After winning against Mexico and Holland respectively, Netherlands and Costa Rica are set to meet at the quarterfinals stage on 6th July 2014 at Arena Fonte Nova Salvador, Brazil.
The Netherlands team announced that their midfielder Nigel de Jong would not be able to play for next month due to his injury in the groin. "De Jong has a tear in his groin muscle. He's probably out for two to four weeks," they posted on Twitter. The Dutch football association said the athlete will stay in Brazil for his rehabilitation and recovery. This occurrence, however, is expected to be tough for the team since De Jong has been an outstanding player dominating the midfield all with toughness and well-timed tackles.
Costa Rica, on the other hand, ranked as outsiders at the start of the tournament. However, despite struggling against Greece, improvements in their game play have been observed after they topped a group containing former champions, Italy, Uruguay, and England to advance to the knockout stage.
"To the entire people in Costa Rica, those at home and out on the streets, this is for you," Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto said. "This is a people that love football and they deserve it. ... We will continue fighting. We will go on. We see beautiful things."
Watch Netherlands vs. Costa Rica via free online live stream here:
