World Cup 2014: Joel Campbell leads Costa Rica's rapid rise

08:07, 29 June 2014

LONDON. KAZINFORM As Costa Rica's players tie their laces and the team's coaches shout final instructions before Sunday's World Cup last-16 tie with Greece, Arsenal striker Joel Campbell will pause, take a breath and begin whispering to himself.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" He recites the words to give him strength, words that make him think of his mother, Roxana, his father, Humberto, and three siblings in Costa Rica. Family is the second pillar in his life. God is the first, BBC News reports. If Psalm 27 has given Campbell the conviction to play without fear, whoever the opposition, that fearlessness has also become a feature of the way Costa Rica have played in this World Cup. The Central Americans have already upset the odds by topping a group containing three former World Cup winners in England, Italy and Uruguay - and it has been Campbell who has provided the stand-out performances, notably in the 3-1 win over Uruguay.

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