Poland Send Costa Rica to Group A Basement

With Germany and Ecuador already qualified for the last 16 the teams were playing for the futures of their under-fire coaches and to avoid last spot in the group.

Costa Rica opened the scoring with a well-worked free kick in the 25th minute with Poland grabbing a hotly contested equalizer eight minutes later.

The winner came midway through the second half with Poland on top after a good spell of pressure.

Under-pressure Polish coach Pawel Janas said that he was happy the team was returning home having got one win under their belts.

"It would have been a pity to go home without any points or goals," said the 53-year-old, who was a member of the side that reached the 1982 World Cup semi-finals.

Coaches consider next moves

Janas, who has been in charge since 2003, added he had not decided on his future as of yet, though, there have been many calls for him to resign as the Poles crashed out of the World Cup at the first hurdle for the second successive time.

"I have not thought about resigning and I am not going to take a decision right now," said Janas, who has fought a successful battle with cancer.

Costa Rica coach Alexandre Guimaraes, who said he would sit down to talk to team officials about his future later this month, blamed a lack of concentration for his team's loss.

"We had a bit of a lack of concentration on dead ball situations and that's where the goals were scored," he said. "Poland waited patiently for their opportunities but they didn't have many."

Both teams opened the match cagily with Costa Rica having the first chance in the eighth minute, but a goal didn't come until the 25th minute when Costa Rica dead-ball specialist Ronald Gomez hit the target from a free kick.

Poland drew level on a controversial decision in the 33rd minute. An unmarked Bosacki hit home a corner from Maciej Zurawski, but Costa Rica goalie Jose Porras seemed to be tripped as he came out to intercept the cross.

It was the central defender's first goal for his country and Poland's opening strike of the 2006 World Cup.

Poland started the second half brightly and took the lead from another corner in the 66th minute after Porras had saved a stinging shot from Jacek Krzynowek. Bosacki rose above Paulo Wanchope to meet the inswinging corner at the back post and powered a header into the net.