I had never heard of the sprightly midfielder before June. Fulham has been loaning him to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven most recently. But in Brazil he keeps popping up, scoring or assisting on decisive goals.
Costa Rica could have folded the tent when, after holding off Greece for nearly half an hour with only 10 men, they let in a tying goal in stoppage time. But there was their captain — a slip of a man who looks much younger than his 29 — heartily shaking hands with the ref and the Greek captain as he and his team were about to face another half-hour onslaught in OT.
The Ticos, with the smooth coach and captain, did not flinch. They did minimal whining and diving. They just endured, then made every single penalty shot. I like to think Ruiz’s sporting spirit had something to do with it.
