Monthly Archives: June 2014

World Cup Tactical Analysis: France 3-0 Honduras

“France came into the World Cup with a lack of expectations in terms of success, but lots of expectations in correcting the tainted image of French football after the horror show an and off the pitch four years earlier. Qualification was a struggle, led by a hard-fought performance against Ukraine, but they’ll count their blessings at getting a somewhat easy group. Easy primarily because of their first opponents, Honduras. The North American side consisted of players not playing at the top of World football, while their type of football was also one befitting of minnows with the emphasis on the defence. Nevertheless, they were a good physical side and over-looking any team at a World Cup can have monumental repercussions.” Outside of the Boot

Mature France performance sees Honduras off
“Didier Deschamps’ France side got their FIFA World Cup Group E campaign underway on Sunday with a comfortable 3-0 win over minnows Honduras in Porto Alegre. After three scoreless opening matches since 1998’s 3-0 win over South Africa in Marseille, Les Bleus finally put that unwanted record to bed with a mature performance at Estadio Beira-Rio. Karim Benzema was the key man for the French. He scored twice, played a big role in the other goal — the World Cup’s first to be decided by goal-line technology — and finally looks ready to deliver on the biggest stage for his country.” ESPN

France vs. Honduras in GIFs
“Les Blues takes care of business in its opener. France were heavy favorites against Central American opponent Honduras. Not only did they have the edge in terms of talent, they were still angry about 2010. Well, not really, but they did win easily, 3–0 in Porto Alegre. Check out our favorite GIFs.” Fusion (Video)

Where Dishonesty Is Best Policy, U.S. Soccer Falls Short

“The list of improvements that the United States men’s soccer team needs to make is considerable. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann would like to see a more consistent back line, better touch from his midfielders and plenty more production from the attackers. Yet as Klinsmann and his players begin their World Cup here Monday against Ghana, trickier questions of soccer acumen have come into focus: Are the Americans bad at playacting? And if so, should they try to get better? The first part seems easy enough. For better or worse, gamesmanship and embellishment — or, depending on your sensibilities, cheating — are part of high-level soccer. Players exaggerate contact. They amplify the mundane. They turn niggling knocks into something closer to grim death.” NY Times

How We Play the Game

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Pelé in a match at the 1966 World Cup in England.
“Every team is simply trying to score goals while preventing its opponent from doing the same. But they all seem to go about it in distinct ways, don’t they? To understand what is happening on the fields in Brazil at the World Cup, one must learn a bit about each country’s history, and literature, and music, and regionalism, and economy – not to mention bicycles and pottery. If you look closely enough at the X’s and O’s, you just might find a national poem.” NY Times

Breaking Down Italy’s First Goal

“Was it Italy’s execution or the result of a small lapse in England’s defending? England started surprisingly well against Italy, but the first goal of the came from a perfectly executed set-piece by the Azzurri. Italy deserves more credit than England does blame. But the English did make two minor mistakes on the play.” Fusion (Video)

The Matches Have Been Excellent So Far. But Could FIFA’s Corruption Make This the Last World Cup?

“In the spring of 2006 I was working on the Observer when, one quiet afternoon, the editor, Roger Alton, called out to me across the newsroom: ‘Jase, d’you fancy going to the World Cup?’ This was a question to which, if you liked football, the answer could not be ‘no’. Alton was an inspirational editor. He combined charm with just a hint of menace. He was menacing because he was capricious and unpredictable. But it was his very unpredictability that made him such a good editor—this and his high intelligence, which he tried to disguise by speaking in a kind of hectic demotic. The writer Geoff Dyer once described him to me, accurately enough, as being like a ‘cross between an Oxford don and a London cabbie.'” New Republic

Scenes From Rio: Champagne Showers and Dan Gadzuric Graffiti at the World Cup

“It appears to be true, what everyone keeps saying. Last year’s massive civic unrest protesting the Brazilian government’s prodigious World Cup spending — which erupted during the Confederations Cup, and saw a million people throughout the country take to the streets — has left Rio de Janeiro working through a bit of a hangover. The pre-Cup festivities were muted: Any of these beautifully scruffy Rio streets might feature a rippling mini-flag canopy, but for every bit of street art depicting David Luiz as an ethereal sun god, there was another with hasty graffiti reading, ‘FIFA GO HOME.’ Still: No one told the seventysomething dude bombing down Copacabana beach, stunting out his limousine sunroof with a bottle of champagne, slicked-back Calipari hair, and a technicolor dreamcoat while screaming, ‘CHILE! CHILE! CHILE!’” Grantland

World Cup 2014: England loss to Italy need not spell disaster

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“England’s players may have left the draining conditions of Manaus and returned to Rio beaten by Italy in their first World Cup game – but this was a defeat that felt different. When England flew home from South Africa four years ago it was after a campaign that died of boredom and incompetence under the austere “Camp Capello” regime. Here there was boldness and a sense of adventure, even if Roy Hodgson’s side left the Amazonian rainforest empty-handed. The 2-1 loss to the Azzurri will have been painful and damaging but there was at least a sense that England had provided cause for optimism and hope they may yet navigate a route out of this tough Group D.” BBC

Raheem Sterling vindicates inclusion on England World Cup debut with promise for future
“England have been to too many tournaments and been lifeless, fearful and gone home early. England may be thrown out of this magnificent World Cup party prematurely but at least they are having a go, playing with a zest not seen in more sterile recent tournaments. England lost a game but gained some friends. Raheem Sterling is part of that welcome development, this step towards an age of enlightenment, but he’s still a work in progress, still learning against masterful opponents like Italy. England have to persist with Sterling, persist with this move towards a more sophisticated style.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

England 1-2 Italy: Jonathan Wilson’s Tactical Verdict
“The assumption had been that if Wayne Rooney was asked to play wide on the left it would be because England were playing a 4-3-3. In a 4-2-3-1, it was assumed, he would play behind Daniel Sturridge. But Roy Hodgson instead used Raheem Sterling in a central position, and he excelled there, looking composed at home from the moment he cracked a shot into the side-netting in the fourth minute. England’s great strength going forward is their pace, and there were signs of the sort of intermovement that could take best advantage of that. It’s easy, because of his pace, to assume that Sterling is primarily a threat because of his speed, but he can also be a measured and intelligent footballer, as he showed with the pass that released Rooney to cross for Sturridge to score the England equaliser. Sturridge himself had a good night, not just with the goal but in the way he constantly moved across the forward line, creating space.” Bet – Jonathan Wilson

World Cup Tactical Analysis: England 1-2 Italy
“With the World Cup in full swing now, the action shifted to the aptly labelled Group D, the Group of Death. This group, apart from containing minnows Costa Rica who went on to shock Uruguay, also had two giants of world football, England and Italy. These two titans locked horns in the middle of the Amazon Forest in a crunch World Cup tie to try and take advantage of Uruguay’s slip up.” Outside of the Boot

Watching the Three Lions Get Mauled at an Italian Restaurant in New Jersey
“I have no idea why I thought this was a good idea: watching England’s first game at Dusal’s, an Italian restaurant run by a bunch of guys from Naples. Perhaps I hoped that the Napolitano distrust of northern Italian prejudice—and by extension, ‘Italy’ as a concept—might make them sympathetic to a Brit 3,000 miles from home. Didn’t Maradona ask Napolitanos to back Argentina in their 1990 World Cup semi-final against Italy? And how did that work out for him?” New Republic

World Cup Tactical Analysis: Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica

“After a successful 2010 World Cup, expectations were high for Uruguay. But those that haven’t followed Oscar Tabarez’ men should know that the South Americans struggled in qualifying while retaining an almost identical squad from four years back. Their opponents, Costa Rica, were being over-looked by most in the highest ranked World Cup group. But while viewers can be forgiven for this, Uruguay were guilty of almost ‘expecting’ a victory rather than earning it.” Outside of the Boot

A Few Words on Uruguay’s (Very Tight) Shirts
“I was the only person in my local café watching Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, the first game in Group D. I knew there would be more interest for England vs. Italy. Egyptian love for Latin American teams extends mostly to Brazil and Argentina.” New Republic

A Nation Teased by a Stale Promise of Supremac
“Few in Uruguay will have heard of the English man of letters Cyril Connolly. Yet his most famous phrase — ‘Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising’ — would not be lost on a country used to auspicious starts. The seeds of Uruguayan exceptionalism were sown early. After the country hosted and won the inaugural World Cup, in 1930, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association gave a moving speech in which he stated his expectation that the country take its place as the first among all nations.” NY Times

Costa Rica vs. Uruguay Highlights (Video)

World Cup 2014: Group Stage, Day 3. COLOMBIA 3-0 GREECE. COSTA RICA 3-1 URUGUAY. ITALY 2-1 ENGLAND. IVORY COAST 2-1 JAPAN

“4-2-3-1 and lots of width. The team news was significant, because Colombia coach Jose Pekerman chose to use a 4-2-3-1 rather than the 4-2-2-2 he often fielded throughout qualification. This meant James Rodriguez shifted inside from the left to play as the number ten, with Juan Cuadrado on the right and Victor Ibarbo brought into the side to play on the left. This meant Colombia had a very defined structure, with a creative number ten and two speedy wingers, and these three were the crucial players in Colombia’s victory.” Zonal Marking

World Cup Tactical Analysis: Chile 3-1 Australia

“Chile came into the World Cup as potential dark horses, with many viewers impressed with the level of football played by Sampaoli’s men. Australia are the lowest ranked team in the entire tournament and the focus for them has been the youth, with the future of the sport more important that this tournament, given the difficult group. With Spain’s loss earlier, Chile knew that they could put real pressure on the defending champions with a win, and while they started off strong, Australia gave a good case of themselves and may have even been unlucky to not come away with more than just pride.” Outside of the Boot

World Cup Tactical Analysis: Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan

“At the end of a long football day which saw 4 World Cup matches being played, Japan and Ivory Coast clashed in their respective openers. Colombia, the highest ranked team in the group, had already won their match and picked up 3 points, and the battle between these 2 was seen as crucial to decide which team makes it past the group phase. Both teams boasted of strong line ups, and it was an evenly matched battle.” Outside of the Boot

World Cup Tactical Analysis: Spain 1-5 Netherlands

“Day two of the 2014 FIFA World Cup saw the holders Spain taking on the Dutch in a highly anticipated rematch of the finalists from the last edition in South Africa. The build up to the World Cup has seen questions asked of both teams: Spain, despite their domination of the international scene in recent years, has been labeled as a fading dynasty that will fall apart with this year’s World Cup. Expectations for their opponents, the Netherlands, have also been at an all-time low as Louis Van Gaal’s men have been branded one of the worst Dutch teams to go to a World Cup. With all this being said, Spain were firm favorites ahead of the game and were expected to enjoy a comfortable win and take a commanding lead in Group B. However, the result could not have been more different.” Outside of the Boot

World Cup 2014: group stage, day 2. NETHERLANDS 5-1 SPAIN. MEXICO 1-0 CAMEROON. CHILE 3-1 AUSTRALIA.

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“… A truly extraordinary game of football – Spain took the lead, but the Netherlands repeatedly breached their high defensive line and recorded a historic victory. High lines. This match was all about high defensive lines, a concept that has become a key part of both Spanish and Dutch football – the two are strongly linked, of course. At the last World Cup, barely any teams were brave with the positioning of their defensive line, instead sitting deep and allowing space in front of their defensive block. Here, the space wasn’t in midfield, where no-one had time to put their foot on the ball, but instead in behind the opposition.” Zonal Marking

The Play That Changed Holland vs. Spain

“For most of the first half of the Spain-Holland match, the defending champions had been in complete control and were up 1–0 as halftime approached. Then Robin van Persie struck in the 44th minute and turned the game upside down. … Ultimately, the first rule of defending is that you don’t let an attacker get behind you. But allowing a talented player like Van Persie to receive the ball 30 yards from goal in the middle of the field isn’t far behind. More than a tactical error, it seems that Spain’s biggest problem was Ramos’s and Pique’s execution. Notice that Pique is slightly behind the defensive line, holding Van Persie onside. If he had been in line with the rest of the defenders, RVP would have been offside. Now, it’s usually the opposite-side outside back or weak side center back who has the best view of a developing play, and so he calls the line, commanding his defensive partners in front of him to hold, step, or drop.” Fusion (Video)

Holland’s World Cup win over Spain wasn’t the return of Total Football – Louis van Gaal has created something new
” By 1661, Rembrandt had fallen on hard times. Golden Age Amsterdam was turning against the gritty, unglamorous realism of his paintings. They wanted lustre, not texture. But Rembrandt was not going to go down without a fight. And so, when he was commissioned to paint a historical scene to hang in Amsterdam Town Hall, he knew that he would be expected to produce something decorous, reverent, heroic: a bold piece full of strong colours and glorious poses, in keeping with the style of the age. The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis, when it emerged, was none of these things. It was harsh, dimly lit, borderline disturbing. The barbarian chieftain of the title is depicted with his one blind eye not obscured in profile, but front-on, in full and queasy detail. It was one of Rembrandt’s greatest works. But it was too harrowing by far for the Amsterdam city council, who rejected it and returned it to the artist. In financial difficulties and now with a five-metre painting nobody wanted, Rembrandt was forced into the single most traumatic act that a painter can undertake.” Telegraph

Holland’s beautiful goals put the wonder back in World Cup
“Vicente del Bosque was not expecting that, and Louis van Gaal – “We had a plan but I never imagined it would work out quite so well” – was not expecting it either. Ron Vlaar, penalised for the first foul challenge after just 13 seconds, was not expecting it, and neither were the six Spain fans in replica shirts – three middle-aged couples from Valencia – who turned up a little sheepishly in a Salvador seafront restaurant on Friday evening and politely asked for a table without a view of the television. Not since the heyday of Monty Python, it appears, has anyone been quite so surprised by a Spanish inquisition.” Guardian

What If the Most Beautiful Goal of the World Cup Has Already Been Scored?
“I am sure there will be a few memorable goals during the rest of the World Cup—we’re only on day three—but the one scored by Robin van Persie of Holland against Spain to tie the game justifies the entire tournament. Those of us who wait four years for this fiesta de fútbol so that moments such as these might nourish us know full well they are few and far between. This one came early and might not be surpassed.” New Republic (Video)

Spain Was Asking for Trouble Against the Netherlands
“Spain played a high defensive line, positioning themselves well forward, near midfield. It left them vulnerable. . .” NY Times

Three Points: Chile vs. Australia

“Three observations from Chile’s 3-1 win over Australia to open up their World Cup campaign. 1. The Chile Way… If you are going to play the Chile way, there can be no half measures. It has to be all or nothing. Chile seek to impose themselves on the game, throwing both full-backs forward at the same time in a ceaseless quest to create two-against-one situations, looking to play high-tempo, dynamic football in which they seek to suffocate the opposition by pressing them in their half of the field. In order for this to function, everyone needs to press. Chile made hard work of their 3-1 win against Australia because everyone did not press. Perhaps it was the heat of Cuiaba, Brazil. Or maybe there is a dollop of confusion and doubt in the mind of coach Jorge Sampaoli.” ESPN – Tim Vickery

Chile vs. Australia in GIFs
“Besides Belgium, no team has been as hyped coming into this World Cup as Chile. Led by coach Jorge Sampaoli and his high-pressing 3-3-1-3 formation, the Chileans have become the darlings of the international game. In their opening game, they got out to a fast start and were up 2—0 after the first quarter hour. But Australia were dogged. Led by Tim Cahill, it got a goal back and repeatedly found gaps in the Chilean defense. Only a late third goal by La Roja assured it of the three points. Here are a few of our favorite GIFs.” Fuion

Out of Joint

“When I switched on last night’s World Cup opening ceremony, it first appeared that some São Paulo carnivalesque version of Macbeth was in production and Birnam wood was on its way to Dunsinane. A number of figures masquerading as trees were making their way around the field shaking their branches and twigs. But soon the trees had exotic birds for companions and then some children in white bounced on a trampoline while mechanical leaves unfolded and, of course, we were not in Scotland but a virtual rainforest, where the uncontacted tribe appeared to consist only of JLo, Pitbull, and Claudia Leitte. Luckily for them, the Amazonian jungle on display was the Disneyfied version, significantly denatured: there were no carnivorous plants in evidence or shamelessly sexual banana fronds.” The Paris Review – Jonathan Wilson

Eyesore and Landmark in On

“Rotting, crumbling, covered in graffiti, overrun by weeds, the hulking wreck of a building known as the Aldeia Maracanã would make an unsightly addition to any neighborhood. But it happens to stand next to Rio’s Maracanã Stadium, the soccer cathedral that will host some of the World Cup’s most important matches, including the final. To get to the stadium, tens of thousands of fans will have to pass the Aldeia Maracanã’s ruined walls, now unattractively shielded by a 10-foot mesh fence. If the Maracanã is the celebrated face of Brazilian soccer, the Aldeia Maracanã is the scab on its nose.” NY Times

Mexico’s relief after cagey opening win

“I still don’t have cable, but I do have two feet. Yesterday morning, I realized that my best option for watching the Mexico versus Cameroon game was the local bar. On went my Mexico jersey and El Tri scarf as I debated whether I could honestly justify a pint of beer at 9 a.m. By the way, that was the least excited I had ever been while wearing a Mexico jersey. Maybe it was the cold. Maybe it was because I was half-awake. Mainly, though, it was because deep in my futbol-loving heart I knew the true answer was fear. Fear that Mexico would lose. Fear that after years of riding an emotional soccer roller-coaster, the national team would be the first squad knocked out of the World Cup.” ESPN

Football, Love, and Feminism: My Holy Trinity

“My dad and I are watching the World Cup together in Cairo, Egypt. It’s the first World Cup in forever that is on while we live in the same city. My family has left and returned to Cairo many times, together and separately. My first ever World Cup was Argentina 1978. Ten year old me watched with my dad and my younger brother in London where my family had moved from Cairo three years earlier. Those early matches with my dad and brother have instilled in me a thrill that kicks in—pun fully intended—as soon as the studio pundits shut up and the camera switches to the pitch.” New Republic

Brazil 3-1 Croatia

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World Cup 2014: group stage, day 1
“The World Cup opener was an exciting game, with Croatia taking an early lead and playing well throughout – Brazil were flattered by the two goal-victory. Crossing. The key feature of the match, and a rather surprising one, was the frequency of crossing. That wasn’t something we expected – Brazil usually field inverted wingers cutting inside to shoot, whereas Croatia hold the ball for long positions in central midfield. But in the first half, both sides crossed the ball regularly. One obvious cause was the format of Brazil’s attackers. Oscar is usually central, with Neymar left and Hulk right. But Scolari changed this completely, with Oscar wide-right, Hulk wide-left and Neymar playing as a support striker, effectively an inside-left. This was probably because Scolari knew Croatia lack a recognised holding midfielder, using two silky passers in that zone instead – so he knew Neymar would get plenty of space between the lines.” Zonal Marking

World Cup Tactical Analysis: Brazil 3-1 Croatia
“The curtain raiser to the grandest tournament of the year took place on the 12th of June at Sao Paulo, with the hosts and hot favourites Brazil taking on Croatia. With all the feverish build up to this game, many were expecting a Brazil romp, but things didn’t really go as planned, as Croatia coach Niko Kovac set his team up to make things very difficult for the Brazilians. Thankfully, the game didn’t suffer as a spectacle, with both teams fighting hard and playing with a great intensity to ensure a positive start to the tournament.” Outside of the Boot

Croatia seething after bitter defeat
“Hysteria — there’s no better word to describe how the morning after the night before looks in Croatia. The Vatreni lost 3-1 to Brazil in the World Cup opener despite putting on a decent performance and, for the vast majority of those who cared to express their opinion, there is no doubt whatsoever who was to blame for the defeat. Referee Yuichi Nishimura is the name’s on everyone’s lips — barely anyone opted for a rational analysis of how Croatia played, instead focusing on the Japanese’s officiating of the match. The Croatia press was incandescent with rage as each media outlet dissected the evening.” ESPN

Neymar makes his mark but like Brazil fails to convince against Croatia
“He was the first Brazilian to score (at the right end) at the World Cup, the first Brazilian to be booked in the World Cup and he also scored a decisive penalty. He trotted round in a corona of attention, always demanding the ball, taking every corner and free-kick, the demands of his country that he should win them the World Cup apparently loud in his ears. Yet this wasn’t a convincing performance, either from Neymar or Brazil.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Relief for Brazil after flawed victory
“Brazil’s World Cup is one of the most ineptly organized major sporting events in history. It might yet prove to be the worst. Its inconveniences have been overshadowed only by its tragedies. Construction workers have died. Stadiums and infrastructure are incomplete. The field in Manaus, a first-order criminal folly, looks like something a beer league wouldn’t play on. The airports and streets are overwhelmed. (If you have a friend in Brazil and you want to know what he’s up to right now, he’s waiting in some kind of line.) Officials have warned visitors not to be out after midnight, that roving bands of muggers have been invading restaurants, that street violence is as inevitable as the sunshine. Long before the start of Thursday’s kickoff between Brazil and Croatia, the concessions at Arena de Sao Paulo had run out of food, the wireless had gone down and the too-few elevators weren’t working properly. Eighteen minutes after the first whistle, a large bank of lights went out.” ESPN

Soccer Morning – June 13th 1:31:13 (Video)

Kickoff

“Jonathan Wilson, from London: ‘All the new thinking is about loss. In this it resembles all the old thinking.’ That’s Robert Hass, in the opening of his great poem ‘Meditation at Lagunitas.’ The lines resonate: earlier this week, before departing for the World Cup in Brazil, the U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is German, asserted, ‘We cannot win the World Cup,’ and it didn’t go down well. At least one pundit suggested that he should ‘get out of America.’” The Paris Review – Jonathan Wilson

McDonald’s World Cup Launch Party Features Live Art by UK-based Ben Mosley and more

“In celebration of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil, McDonald’s has reinvented its French fry packaging. Twelve artists from around the world — many who are active on the streets — were chosen to create the special new designs to celebrate the game. Among those selected from the 500 artists who submitted designs was UK-based Ben Mosley, who descibes his piece, Fans of the World (close-up pictured above), as a homage to the World Cup. ”I believe the World Cup brings people together in celebration from all walks of life and backgrounds,” he explains, “so calling my piece Fans Of The World makes sense to me because it represents everything that I believe to be good about the game.” Street Art NYC

The World’s Ball

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“An Imperfect Ball. Early soccer balls were hand-sewn and made of leather. They were never perfectly round, and inflating them required some skill. The laces had to be undone before an interior air bladder was filled and tied with a thread; then the laces were retied. Team captains chose a ball before each match, and every team had a preferred design, according to Peter Pesti, a collector and expert on World Cup balls. In the first World Cup, in 1930, Uruguay and Argentina could not agree on which ball to use. The first half of the match was played with a model favored by Argentina. The second half was played with Uruguay’s preferred design, the T-Model. Argentina led, 2-1, after the first half, but Uruguay recovered in the second and won, 4-2.” NY Times

God Uses the World Cup to Teach People Geography

“It is astonishing how many of my friends, agnostics as they are, suddenly start praying the moment a World Cup match is before them. One of them texted me just before the opening game between Brazil and Croatia. ‘OMG. You know Im never in church. But today Im a believer.’ He then phoned me. He said the focus of his prayer was not any of the teams on the field. He was really rooting for the Japanese referee.” New Republic

France World Cup play-off win helped cause Ukraine crisis, says Domenech

“The former France coach Raymond Domenech has said the current Les Bleus side is ‘partially responsible’ for the bloodshed in Ukraine. France beat Ukraine 3-0 in the second leg of the World Cup play-off in November last year to pull off a thrilling 3-2 aggregate victory and qualify for the World Cup in Brazil. According to Domenech, the turnaround was such a shock to the Ukrainian people that it paved the way for the crisis situation currently engulfing the country.” Guardian

The Many Goal Posts of Brazil

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“The 2014 World Cup is finally underway. Soccer-loving host nation Brazil plays Croatia inside São Paulo’s Arena Corinthians Thursday afternoon. Like so many tournament story lines formed around excessive government spending on the event ($11.3 billion total), the $525 million stadium has been a source of embarrassment for Brazilian politicians and World Cup organizers. Three workers were killed building the facility. Completed six months past deadline and $150 million over budget, today’s game will be the first it hosts at full capacity.” City Lab

What Would Socrates Do?

“Brazil’s heroic midfielder from the 1980s had a political conscience that’s needed today. You have to wonder what Socrates, the legendary socially-conscious Brazilian midfielder, would have made of what is happening in Brazil. Soccer and socioeconomic issues defined his personality and his career. Were he still alive, he would no doubt be helping us contextualize the craziness of this World Cup. They don’t make Brazilian players, or athletes in general, like Socrates these days. This Seleçao team follows the lead of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who, when the team bus was surrounded by striking school teachers last month, dismissed the issue and said the problems of his country are not his concern. Not yet, anyway.” Fusionn

Francis: a pitch-perfect Pope

“For a nine-year-old boy in lower-middle-class Buenos Aires in 1946, there were three towering influences: the Catholic church, Argentina’s new president, Juan Domingo Perón, and football. Jorge Mario Bergoglio absorbed them all. He used to go with his father, an immigrant Italian railway worker, to watch the San Lorenzo team. In that magical year of ’46, San Lorenzo became Argentine champions. Bergoglio – now Pope Francis – likes to say that a crucial San Lorenzo goal that season ‘just about deserved a Nobel Prize’.” FT – Simon Kuper

World Cup Let the Drama Begin: World Cup 2014 Group Preview, From A to H

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“The top players are here (mostly), the stadiums are ready (sort of) and preparation time is up: The 2014 World Cup begins Thursday. After Brazil takes center stage in São Paulo (yes, Croatia will be there, too, but all eyes will be on the host), the two biggest heavyweight fights of the first round arrive in short order: Spain versus the Netherlands on Friday and England versus Italy on Saturday. So settle in for the next month and enjoy.” NY Times

Welcome to São Paulo, Ground Zero of Protest, Foment, and Labor Strife

“The metro strike has ended in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, for now. Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s Secretary General in town for the FIFA Congress, says there is no Plan B to get 61,000 fans to the nearly finished Itaquerão stadium. Of course, there might be a general strike across the country on Thursday, but it’s maybe, probably just a rumor. Panic has ensued. Calm Down! Hurry up! Slow down! How do I get to the stadium?” Fusion

Brazil: organised, structured, and the favourites

“There has never been more pressure on a side to win a World Cup: the hosts are always expected to exceed expectations, but the expectation in Brazil is always to win. Following two disappointing quarter-final exits in 2006 and 2010 – and let’s not forget, Brazil started both those tournaments as favourites – another failure won’t be tolerated. In re-appointing Luiz Felipe Scolari, the World Cup-winning coach from 2002, Brazil find themselves with a fine manager capable of working, and thriving, under such great pressure. While judgement of his performance will be entirely dependent upon what happens in the next month, he’s performed an extremely good job so far.” Zonal Marking

A ‘bloodbath’ on the pitch, a riot in the streets

“The Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro has a special, rueful place in the Brazilian psyche. It is beloved by all who have seen it, even at its rundown worst. When it came to be renovated for the first time, it was feared it was an impossible task. So much human urine had been expelled over its concrete foundations that it had made the stadium structurally unsound. It was also the venue of an event that Brazilians had never forgotten, from the last time the country hosted the tournament: the 1950 World Cup final. Those who weren’t born then have never been allowed to forget it either.” CNN – James Montague

Your Ultimate World Cup Twitter Guide

“Why Watch & Tweet? If you can’t watch a World Cup match, then you should be on Twitter following micro-rants that break news and breath life into a digital stream. (Actually, you should be reading our live blog, which will be delivering so many gifs that you’ll feel you’re watching the actual game.) Even if you can watch, you might still want to have Twitter open on a second screen. Why? Because it’s like watching with a bunch of your friends–really smart and connected ones, funny ones, and a lot of idiots–except you don’t have to smell, share a bathroom with, kick out, or clean up after any of them. How to Follow Specific Teams & Matches. To find and share content specific to a country, simply follow and use the applicable hashtag. Each of the 32 countries has a three-letter abbreviation. They are…” Fusion

Protests at the World Cup

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A protester argues with police during the Sao Paulo demonstration on June 12. Two CNN journalists sustained minor injuries at the scene.
“A Brazilian policeman stands behind shields during clashes with protesters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday, June 12. The buildup to the World Cup has been plagued by mass demonstrations over the estimated $11 billion cost of staging the soccer tournament. Many protesters, angered by the state of Brazil’s public services, believe the money would be better spent elsewhere.” CNN

Four years of tactical evolution

“The World Cup is always a fantastic barometer of the prevailing style of football in any era. Games from Chile in 1962 were amazingly physical and aggressive, by the 1970s things had become more cultured and technical, and in 1990 defensive organisation and structure was the overriding feel. What of 2014 in Brazil? What will distinguish it from World Cup 2010 — and, indeed, from World Cup 2018? Here are three key features of the 32 sides competing over the next five weeks.” ESPN (Video)

Spain: can they keep their incredible run going?

“Spain’s current run of success is unprecedented – two European Championships, with a World Cup between. When you consider their distinctive playing style, and the way they’ve taken possession football to the extreme, they’re unquestionably one of the greatest international sides in history. They are, however, more vulnerable than in previous years. That’s because key players have declined since Euro 2012. While others have been in and out of the side, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta have been the two midfield stars consistent throughout Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012. They’re the personification of Spain’s Barcelona-based tiki-taka game, and together they had their least impressive season for years. At his best, Xavi controlled matches better than any midfielder in the world, maybe better than any midfielder ever has, but now there are questions about his mobility and capacity to lead this side. Iniesta’s season at club level was disappointing, but he always delivers at international tournaments, and for the first time it is Iniesta, not Xavi, who must become Spain’s technical leader.” Zonal Marking

A Prayer for the Goalies and Referees of the World Cup

“Here is one thing I can predict with total certainty about this World Cup: an as-yet-to-be determined number of goalies and referees are going to suffer terrible fates. They will be vilified. They will ruin their lives as we watch. They will shoulder the rage and sorrows of entire nations. As we saunter into this month-long spectacle, let us take a moment to thank them. For their suffering is what makes this theatre possible.” New Republic – Laurent Dubois

While the World Watched

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“INSIDE A BUENOS AIRES restaurant named El Cuartito, sky-blue paint covers the walls, along with photographs and banners from important athletes and teams. In the center of the largest wall is a shrine to Diego Maradona, the star of the 1986 World Cup. That title is so important that Maradona, a recovering drug addict, still basks comfortably in a nation’s warming love and goodwill. People celebrate the ’86 title with vivid street art murals, and with photos and signed jerseys and posters in nearly every place of business, including El Cuartito. The restaurant celebrates civic heroes, which is why one particular omission is jarring. Argentina has won two World Cups, the famous one in 1986 and the other just eight years before, in 1978, when Argentina played host. That team is barely honored at all inside El Cuartito. In the back corner of the main room, as far away from the door as you can get, hang two team photos. That’s it.” ESPN

2014 World Cup Roundtable: Planet Futbol’s prediction panel

“The 2014 World Cup kicks off Thursday, when Brazil and Croatia open the highly anticipated competition in Sao Paulo. Every World Cup is met with excitement and intrigue, but there’s something extra special about the 2014 edition. Perhaps it’s the host and its tradition of excellence. Perhaps it’s the loaded tournament field. Or perhaps it’s that transcendent stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in their primes at the most ideal time. Regardless, there is quite the chapter of international soccer that is on the cusp of being written. Our reporters on the ground in Brazil — Grant Wahl, Brian Straus, Jonathan Wilson and James Young — and our contributors throughout the tournament — Liviu Bird and Ben Lyttleton — offer their picks as the world’s spotlight gets firmly planted on Brazil for the next month.” SI

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): FIFA and the World Cup

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“John Oliver’s excitement for the World Cup is tempered by knowing information about FIFA, the organization that produces it. John details the problems with the upcoming tournament and the staggering allegations of corruption against FIFA.” YouTube: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): FIFA and the World Cup (Video)

Germany: need the right combination upfront

“Germany have reached at least the semi-finals of the last four major international tournaments without winning any. Frankly, it’s about time that changed. It’s worth remembering Germany went into the 2010 World Cup with many key players relatively unknown outside of Germany. The likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, Manuel Neuer and Sami Khedira were very raw, yet were rightly thrown in at the deep end and proved extremely capable. By Euro 2012, Jogi Low could add Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Andre Schurrle. Now, he can add Julian Draxler.” Zonal Marking

The Pressure Builds on Brazil

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“Just days before Brazil kicks off the World Cup against Croatia, warm-up matches and training sessions around the country reveal the two sides of Felipe Scolari and regional feelings about the team. June 3, 2014; Brazil v Panama; Goiânia, Brazil. Luiz Felipe Scolari is answering a question about Neymar. Scolari answers a lot of questions about Neymar. And about David Luiz, and Hulk, and all the other members of the Seleção. He also answers a lot of questions about pressure, and preparation, and a thousand other subjects connected with the most important, and least answerable, question: Will Brazil win its sixth World Cup this summer.” Fusion

Brazil on Edge as World Cup Exposes Rifts

“Brazil’s list of feats since ending authoritarian rule in the 1980s is as long as it is varied, including antipoverty programs pulling millions into the middle class, the democratic election of presidents who suffered indignities under the dictatorship and the surging growth of tropical agriculture to help feed the world. But instead of coming together to extol such triumphs on the global stage as the host of the World Cup, the soccer tournament starting on Thursday with teams from 32 countries, Brazil is marked by rifts, with some people genuinely excited about the event while others are simmering with resentment over its ballooning costs and a sluggish post-boom economy.” NY Times

World Cup Opinions in 19 Countries: Likes, Dislikes, Predictions

“Argentina, the United States and Iran appear to be the most disliked World Cup teams. Brazilian fans enter the World Cup as the most confident, though Argentines and Spaniards aren’t far behind in their home-country optimism. And fans across many countries agree that the Brazilians play the most attractive form of soccer. These are among the results from a study of people in 19 countries conducted by YouGov, the online survey firm, in collaboration with The Upshot. The study offers insight into the psyche of fans around the world as they prepare for the most watched tournament in sports. Highlights include…” NY Times

Portugal: the same as usual

“Even if you haven’t seen Portugal play since Euro 2012, you’ll still know the team pretty well. Portugal always have roughly the same style, roughly the same strengths and weaknesses, and roughly the same chance of winning the competition. It’s no different this time around. Portugal’s starting XI for World Cup 2014 is extremely similar to their starting XI for Euro 2012, and it’s a familiar story – solid defence, talented central midfield, dangerous wide players, no prolific striker.” Zonal Marking

How the UK taught Brazil’s dictators interrogation techniques

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“As the world focuses on the World Cup, which opens in Brazil in less than a fortnight, many Brazilians are wrestling with painful discoveries about the military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985. The BBC has found evidence that the UK actively collaborated with the generals – and trained them in sophisticated interrogation techniques.” BBC (Video)

National Defense

“On June 12th, the United States men’s national soccer team faces England, in Rustenburg, South Africa, in a match that is expected to draw one of the largest audiences in the history of televised sports. The last time the U.S. met England in a World Cup was sixty years ago, in June, 1950, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The American team, cobbled together so hastily that many players had just met one another, included a dishwasher, a mail carrier, a meat packer, and a hearse driver. A reporter from Belfast called them a ‘band of no-hopers” and “surely the strangest team ever to be seen at a World Cup.’ No one gave the Americans the slightest chance. Their coach, Bill Jeffrey, described his squad before the game as ‘sheep ready to be slaughtered.'” New Yorker

Algeria: young and mobile

“Anyone who remembers Algeria’s performance at the last World Cup won’t be excited to see them this time around. Algeria were extremely disappointing in terms of both quality and entertainment, and arguably contributed less to the World Cup than any other side. Four years later, however, they’re a more exciting prospect. Coach Vahid Halilhodzic has the side well organised, but also committed to playing good attacking football, with plenty of movement amongst the front three, and a mobile, young and technically proficient midfield trio too. Algeria are receiving less attention than the other four African sides in this competition, probably because of the lack of star names – but they’re actually the highest-ranked African side in the latest FIFA rankings.” Zonal Marking

Sao Paulo metro strike suspended for two days

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“Metro workers in Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, have suspended a strike over pay to allow for negotiations. The five-day stoppage had caused traffic chaos in one of the world’s most congested cities just days ahead of the football World Cup. The union warned that the strike would resume on Thursday – when Sao Paulo hosts the opening match – if its demands are not matched. A strike would make it hard for fans to reach the stadium on Thursday.” BBC

World Cup 2014: age begins to tarnish Ivory Coast’s golden generation

“Fate has not been helpful to Ivory Coast at World Cups. In 2006, as the so-called golden generation first emerged, they were drawn in an impossible group with Argentina, Holland and Serbia-Montenegro, lost their first two games and were out almost before they had begun. Four years later, they lost to Brazil, drew with Portugal and, although they beat North Korea, went out as Brazil and Portugal played out a goalless draw. The tournament has been rather kinder on this occasion but the truth is that time has probably been called in the last-chance saloon, and the Ivorians are outside on the pavement wondering if there is anywhere else still open.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

USA: a diamond midfield

“While 4-2-3-1 remains the dominant formation, there’s a decent amount of tactical variety on show at this World Cup. The United States are expected to add to this variety by using a diamond midfield, which might be unique among the 32 teams. Jurgen Klinsmann has spent recent weeks telling the press that the formation doesn’t matter, but the switch to the diamond in April’s 2-2 friendly draw against Mexico was a significant move, and was designed to bring the best out of the USA’s outstanding player, Michael Bradley.” Zonal Marking

Diamonds in the Rough

“The human body is 18 percent carbon, which means that if you subject it to high enough pressures at high enough temperatures and hold it there for a long enough time, it will form diamonds. You can try this yourself, in a laboratory. All it takes is, say, a pound of human ash, more than 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and 60,000 times the standard atmospheric pressure of Earth at sea level. Extract carbon, bake, compress. Check back in a few weeks. Not a DIYer? No problem. Just FedEx your burial urn to one of the many Internet-facing memorial-diamond companies that have sprung up in the last few years. For between $2,500 and $25,000, outfits like Chicago’s LifeGem and Switzerland’s Algordanza will take the cremated remains of your loved ones and return them, presto chango, in the form of wearable jewelry.” Grantland – Brian Phillips

Switzerland: true dark horses

“Switzerland have appeared at the previous two World Cups, and from their seven matches across those two tournaments, have conceded just one goal. They’ve always boasted good organisation, but have lacked quality in attacking positions to record victories. That might have changed. Switzerland have a superb generation of young talent, summed up by the fact their four forwards are aged 21, 22, 23 and 24, and their first-choice attacking midfielders 21 and 25. If Switzerland can keep their traditional defensive structure while successfully introducing attacking invention, they have all the qualities required to succeed.” Zonal Marking

The Night Croatia’s Soccer Players Booked Hotel Rooms for Their Fans

“The morning after Croatia defeated Germany, the defending European Champion, 3–0 in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup, I drove a rented Renault up to Vittel, where the victors would be based for the days leading up to the semifinal against France. Vittel is a genteel spa town, best known for the mineral water that is bottled under its name. Grand old hotels lined the perfectly maintained streets. The few people appeared oblivious to the presence of the team that had just pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament.” Fusion

Terry Gilliam, Guy Ritchie & Alejandro González Iñárritu Direct Soccer Ads for Nike

“Even if you don’t hail from one of the world’s many soccer-loving countries (you know, the ones that don’t call it ‘soccer’) surely you can get on board for the World Cup. Here in the United States, I often hear ‘I just watch it for the ads’ said about the Super Bowl. And if that game’s breaks showcase some pretty cool spots, then its non-American football equivalent offers an even higher level of promotional spectacle. Last year, we featured Brazil and 12 Monkeys auteur Terry Gilliam’s two ventures into the form of the World Cup commercial, ‘The Secret Tournament’ and ‘The Rematch,’ the first of which you can watch at the top of the post.” Open Culture (Video)

The World Cup Is About to Begin, and FIFA’s Reputation Has Never Been Worse

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“With the World Cup kicking off this Thursday, the month of June should be FIFA’s moment in the sun. Instead, the skies continue to darken over soccer’s international governing body. It all started on June 1, when The Sunday Times exposed that Mohamed bin Hammam, a former member of FIFA’s executive committee, had secretly bribed soccer officials worldwide nearly $5 million in an attempt to win votes for Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup. This wasn’t the first corruption charge leveled at bin Hammam: he was banned from FIFA in 2012 on charges of bribery, though the decision was later overturned.” New Republic (Video)

Iran: frustrating to watch, frustrating to play against

“In a World Cup featuring lots of very familiar sides, Iran are something of an exception. They were absent from the 2010 edition, lack standout individual names, and a combination of politics and finances means their preparation for the tournament, in terms of warm-up matches, has been minimal, although they’ve now managed to squeeze in four pre-tournament friendlies. Opposition players won’t naturally know much about Iran, and opposition scouts will find it difficult to build a picture of their strengths and weaknesses.” Zonal Marking

The group stage’s biggest battles

“The group stage of the World Cup is nearly upon us — 48 matches in eight groups, from 12 venues, spread across 15 days. It can all be a little overwhelming, so here’s a group-by-group preview of the key battles between teams, managers and players.” ESPN – Michael Cox(Video)

UFWC World Cup preview: Uruguay’s chances in Brazil

“The UFWC title is going to the World Cup, in the hands of Unofficial Football World Champions Uruguay. The WC tournament begins in Brazil this Thursday, 12 June, and the UFWC action begins on Saturday, 14 June, when Uruguay play Costa Rica in Group D. Also in Group D are England and Italy, both likely to be involved in UFWC title matches over the next couple of weeks. Depending on results, the unofficial title may then be contested in the knock-out stages, which would mean UFWC title matches all the way to the WC Final.” Unofficial Football World Championships

Statistically speaking, pressure is on USA to get points in World Cup opener

“How important is the USA’s first game of the World Cup? Let’s just say that if the U.S. wants to advance from a difficult group (Germany, Portugal, Ghana), history shows that it needs to get at least a point from Monday’s U.S. opener against Ghana (while three points from a win would be fantastic). On Tuesday, I asked U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley if he viewed the Ghana game as a must-win or a must-get-a-result game.” SI