How Germany Became the 2014 World Cup Champs
In June of 2000 Germany finished dead last in its group at the European Championship. They scored one goal in three games, losing to Portugal 3-0 in their final match. “At the turn of the millennium German football stared disaster in the face – it completely lacked a professional foundation,” the writers of a 2011 report from […]
Residents Wonder How New Stadiums Will Benefit After Cup
NATAL, Brazil — From her crumbling house with the leaky roof, across a new highway from a new World Cup stadium, Maria Ivanilde Oliveira heard everything. Notes of the national anthems floated through the humid air into her living room, where her black vinyl couch was losing its stuffing and a metal bookshelf was secured […]
Brasil reacts to Neymar’s injury
Fortaleza’s Avenida Beira Mar was alive with the sounds of Brazil’s celebrations after they took another step towards the 2014 Fifa World Cup final – but there was no mistaking the Neymar effect. The road that sweeps around the front of this picturesque north-eastern coastal location was populated with fans torn between the joy of quarter-final […]
Argentina-Brazil Rivalry Too Hot for Brotherhood
This World Cup has seen Latin American soccer fans cheering for each others’ teams. Not Argentines and Brazilians, whose rivalry remains stubbornly in place. Quarrels between fans of South America’s two biggest countries have broken out in stadiums as supporters taunt each other. Police intervened in Belo Horizonte where Argentina fans and host Brazil threw […]
Boateng speaks out!
African football has yet once again showed its ugliest side and unprofessionalism by lying to the world. Kevin Prince Boateng ripped into the entire Black Stars World Cup campaign in Brazil and the Schalke man minced no words as he spoke his heart out to journalists after the Ghanaian federation had announced that him and […]
The World Cup and Ramadan
On June 28, two noteworthy global events begin: the second round of the World Cup and Ramadan, the Islamic month observed by fasting. For some of the dozens of Muslim players on Algeria, France, and Germany, this will pose a problem: having to play world-class soccer after having abstained from food and water since sunup. […]
World Cup Sets Facebook Record
Facebook reported that the World Cup has racked up more than a billion comments, posts, and “likes” which is more than any other event in history. About 220 million people have taken part in the unprecedented online conversation. Knock-out matches that took place during the weekend pushed the overall number of “interactions” at Facebook past […]
Suarez is not a bad person
On Tuesday a fragile man broke in the industry we all support. He cracked in the pressure cooker we all built. On my way into work every morning I pass a mural. Sometimes I pause and just gaze at it for a while. That’s why it is there. One of the inspirational figures painted onto […]
Boateng and Muntari sent home by Ghana
Ghana’s players departed the World Cup finals £1.7m richer after receiving the appearance money that they claimed they were owed, but with their reputations severely damaged following a series of controversial off-the-field events that overshadowed Thursday’s 2-1 defeat by Portugal. With Germany beating the USA in the other Group G fixture, a 2-1 victory would […]
Top 5 World Cup 2014 Jerseys
We’ve picked these jerseys based on style, how they look on players on the pitch, and how they hold up after 90 minutes of serious competition…rain or shine. Nike Brazil Home & Away Kits with numbers inspired by classic fonts used for street posters in Brazil Nike South Korea Home Kit with special constructed collar […]