In the months leading up to the World Cup, Joel Campbell became accustomed to one theme of banter in his club canteen. He spent last season on loan from Arsenal at Olympiacos, the Greek champions, and would be teased, from December on, by team-mates in Athens about the hard luck his country had suffered in the draw for the tournament: the so-called “group of death”, with its three former winners of the tournament ganged up against his little Costa Rica.

According to his club coach at Olympiacos, Míchel, Campbell would simply retort: “Just watch, I’m going to score against at least one big national team when I get there.”

One down, two to go. Campbell registered the first of Costa Rica’s three goals against Uruguay,