Mora urges Costa Rica to fight

Injured Costa Rica defender Heiner Mora has urged his team-mates to treat every FIFA World Cup game like a final.

Mora was cruelly ruled out of the World Cup in Brazil after suffering a stress fracture in his right heel during training on Tuesday.

However, that has not stopped the Deportivo Saprissa player from being vocal, telling Jorge Luis Pinto’s men to make the country proud when they come up against heavyweights Italy, England and Uruguay in Group D.

“Both Bryan Oviedo, Alvaro Saborio and me, we are 100 percent with the group,” Mora was quoted as saying on the Costa Rican Football Federation’s official website.

“We give them the message that nothing is to be saved, that we play every game like a final… because many of us wanted to be there and the opportunity is for them to defend the national colours.”

Costa Rica kick off their World Cup campaign against Uruguay at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza on Saturday.