Monday was supposed to be a day of celebration for Brazil. It began the 500-day countdown until the 2014 World Cup starts. Festivities promoting the event and demonstrating Brazil’sreadiness — as it is — to host the tournament were planned. But they were called off due to the tragedy in the southern city of Santa […]
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Blatter: organizers put on warning
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the incidents that took place at the aborted Copa Sudamericana final in Sao Paulo last week should give Brazilian organizersof the 2014 World Cup pause to consider what can go wrong if they don’t take the proper security measures. Wednesday’s abandoned match between Sao Paolo and Tigre of Argentina in […]
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Hexagonal countdown: Reggae Boyz shocker
Jamaica, which has had its way in the Caribbean in recent years, suffered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Caribbean Cup when it was shocked by French Guyana, 2-1, Saturday in theiropener. It is only the latest blow to the Reggae Boyz, the two-time defending champions, as they build up to […]
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FIFA announces cities for dress rehearsal
The buildup to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil passed another milestone Thursday when FIFA officially confirmed the six cities that will host Confederations Cup matches next June. Theeight-team competition, which matches the champions of each confederation as well as the host nation in a mini-World Cup format, will be played in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, […]
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USA faces tough road to Brazil but draw delivers good omen
How can you describe as tough a draw that only determines when and where you play, not whom do you play? Well, FIFA conducted the Hexagonal draw Wednesday night in Miami, Beach, Fla.,and the United States will open against Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico — the three teams in the six-team qualifying group that have […]
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Canadian teen's secret call-up
With his squad decimated by injuries, illness and suspension, Jurgen Klinsmann has chosen not to call in reinforcements. But with Canada needingto get a result in Tuesday’s game at Honduras, Coach Stephen Hart called in 19-year-old forward Lucas Cavallini as alast-minute call-up after Oliver Occean was red-carded in the 3-0 win over Cuba. How last-minute? […]
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Benna Boys are optimistic
Guyana sold out, taking the money it will earn for playing its final — and basically meaningless — home game of the semifinal round of Concacaf qualifying against Mexico at Houston’s BBVA CompassStadium, but Antigua & Barbuda never considered moving Friday’s game against the United States to U.S. soil. Playing the USA at Sir Vivian […]
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Brazil '14 kickoff times criticized
FIFA released the schedule — dates, kickoff times and venues — for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and immediately came under attack for scheduling games as early as 1 p.m local time. While the tournament, which runs June 12-July 13, will take place in the heart of Brazil’s winter, conditions are problematic for early […]
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Armadillo is Brazil 2014 mascot
The mascot of the 2014 World Cup is a yet to-be-named Brazilian endangered armadillo.
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Powers struggle to get results
England beat co-host Ukraine, 1-0, at Euro 2012 but it barely managed to earn a 1-1 with a late Frank Lampard penalty in their World Cup 2014 qualifier on Tuesday at WembleyStadium. Ukraine had taken the lead on a goal by Evhen Konoplianka in the 39th minute and it looked like it would hold up, but […]