Chris Maduewesi
Member
A 1-0 victory for Uruguay was what did the damage as Italy became the latest big football house to exit in the first round of the competition.
Everything didn't go according to plan for the Italians who needed just a point to be able to qualify.
Mario Balotelli was getting all tensed up picking up a yellow card in the first half which made Cesare Prandelli to hurl him out at half time as he tried not to play the game with ten men.
However fate played a fast one on Prandelli when his team was eventually reduced to ten men in the second half.
Claudio Marchisio was shown a straight red card after a reckless challenge that saw him raise his studs.
Luis Suarez with his inside right foot forced an immaculate save off Gianluigi Buffon,after Cristain Rodriguez came close to finding the net.
However a frustrated Suarez was enmeshed in another fresh biting controversy,headbutting and sinking his teeth on the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, who pulled his shirt off to show the referee the bite.
That's the third time Suarez has bitten a player,first on PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal in 2010 and in 2013 against Branislav Ivanovic.
Suarez does not seem to be far from controversies with the striker constantly drawn into problems that could be inimical to his team.
Uruguay though overcame the incident and got the needed goal that sealed qualification for them.
Diego Godin just as he proved pivotal for Atletico Madrid last season rose up to score the only goal of the match,the ball came off his shoulder to beat Buffon and net the winning goal.
Italy with the outcome of the game,got knocked out in the first round for the second successive World Cup tournaments.
Meanwhile,England and Costa Rica settled for a 0-0 draw with the Three Lions exiting the tournament with just a point.
Roy Hodgson made nine changes to his starting eleven,but the game was still tepid,lacking in excitement to thrill spectators.
At some point a Beach ball was being knocked around in the stands by a group of supporters to great cheers by the fans.
Not much of action was seen with Foster in goal for England tipping over a shot to the crossbar.
Costa Rica finished as winners of the group while Uruguay takes the second spot.