Danilo (R) started against Switzerland in Brazil's opening game at the World Cup
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TEAM NEWS
Manchester City full-back Danilo will miss Brazil's Group E tie with Costa Rica on Friday after sustaining a thigh strain during training.
The 26-year-old will be replaced by Corinthians right-back Fagner.
Meanwhile, Neymar is expected to start despite hobbling out of a training session on Tuesday.
The Paris St-Germain forward, who broke a bone in his right foot in February, felt pain in his right ankle but took part in another session on Wednesday.
Costa Rica will look to emulate Switzerland's efforts against Tite's side, who had to settle for a point.
Los Ticos now face an uphill task to progress after losing 1-0 to Serbia.
OVERVIEW
Brazil began the World Cup as one of the favourites, but opened up in underwhelming fashion by drawing with Switzerland, despite going ahead through Philippe Coutinho's wonderful, curling effort.
However, the five-time champions, appearing in their 21st consecutive tournament, will not worry about qualifying for the knockout phase just yet.
Unbeaten in their last 13 World Cup group games, winning 10 and drawing three, Brazil have topped their first-round group in every World Cup since 1982 and last failed to progress past this stage in 1966.
While Costa Rica will not have given up on progressing to the knockout stages for a second consecutive finals, manager Oscar Ramirez will need to retune his team offensively.
Penalty shootouts excluded, Costa Rica were one of only three sides to remain unbeaten in the 2014 World Cup but have toiled in front of goal at the finals, scoring just once in their last four World Cup games.
They sprung a surprise by progressing in a group consisting of Uruguay, Italy and England four years ago - but have it all to do now in Russia.
VIEW FROM BOTH CAMPS
Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho: "We said after the last game we need to improve. All games are like a final, even more so in the World Cup. We need to take responsibility and our heads have to be in the right place. This game is important and we're looking for three points.
"We spoke about the possibilities and the ways to qualify and points, we had a meeting about that but we take to the field aiming to win."
Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz: "Switzerland pressed them in midfield and that's what you need to do because everybody knows that Brazil are best from midfield going forward.
"We need to win the ball back quickly and counter-attack quickly."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Brazil have won nine of their 10 previous internationals against Costa Rica, losing only in a friendly in March 1960.
This is the third meeting between Brazil and Costa Rica at the World Cup, with the former inflicting Costa Rica's first-ever defeat on them at the tournament in 1990 (1-0), before a 5-2 victory in 2002
Brazil
Philippe Coutinho's goal against Switzerland was his 11th for Brazil - five of those have come from outside the box.
Brazil are winless in three World Cup matches (D1 L2), their worst run since June 1978, when they went four matches without a win.
Brazil conceded from the first shot on target they faced at the 2018 World Cup - from their last 13 shots on target faced at the World Cup, they have conceded 10 goals.
Brazil's Neymar was fouled 10 times in their opening match against Switzerland - it was the most a player has been fouled in a World Cup match since 1998, when England striker Alan Shearer was fouled 11 times against Tunisia.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's only previous World Cup victory against South American opposition came in the 2014 tournament (3-1 vs Uruguay).
Costa Rica lost their first match against Serbia, ending a five-game unbeaten run at the World Cup finals - they haven't lost back-to-back World Cup games since June 2006, when they lost four in a row.
Against Serbia, striker Marco Urena had just 14 touches in 67 minutes for Costa Rica, with three of those in the opposition box - his replacement, Joel Campbell, had 24 touches and four in the opposition box.
Costa Rica have scored from just one of their last 31 shots at the World Cup.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Brazil 1-0 Costa Rica (5 September 2015)
'Brazil 84% chance of progressing'
Football statisticians Gracenote Sports believe Brazil have a 84% chance of progressing through the group.
Gracenote Sports head of analysis, Simon Gleave, said: "An opening match draw against the second-best team in the group is never a disaster so Brazil's 1-1 draw with Switzerland still leaves the Brazilians with an 84% chance of reaching the last 16. That makes Brazil the sixth likeliest team in the last 16 after the opening matches. Brazil do need to record a victory against Costa Rica, though, to stop their chance declining still further."
BRAZIL may be World Cup favourites, but after bumbling to a draw in their opener against Switzerland, they do need to kickstart their campaign.
Costa Rica couldn’t repeat their heroics of four years ago and crashed to Serbia and are even more desperate for a win.
Splash News Neymar was given rough treatment against Switzerland, being foul ten times in total
That’s easier said than done, though, and the fact they are 16-1 in a two-horse race sums up their chances.
The nation expects
Whenever and whoever Brazil play the country expects nothing more than a victory. Anything but a comfortable success and it will be a national footballing disaster.
Costa Rica’s previous World Cup exploits sent them to Russia under more pressure than ever before. But realism dictates the fans will be delighted with a point.
AFP or licensors Costa Rica haven’t lost back to back World Cup games since June 2006
Key battles/star men
How fit is Neymar? Can Costa Rica keep him quiet? What about the rest of the matchwinners throughout the Brazil team?
The biggest battle will probably be between the Samba stars and their own complacency - although the first game slip-up should put them straight on that one.
Weakest links
If Brazil are vulnerable anywhere it is at the back and Marcelo always has a mistake or two in him. It’s just that it usually doesn’t matter because they outscore opponents.
Costa Rica have had largely the same players for a long time and while that gives them solidity, how will their ageing legs cope in the latter stages?
Likely line-ups and team-talks
Brazil - Coach Tite will warn his side they cannot afford to be as wasteful as their first game.
Team: Allison; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marcelo; Casemiro, Paulinho; Willian, Coutinho, Neymar; Jesus.
Costa Rica - Oscar Ramirez wants to keep it tight and frustrate, and make the most of what few chances they’ll have. Great in theory, a mountain to climb in practice.
Team: Navas; Gamboa, Acoste, Gonzalez, Duarte, Oviedo; Venegas, Guzman, Borges, Bryan; Urena
Best bet
Unthinkable to see anything but a Brazil win, and a comfortable one at that. To win both halves around 6/4 looks nailed on and correct score of 4-0 at 9/1 is tempting (odds with Betway).
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Best Bet
Surely it was just an opening game stutter for Brazil? Betway is offering 11-2 for the Brazilians to serve up another draw
Fact Me
Brazil have won nine of their 10 previous internationals against Costa Rica, losing only in a friendly in March 1960.
This is the third meeting between Brazil and Costa Rica at the World Cup, with the former inflicting Costa Rica’s first ever defeat on them at the tournament in 1990 (1-0), before a 5-2 victory in 2002.
Costa Rica’s only previous World Cup victory against South American opposition came in the 2014 tournament (3-1 vs Uruguay). They’d lost their previous three against CONMEBOL sides beforehand.
Philippe Coutinho’s goal against Switzerland was his 11th for Brazil – five of those have come from outside the box.
Costa Rica lost their first match against Serbia, ending a five-game unbeaten run at the World Cup finals – they haven’t lost back to back World Cup games since June 2006, when they lost four in a row.
Brazil are winless in three World Cup matches (D1 L2), their worst run since June 1978, when they went four matches without a win.
Against Serbia, striker Marco Ureña had just 14 touches in 67 minutes for Costa Rica, with three of those in the opposition box – his replacement, Joel Campbell, had 24 touches and four in the opposition box.
Neymar limps out for Brazil World Cup training session
Just over 58 years ago in San José the home side got the better of the World Cup holders, still the only time they have avoided defeat in 10 meetings
The Panamerican Championship is one of those international tournaments that time forgot. It ran every four years from 1952-60, with emerging teams from North America joining the big hitters from the South. And though the competition is unlikely to be a Mastermind specialist subject any time soon, it had its moments. In 1952 Uruguay and Brazil met for the first time since the immortal Maracanazo of 1950, when Alcides Ghiggia’s late goal stole the World Cup from the host, Brazil. A virile rematch ended 4-2 to Brazil in goals and 1-1 on sendings off.
Eight years later Brazil were the subject of one of international football’s more incongruous scorelines when they lost 3-0 to the host, Costa Rica. The result stood out then; it stands out even more now. Costa Rica’s record against Brazil going into Friday’s match in St Petersburg is dismal: P10 W1 L9. That includes two World Cup defeats, 1-0 in a low-key game at Italia 90 and 5-2 in a wildly open match 12 years later, and assorted pastings elsewhere.
Brazil were the world champions when they lost to Costa Rica – they won the tournament for the first time in 1958 and would retain it in 1962. But it was not David v Goliath so much as David v Goliath’s clumsier younger sibling.
Costa Rica wonder how to top a World Cup underdog fairytale Read more
The Brazil team were unrecognisable from the one that won those World Cups. The Panamerican Championship was scheduled at the same time as the prestigious Rio-São Paulo Tournament, which back then was the closest Brazil had to a national championship, so Pelé, Garrincha and the rest took part in that instead.
Brazil picked a team entirely of Gaúchos – the name given to those who played in Rio Grande do Sul, the southern state known for its cowboys. Brazil’s captain, Énio Rodrigues, had five caps going into the Costa Rica match, their second of the tournament. The rest of the team had eight between them.
It’s a truism that there is no such thing as a bad Brazil team, and the squad for the competition was still full of fine players. Most of them came from Grêmio, who were in the middle of a run of 12 state championships in 13 years; the rest were from Internacional, Cruzeiro and Aimoré.
When they played Costa Rica in San José, they were caught cold by early goals from Guillermo “Memo” Valenciano and Édgar Quesada. An affronted Brazil bombarded the Costa Rica goal thereafter but the goalkeeper Hernán Alvarado produced the kind of performance that is still being talked about in a foreign newspaper 58 years later. Rigoberto Rojas’s late goal added an extra sheen of disbelief but a crowd of 25,000 happily gawped at the evidence on the primitive electronic scoreboard, sitting right below a huge Esso slogan: Costa Rica 3-0 Brasil.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The electronic scoreboard at San José’s former national stadium records the final score back in March 1960 Photograph: Rodrigo Calvo collection
After the match there was giddy talk that Costa Rica might win the tournament. With all four teams – Argentina and Mexico were the others – playing each other twice, Brazil had the chance for revenge a week later. The element of surprise, and perhaps complacency, was gone. Costa Rica lost 4-0.
The Brazil game was Costa Rica’s only win out of six in the tournament. It was the biggest result in their history until 1990, when they beat Scotland in their first ever World Cup match.
As with England’s famous win at the Maracanã in 1984, few Costa Ricans felt the need to kill their own joy by highlighting the fact that most of Brazil’s best players were missing. A win over Brazil is a win over Brazil is a win over Brazil.
Besides, Costa Rica had more than enough reason to think they could hold their own in more elite company. A couple of months before that match, they drew 2-2 with a full-strength Botafogo – the same “Esquadrão Imortal” who are indelibly associated with Brazil’s first two World Cup wins. The team included Garrincha, the greatest winger of all time; Nílton Santos, Brazil’s best ever left-back; the futuristic left-winger Mário Zagallo; and the goal machine Quarentinha.
Costa Rica’s draw was arguably a worthier result, though it is not the one people remember. You never forget the first time you beat Brazil – especially when it’s the only time.
What is it?
It's the Group E fixture between Brazil and Costa Rica where anything but victory could leave the Brazilians, one of the favourites in Russia, in a difficult position to advance to the knockout stages.
When is it?
Friday, June 22.
What time is kick-off?
It will start at 1pm BST.
What TV channel is it on?
You can watch live coverage on ITV or ITV HD. Alternatively, you can follow our live blog.
Where is the game being played?
It's taking place at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.
