on Saturday.
Girona thrash Osasuna for first win of the season
Spain and Costa Rica are playing in Group E along with Germany and Japan.
Costa Rica secured a place in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time on Sunday after beating Greece 5-3 on penalties after the teams finished level at 1-1 after extra time, the Central Americans playing for almost an hour with 10 men.
Costa Rica's World Cup goalkeeper Keylor Navas and United States women's team striker Abby Wambach were named CONCACAF's Players of the Year for 2014 on Tuesday.
Luis Suarez scored an equaliser and was just wide with what could have been a spectacular winner as Uruguay were held to a 3-3 draw by Costa Rica in a friendly.
Dries Mertens and Michy Batshuayi were also on target for Belgium while Eden Hazard impressed with creativity and speed for the hosts, who start their World Cup campaign on Monday against Panama in Sochi.
Switzerland made sure of a place in the last 16 of the World Cup, but had to survive some anxious moments in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Costa Rica before finishing second behind Brazil in Group E.
Mexico were booed off the field by a boisterous crowd after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Costa Rica in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on Tuesday, their third successive goalless draw at the Azteca Stadium.
China's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals hang by the thinnest of threads after an injury time goal from Ahmed Al Saleh saw Syria hold Marcello Lippi's team to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
European heavyweights Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris St Germain all maintained their leads and Benfica toppled Sporting Lisbon.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
LaLiga leaders Barcelona's pursuit of a 27th Spanish title gained momentum after a 2-1 comeback win over Real Madrid.
Photos from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday
Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench and scored an opportunist goal which set Portugal on the way to a 2-0 win in Andorra on Saturday that maintained their chances of qualifying directly for the World Cup.
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