Yang Chen battles with Martinez (Allsport).

By Paul Walker, PA Sport, Gwangju

Costa Rica grabbed their moment of glory - and showed they can win without Paulo Wanchope scoring - and must pray for an even bigger upset when they face the hugely impressive Turkey in Incheon on Sunday.

Because they know, however well they played to break a billion Chinese hearts watching back home on TV, the Ticos will be unlikely to get anything from Brazil in their final group match.

What is to come will be daunting enough when it arrives. So Costa Rica deserve to bask in the sunlight of a great day for their little country.

The South Americans were quicker, more mobile and carried greater attacking threat.

Manchester City's Wanchope had one of those languid days for which he has become famed, but he did enough to unsettle and disrupt China's paper-thin defence.

Wanchope had not played a serious game since City's FA Cup defeat at Newcastle in February, and has needed two knee operations this term.

He lasted until the final minutes before being substituted, his day of irritation and annoyance to China's worrying rearguard completed.

Just what Brazil will do to former Crystal Palace and Dundee defender Fan Zhiyi, does not bear thinking about.

China did have midfielder Li Tie - interesting Everton, Newcastle and Southampton - working his socks off in front of a troubled defence, but he could not produce wonders on his own.

China barely had a scoring chance before Ronald Gomez grabbed the first on 61 minutes after good build-up work by Wanchope.

And when Mauricio Wright glanced home a clever header four minutes later, it was all over for Bora Milutinovic's boys.

China knew where they went wrong. Captain Ma Mingyu blamed "a lack of concentration and poor reactions" while defender Li Weifeng said: "We lacked endurance and made too many mistakes."

Mistakes that will be cruelly exploited by Turkey and Brazil.

Costa Rica will move on to their own daunting clashes with the group's big two in more confident mood because they have the better teamwork and organisation.

They must battle for a point against Turkey and hope. But for all Bora the miracle man's brave words, the veteran of five World Cups knows that his China are for the chop.

Their first finals, endorsed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter's presence - underlining the importance the world governing body put on China's development into a major footballing power - will surely end after further maulings by Brazil and then Turkey.

Manchester City defender Sun Jihai, Wanchope's club-mate, may well not be fit for Brazil with an ankle injury and could even miss the rest of the tournament.

Teams

China: Jiang, Wu, Weifeng Li, Zhiyi (Yu 74), Jihai (Qu 26), Xu, Tie Li, Ma, Xiaopeng Li, Chen Yang (Su 66), Hao.

Subs Not Used: An, Du, Gao, Ou, Qi, Shao, Pu Yang, Zhang, Zhao.

Booked: Tie Li, Xu, Xiaopeng Li.

Costa Rica: Lonnis, Marin, Wright, Martinez, Castro, Wallace (Bryce 70), Solis, Centeno, Fonseca (Medford 57), Wanchope (Lopez 80), Gomez.

Subs Not Used: Chinchilla, Cordero, Drummond, Mesen, Morgan, Parks, Rodriguez, Sunsing, Vallejos.

Booked: Marin, Solis, Gomez, Centeno.

Goals: Gomez 61, Wright 65.

Att: 27,217

Ref: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).