BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- Defying all the doubters, Costa Rica came through perhaps the toughest group of the World Cup unbeaten and on top. Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D. Quite an achievement for a team that was seen as the rank outsider in the first ever World Cup group that contained three former champions. "It wasnt the death group after all -- at least not for us," Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto said. He dedicated the qualification to "those who believed in us and those who didnt." "People started believing after the game against Italy," he added. Uruguay also advanced from the group after beating Italy 1-0. Costa Rica only needed a draw to top Group D and played that way, setting up in a defensive 5-3-2 formation against England. The result gives Costa Rica its best World Cup performance. While Los Ticos reached the knockout stages in 1990, they finished second in a weaker group. Costa Rica will now play the runner-up in Group C in the second round. "We will have to keep fighting," Pinto said. "Whatever happens we are willing to fight." England lost its first two matches to Italy and Uruguay and was already eliminated. England goes home from Brazil without a win after striker Daniel Sturridge missed a number of chances Tuesday. But coach Roy Hodgson thought his team showed spirit against the Costa Ricans, trying to break down a stubborn defence. "We showed today what a good team we can be," England coach Roy Hodgson said. "Apart from the first 10 minutes, I thought we dominated." One of Sturridges best opportunities came in the 65th after a nice one-two with midfielder Jack Wilshere. But the forwards curling shot from the right just missed squeezing inside the far post. Costa Rica had started the match brightly, passing the ball around midfield with ease and making England chase them around. Forward Joel Campbell had an early chance, but his shot from inside the area deflected off Gary Cahill and went just wide in the second minute. Costa Ricas best chance came in the 23rd minute when Celso Borges curling free kick was tipped onto the crossbar and out for a corner by England goalkeeper Ben Foster. But that was about it in terms of attacking for the Costa Ricans and they were happy to absorb England pressure, especially in the second half. Pinto defended his team defensive tactics, saying Costa Rica was also out to attack. "Some people said we would only defend," he said. "No, thats not true. You have seen it. We have been able to attack as well. That is why we are very proud," With nothing to play for, Hodgson made nine changes to the England team, fielding a slew of younger talent, including Adam Lallana, Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw. Englands backup players looked disjointed in the first half, giving the ball away easily and finding it difficult to break through Costa Ricas setup. Wilshere made a fine run down the left in the 12th, setting up Sturridge just outside the area, but the forwards curling shot just missed wide. Wayne Rooney came on as a substitute late in the second half and made an instant impact for England. He found space just outside Costa Ricas area in the 80th, but the backpedalling Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas was able to tip it over the bar and out for a corner. While England showed improvement in the second half, the team just couldnt find a way a through Costa Ricas rearguard. A hardcore group of about 150 England fans stayed in the stands long after the final whistle in an otherwise empty Mineirao Stadium, chanting loudly and jumping up and down. About 25 armed riot police with shields and batons formed a line behind stewards who were urging them to leave. Singing "England Till We Die," the fans eventually left the stands peacefully. ------ Lineups: Costa Rica: Keylor Navas; Giancarlo Gonzalez, Roy Miller, Oscar Duarte, Junior Diaz; Cristian Gamboa, Yeltsin Tejeda, Celso Borges (Michael Barrantes, 78), Bryan Ruiz (captain); Randall Brenes (Christian Bolanos, 59), Joel Campbell (Marcos Urena, 65). England: Ben Foster; Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw; James Milner (Wayne Rooney, 76), Frank Lampard (captain), Jack Wilshere (Steven Gerrard, 73); Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana (Raheem Sterling, 62), Daniel Sturridge. JaVale McGee Lakers Jersey . -- David Price didnt think he would be in Port Charlotte this spring. LeBron James Jersey .Y. - Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs didnt flinch in the face of adversity. http://www.lakersteamofficial.com/Javale-Mcgee-Lakers-Jersey/ .Y. - The Buffalo Sabres reassigned forward Sam Reinhart to the WHLs Kootenay Ice on Friday. Rajon Rondo Lakers Jersey . Gauteng High Court Judge Dunstan Mlambo ruled Tuesday that South African media houses will be allowed to install three remote controlled cameras in court for the Olympic athletes trial starting next week to capture images that likely will be seen by millions around the world. Kyle Kuzma Jersey . Gough finished in fourth, 0.433 seconds behind American Erin Hamlin, who took the bronze medal at the Sanki Sliding Center in Rzhanaya Polyana.TAMPA, Fla. -- There are two ways to look at Dale Weise scoring the Game 1 overtime winner for the Montreal Canadiens. From a glass-half-empty perspective, the Habs probably shouldnt have needed the fourth-liner to score after outshooting the Tampa Bay Lightning by more than double in regulation and dominating the play. From a glass-half-full perspective, they can be thankful they spread the scoring around five different players. Thats the kind of depth that can propel a team in the playoffs, and while the power play tops the list of what must improve for Game 2 and beyond in this series, the Habs are confident in the bevy of scoring options they have up and down the lineup. "Its playoffs, I think you see a lot of guys like Weiser, a lot of guys in his kind of role are going to score those big goals in overtime or late in the third period," winger Rene Bourque said. "Its nice, though, we do have depth. We could rotate guys in and out of the lineup from the first to the fourth line." The Habs got goals from the first (Thomas Vanek), second (Tomas Plekanec), third (Lars Eller and Brian Gionta) and fourth line (Weise) in Game 1 on Wednesday night. That kind of scoring balance makes it hard for any opponent to key on one line. "We need contributions from everyone if we want to have success," coach Michel Therrien said. "You need to use and you need to show confidence in all your players when you go to the playoffs." Therrien showed plenty of confidence in his forwards, playing each at least 12 minutes. That includes almost a full extra period because of overtime, but its not like the fourth line of Weise, Daniel Briere and Michael Bournival got benched when the game was on the line. The Habs put 35 shots on net in regulation to the Lightnings 16. That was one reason why defenceman P.K. Subban liked the "structure" of play so much. "I cant remember the last game we outshot a team,&quuot; Subban said.dddddddddddd"For us, structurally, I thought we did a great job." Problem is, the Habs did a great job and still couldnt close the deal. No lead lasted more than four minutes, and they could never take a stranglehold on the game. One reason was that Montreals power-play drought extended to 0 goals in its last 25 chances dating to March 26. Therrien put his team through some power-play work at Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday. "Im confident as a coach that it will be more productive," he said. "By working, by communicating, by teaching, this is the way we believe that eventually were going to be better." Subban put the blame on everyone, saying the defencemen need to do a better job of putting the puck in better places for forwards to retrieve it. As for what exactly isnt working, check the scoreboard. "You know what? Were not scoring," Subban said. "Its just not going in for us. If we score, it changes everything." In addition to the power play, the Habs might want to stop giving up as many quality chances as they did. After the 5-4 victory, captain Brian Gionta called the shot total "misleading" because the Lightning had several golden opportunities. Those opportunities, and the goals that resulted, also frustrated goaltender Carey Price. The Habs dont want that. "I think hockeys a game of mistakes and you see yesterday, they capitalized on every mistake we made," Bourque said. "Weve just got to tighten up defensively a little bit more." Players and Therrien expect plenty of adjustments and for this to be a long series that changes as it develops. But even winning Game 1 the Habs know what they cannot continue to do. "If we give up four goals Im not sure were going to win the next game," Therrien said. "There were a few breakdowns that were going to approach with our team to make sure were more solid." Follow (at)SWhyno on Twitter ' ' 'rsey[/url] . Thats how the Ravens won when Ryan was their defensive co-ordinator from 2005-08, and that is precisely the formula Baltimore used to beat Ryans New York Jets on Sunday. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Yu-Darvish-Kids-Jersey/ . Or at least on everyone elses expectations. Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process. Javier Baez Jersey . The team said they will announce a corresponding roster move prior to their series opener on Tuesday night in Kansas City. Kosuke Fukudome Cubs Jersey . Nine-year veteran Danny Granger did not make his debut with the Clippers because of a technicality on the teams active list, which is signed by coach Doc Rivers before every game and relayed to the officials. Grangers name was printed by hand by a member of the public relations staff under the heading: "Updated Roster Additions," but the number on the sheet was not circled along with the other active players by the required deadline of 6:30 p. NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers are the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The the NHL awards the trophy annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." It essentially serves as the leagues MVP award. Crosby scored 36 goals and led the league in assists (68) and points (104) to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy and lead the Penguins to their second consecutive division title. He registered points in 60 of the 80 games he played in (75 per cent), including 30 multi-point performances, and never went more than two consecutive games without registering a point. Crosby also reached the 100-point milestone for the fifth time hit 700 career points in his 497th game, the fastest among active players and sixth-fastest in NHL history. The 26-year-old Cole Harbour, N.S., native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after winning the award in 2006-07 and finishing as a runner-up in 2009-10 and 2012-13. Getzlaf scored a career-high 31 goals and ranked second in the League with 87 points to lead the Ducks to the top record in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history.dddddddddddd He posted a 14-game point streak from Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (six goals, 11 assists). Getzlaf also set a career high with seven game-winning goals and recorded a plus-28 defensive rating. The 28-year-old Regina native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time. Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race with 86 points to help the Flyers bounce back from a 3-9-0 start to the season. After being held pointless in his first five games and not scoring a goal until his 16th, Giroux totalled 28 goals and 51 assists in his final 67 games of the season. He also compiled a career-long, nine-game point streak Dec. 11-30, (six goals, 11 assists) and recorded his 100th NHL goal Dec. 19. The 26-year-old Hearst, Ont., native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time. The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner will be announced June 24 during the 2014 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. 11:44ET 01-05-14 ' ' 'ay night. "More than anything, Tim led the way for us as he has for 16 or 17 years," coach Gregg Popovich said about his team pulling away in the final quarter. Marco Belinelli added 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Spurs, who were without guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and forward Tiago Splitter -- all sidelined with injuries. Coming off a first half when he went 1 for 4 from the floor, Duncan scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the third to help San Antonio open a 71-66 lead after three. "I started out the second half the exact same way and finally got some to fall," he said. "They kept coming to me and I just put it in the hole. There wasnt anything I changed, anything I saw." Boris Diaw added 18 points and Duncan grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Spurs to their fifth win in seven games. "Hes had that same demeanour since Day 1 when he arrived," Popovich said of Duncan. "He doesnt get excited about wins. He doesnt get down about losses. He just loves to compete and he keeps a real steady attitude, which everybody kind of feeds off in a way." First-year Boston coach Brad Stevens thought Duncan decided to take command more after halftime. "He changed," Stevens said. "I mean, he went back to being really aggressive on the blocks. I thought in the first half we did a really good job on a couple of catches that he did have down on the block, but he kind of put (them) on his shoulders. He wasnt going to be denied -- and we dont have great matchups for him. Theres not many great matchups for him in the NBA or in the world." Rajon Rondo led Boston with 16 points and Kris Humphries and rookie Kelly Olynyk had 15 apiece. The Celtics fell to 4-18 against Western Conference teams. Duncan scored 12 points and was 5 of 6 from the floor in the fourth. "He is arguably oone of the best power forwards of all time, and hes doing it at 38," Humphries said.dddddddddddd Boston was minus guard Avery Bradley, who was sidelined with a sprained right ankle. After the Celtics scored the first points of the fourth quarter on a jumper by Humphries, San Antonio went on a 12-4 run. The Spurs went 6 of 8 to start the period, keyed by Danny Greens 3 from the left corner that made it 79-70 with just under 10 minutes to play. After a foul-line jumper by Humphries, Duncan had consecutive baskets, the second a jumper that pushed the Spurs lead to 85-74 with 8:06 left. San Antonio broke it open with a 11-0 run midway into the quarter that was capped by Belinellis 3-pointer with 4 minutes left. The Spurs used a 9-2 run late in the third and opened their five-point lead heading into the fourth. Duncan didnt score his first points until a basket late in the first half. The Celtics went on a 12-0 run, bridging the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to pull to their first lead of the game, 26-25, on Phil Presseys 3-pointer. San Antonio led 48-44 at halftime. NOTES: Stevens said Bradley re-sprained the ankle that cost him five games at the end of January. Stevens said he could be out after the All-Star break. ... Before the game, Stevens praised the Spurs ability to overcome the loss of players due to injuries. "I think some of the most inspiring basketball Ive ever watched is when they dont have all their players," he said. ... The Spurs played their sixth game of a nine-game road trip that will carry over the break with the final three. Boston opens the post-break schedule with a four-game trip, starting against Phoenix next Wednesday. ... Hall of Famer Bill Russell turned 80 Wednesday. ... San Antonio beat Boston at home on Nov. 20, 104-93 in the only other meeting this season. ... Ginobili has a tight left hamstring and missed his eighth straight. Splitter was out for his third consecutive because of a bruised right shin and Parker was sidelined with lower back tightness. ... Stevens said Boston F Jared Sullinger played just 18 1/2 minutes because he was "sick." ' ' 'limited Thursday and full Friday. "First and foremost, we want to make sure weve done the right thing by the player and hes safe to return," Del Rio said. "Obviously, wed like to have our better players available and hes one of them." Broncos tight end Julius Thomas was limited and listed as questionable. ' ' '