Costa Rica’s World Cup success has "proved an unexpected bonus for Lotto Sport Italia," according to REUTERS. The private sportswear firm has seen sales of Costa Rica shirts "rise 20-fold as Los Ticos qualified top of Group D." Costa Rica on Sunday beat Greece on penalties to "make the last eight." It is a "rare triumph for a smaller kitmaker of an ilk that has been increasingly squeezed out of the World Cup with major brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma paying millions to hog the stage at the world’s most watched sporting event." Lotto is "struggling to keep up with demand and says an extra 50,000 shirts have been sold since Costa Rica won their opening game against Uruguay." At FIFA's online store the "red home strip is no longer available in the usual short sleeves." Lotto President Andrea Tomat said, "We have far less resources than the major brands ... so we have to work with someone that can be an underdog, someone that can come from behind and has something a little special." Lotto began its relationship with Costa Rica in '90 (REUTERS, 7/1).
