[SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP] Shakira starred in the World Cup closing ceremonies at Maracana before the final got underway, which ended with a Germanywin over Argentina that was celebrated by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and hailed by some other notables. Shakira was performing at her third straight World Cup,which was also the third straight time that […]
world cup 2014
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Soccer America's World Cup Best XI
By Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) In a tournament with so many twists and turns, it isn’t easy to come upwith a World Cup Best XI. Over the tournament’s 32 days, there were many outstanding individual performances but not a lot of consistency. Even champion Germany mixed great with not-so-greatperformances in its seven matches. The choices for […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Germany-Argentina Player Ratings
By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) A gripping World Cup final ended with a superb goal by Mario Goetze that earned Germany its fourth world title with a 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup. He was just one of many players on both squads whoresponded admirably to the big occasion.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Germany is Weltmeister, deservedly
By Mike Woitalla (@MikeWoitalla) RIO DE JANEIRO — Mario Goetze, who was born nearlytwo years after Germany last won the World Cup, struck a left-footed volley into the Argentine net to give Germany its fourth world championship. In overtime, after 113 minutes ofscoreless play, Andre Schuerrle swung in a cross that the 22-year-old Goetze tapped […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Dutch pile more misery onto Brazil's nightmare
By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) For a few minutes, the downtrodden Brazilian players and theirdespondent fans rallied together. As they had prior to the opening game against Croatia, the fans and players sang their national anthem with passion. Banished as they were to Brasilia for thethird-place game against the Netherlands, their singing carried an undertone of […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Argentina-Germany Gameday Guide
[BRAZIL 2014] For all the talk about their two previous World Cup finals, in 1986 and 1990, Argentina and Germany have a more recent history. Germany will befavored on Sunday when it faces Argentina at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, but neither coach expects a game like four years ago when Germany crushed Argentina, […]
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Faves & Likes: Supermodel stunned by another Brazilian setback
[SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP] Supermodel Gisele Bundchen watching on TV and Neymar and Dani Alves from the bench wereamong the many Brazilians who suffered through another Selecao debacle on Saturday. Brazil responded to its 7-1 shellacking from the Germans in the semifinals by falling, 3-0, to the Dutchin the third-place game. It took only three minutes […]
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Robin van Persie gives his medal to fan
[WORLD CUP: Off the Post] Following the Netherlands 3-0 win over Brazil to take third place at the World Cup, Dutch forward Robin van Persiehanded his bronze medal to a fan. Not just a random fan, of course. “The Oranje Generaal” has been following the Dutch squad since the 1994 World Cup. He’seasy to spot […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Thiago Silva
“We need to apologize to the fans. They booed us at the end, which is normal. They have feelings, too. It’s very tough.” — Brazil captain ThiagoSilva after the hosts lost the third-place game to the Netherlands, 3-0, in Brasilia. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Brazil Diary: Lost in translation but loving it
By Mike Woitalla (@MikeWoitalla) I find Brazilian Portuguese to be a beautiful language. The woman’s voice coming overthe P.A. at Sao Paulo’s Rodoviaria Tiete bus terminal, reading departures and arrivals, sounds like a lovely song, which is what I first thought it was. I just wish I could understandmore of it. And I wonder if […]