Ivory Coast national team midfielder Ismael Diomande. REUTERS/Mike Blake (BRAZIL - Tags: SPORT WORLD CUP SOCCER) - RTR3VD8O
Last Minute Sucker Punch Downs Ivory Coast
WASHINGTON —
Ivory Coast were Tuesday evening eliminated from the World Cup after conceding an injury time goal under pressure from a determined Greek side which beat them 2-1.
Greece head through to the quarter finals after the dramatic finale in Fortaleza. Fernando Santos's side led for half an hour after Andreas Samaras put the Ethniki ahead just before half time.
Another substitute Ivorian Wilfried Bony levelled the scores before Samaras’s late winner. They will meet Costa Rica in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
Diego Godin knocked home a corner kick to lead Uruguay to a 1-0 victory over Italy Tuesday, eliminating the four-time champions and advancing the South American side to the knockout round of the World Cup.
The victory was eclipsed by a bizarre incident late in the second half when superstar Luis Suarez allegedly bit Italian Giorgio Chiellini during a contested play.
The referee didn't notice, and no free kick or card was given. However, in TV footage that ricocheted around the Internet, Suarez indeed appears to bite down on Chiellini's left shoulder.
After the encounter, Chiellini pulled his jersey off his shoulder while yelling at the referee, and Suarez appeared to grab his teeth.
Despite not being booked, Suarez could still face disciplinary action from the governing authorities at FIFA that could keep him out of the next round.
Suarez has a history of biting opponents. In 2010, while playing for Ajax, he accepted a seven-match ban by the Dutch Football Federation for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal, according to The Associated Press.
Uruguay's Luis Suarez holds his teeth during the 2014 World Cup Group D soccer match between Uruguay and Italy at the Dunas arena in Natal June 24, 2014. Italy's Giorgio Chiellini accused Suarez of biting his shoulder. REUTERS/Yves Herman (BRAZIL - Tags:
At the time of Godin's goal, Italy was playing with 10-men after Claudio Marchisio was shown a straight red card for a hard foul on Uruguay's Egidio Rios in the 59th minute.
After the game, Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli and the country's football federation president, Giancarlo Abete, announced their resignations.
In a Group C matchup, meanwhile, Colombia Japan, having already clinched a spot in the knockout round.
In the other Group D match, Costa Rica and England played to a scoreless draw in Belo Horizonte. Costa Rica had already clinched first place in the group after earlier upset wins over both Uruguay and Italy.
Italy's Giorgio Chiellini accuses Uruguay's Luis Suarez of biting him during their 2014 World Cup Group D soccer match at the Dunas arena in Natal June 24, 2014. REUTERS/Yves Herman (BRAZIL - Tags: TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY SOCCER SPORT WORLD CUP) - RTR3VI
Brazil, Mexico and Chile all earned berths in the second round on Monday after the Netherlands had previously clinched a spot from Group B.
In the next round, Brazil will face Chile and the Netherlands will play Mexico.
Bosnia cries foul
Meanwhile, Bosnians are laying blame on a New Zealand referee at the World Cup for their team's 1-0 defeat by Nigeria.
More than 20,000 Bosnians have signed a petition calling for the removal of referee Peter O'Leary.
They say a picture shows him celebrating on the field with a goalie from the Nigerian team.
Out of the World Cup entirely now, Bosnians are furious, saying they were cheated on the world stage.
They contend O'Leary wrongly disallowed the only goal Bosnia scored by calling their player offside.
They also say the referee cost them the game by fouling their team's captain at a crucial point just as Nigeria was setting up to score its winning goal.
