Category Archives: World Cup 2014

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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1978 World Cup and the simultaneous political strife …
“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

Watching the World’s Game, in the World’s City

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“On a gloriously sunny afternoon recently, Lunasa, an East Village pub, was packed seven deep at the bar, as three TVs showed the day’s big games. Soccer games, that is, in Germany, Portugal and England. Just wait until the World Cup starts on June 12. Outside Brazil, there is no better place to experience the world’s sport than the world’s city. Passion for soccer runs deep in New York, among Ghana fans in the Bronx, who expect yet another victory over the United States team; among the Japanese faithful in a discreet Kips Bay lounge; and bursting from 900 Bosnians around Astoria preparing for their nation’s first ‘Svjetski Kup.’ There are 32 teams, in eight groups; we have chosen one nation from each group and provided a local prism to view the games through.” NY Times

Where to Watch the World Cup in New York

Cameroon: need to get the midfield balance right

“With Cameroon, off-field issues are of greater concern than tactical factors. They always have some kind of problem in terms of organisation, and it was no great great surprise when a row about bonuses threatened to take over again. There have also been problems between Samuel Eto’o and Alex Song, Cameroon’s star players, in the past. Following an extremely unconvincing qualification campaign, where Cameroon suffered from infighting, had three different coaches and only escaped elimination because Togo were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player, it was difficult to see any hope for them at this World Cup. A recent 2-2 draw with Germany suggests all is not lost, however.” Zonal Marking

World Cup 2014 Tactics: Analysing Chile’s tactical approach, formation, and set up

“Tasked with a difficult group but favoured by a familiar climate, Chile head to Brazil with a target of qualifying for the second round which will equal their best effort since the tournament expanded to 32 teams, having reached the last 16 in both 1998 and 2010. In South Africa, led by the innovative Marcelo Bielsa, they progressed from Spain’s group after running the eventual winners close in Pretoria and they once again face the World and European champions in Brazil. Group B also houses the Netherlands, losing-finalists last time out and coached by Manchester United’s Louis Van Gaal, and a rather transitional Australia who boast the least experienced squad of all in this World Cup.” Outside of the Boot

Sao Paulo police tear gas protesters

“Brazilian riot police have used tear gas against protesters in Sao Paulo, three days before the World Cup opening game in the city’s main stadium. The BBC’s Katy Watson at the scene said about 300 demonstrators were there and helicopters circled overhead. The protest was called by Sao Paulo metro workers who are striking in support of a 12.2% salary increase. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said she would not allow violent demonstrations to mar the World Cup. Sao Paulo metro workers have been on strike since Thursday, creating traffic chaos in one of the world’s most congested cities.” BBC (Video)

Tomgram: Eduardo Galeano, The World Cup and the Corporatization of Soccer

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“There is a tiny universe of editors of Eduardo Galeano. I was once one of them. Carl Bromley of Nation Books is so today. For an editor, working with such an author is an experience glorious beyond describing. Think of it as to ordinary editing what ‘the beautiful game’ (soccer), World Cup variety, is to sports. With the latest round of that contest imminent, I thought the perfect teaser for TomDispatch readers would be a selection from Galeano’s classic book, Soccer in Sun and Shadow, and Galeano’s splendid literary agent Susan Bergholz agreed immediately. So, one editor to another, I asked Carl, as a literary gent and a Brit with a yen for soccer (who will be cheering for Italy), to do the TomDispatch introduction. Let me give all of you the TomDispatch Guarantee: buy Galeano’s book before the World Cup begins and you may not be able to look up long enough to catch the games! Remember, he’s just been called ‘the Pele of soccer writers’ in the Guardian.” TomDispatch

amazon: Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano

The Burden of Being Messi

“In much of Argentina, where Lionel Messi lived until he was 13, native speakers replace the ‘y’ sound with a ‘sh’ sound. Yo, the personal pronoun for ‘I,’ becomes ‘sho,’ and calle, which other Spanish speakers would pronounce ‘ka-yay,’ becomes ‘ka-shey.’ The sound gives Argentine Spanish a slurry softness that resembles aspects of the Portuguese spoken in Brazil. More important to this story, that ‘sh,’ and the fact that Messi has retained it all his life, has at times been the sole lifeline between the greatest soccer player in the world and the country he plays for.” NY Times

Racism on soccer field in Brazil still hidden not so deep beneath surface

“RIO DE JANEIRO — Close to the geographical heart of Brazil, in the little-known state of Tocantins, soccer players remonstrated with a referee over a decision. Tensions ran high at the state championship match in the small town of Peixe, and in the midst of the ruckus, an official observer called an Afro-Brazilian player a ‘monkey.’ The incident barely made a ripple outside the town of 9,000, and police ignored the victim, a middle school teacher. But as Brazil pulled behind its defender Daniel Alves after a banana was thrown in his direction while he was playing for Barcelona, the episode in Tocantins revealed the country’s complicated relationship with racial identity.” Al Jazeera

‘The other French team’: Soccer and independence in Algeria

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Fans of Algeria’s soccer team celebrate World Cup qualification in Algiers on Nov. 19, 2013. Twelve people died in the celebrations.
“Today we continue our series on politics, political science and the World Cup (here are posts 1, 2, and 3) with a look at identity, politics, and football in Algeria and France. First up is Tony Ross, who examines how soccer got tied up in Algeria’s struggle for independence but now exemplifies the country’s continued ties to France.” Washington Post

World Cup 2014 Tactics: Analysing France’s tactical approach, formation, and set up

“If there’s a man who has a more illustrious career than the entire French cirque that has descended upon Brazil this summer, it is the man at the helm of Les Blues, Didier Deschamps. European honors with Juventus and Marseille, along with a European Championship and World Cup medal are credentials enough to convince any Les Blues fan worth his salt that the former Nantes man is good enough to lead France towards a memorable tournament this year. Rewind back to the night in Ukraine, in a scenario where France have failed to over turned the two goal deficit and this could have been an entirely different story altogether. Failure to qualify for the finals would have ensured that Deschamps would never be remembered in the history of French football alongside greats like Platini, Zidane, Henry, (and the usual suspects).” Outside of the Boot

‘Miracle of Eibar’ – Can tiny Spanish club avoid cruel twist of fate?

“There is only one fairytale story in Spanish soccer this season, but will it have a happy ending? Forget Atletico Madrid’s first league title for 18 years, disregard its city neighbor Real concluding an exhaustive wait for ‘La Decima’ — a 10th European Champions League crown. Because this season is all about the ‘Miracle of Eibar.’ The Basque town has a population of just 27,000 and the club a budget dwarfed by almost all its rivals, yet back-to-back promotions have banked Eibar a place in the big time.” CNN

World Cup 2014 Tactics: Analysing Germany’s tactical approach, formation and set up

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“The Paradox of Choice. Analysis Paralysis. Kid in a candy store. All of these phrases seek to explain having too many options to effectively choose one solution. These are very apt phrases to explain the plight of Germany Manager Joachim Löw when attempting to select the attackers in Die Nationalmannschaft. Despite the defense and holding portions of his midfield being largely decided before the tournament begins, the attacking portions of his team are so full of options and combinations that it will be difficult for the sweater-clad manager to find the right blend of creativity and directness in his front four.” Outside of the Boot

World Cup 2014: Rio horror show or a samba sensation?

“Last time the World Cup was held in Brazil, in 1950, it was designed as the propaganda centre-piece of Getúlio Vargas’s Estado Novo, the concrete sweep of the Maracanã, a modernist wonder that would be reflected in Oscar Niemeyer’s designs for the new capital, Brasília. Football, though, can be delightfully unpredictable and rather than consecrating the new Brazilian state, the World Cup offered a national disaster – ‘our Hiroshima’, as the playwright Nelson Rodrigues tastelessly put it – as Brazil, needing only a draw in the final game to seal the title, were beaten by Uruguay.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Brazil will not be perfect but there should be much to savour over the coming weeks

“Inspired by the idea of covering the 2014 World Cup, Danish journalist Mikkel Jensen studied Portuguese and based himself in Brazil to observe the build up to the big kick off on June 12. But in the middle of April he went back home, proclaiming that ‘the dream has become a nightmare.’ He had come to the conclusion that the tournament was doing nothing to help the ordinary Brazilian – indeed, he felt that in some cases it was even making things worse, and he no longer wanted to be part of it.” World Soccer – Tim Vickery

The World Cup Soundtrack

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“The volume rattles the bones. The gyrations evoke scenes of lustful abandon. In some of funk’s most explicit forms, tracks sprinkled with the prerecorded sounds of machine-gun fire exalt the drug gangs still in control of some of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. On certain nights, the bass from the amps resonates from the hillside slums into the bastions of the privileged classes, as if to remind them: Rio doesn’t belong just to you.” NY Times

Brazil’s politicians banking on World Cup victory to help soothe unrest

“Since 1994, World Cups and presidential elections have taken place in the same years, creating an unintended but poetic synchronicity between football and politics. In 1994 the Tetra [the fourth time Brazil won the World Cup] was followed by the election of the centrist Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a cosmopolitan former sociology professor, who served for eight years. In 2002 the Penta was followed by the election of the left-wing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former shoeshine boy and lathe operator, who also served two terms.” Guardian

Fabio Cannavaro: The street urchin who became a World Cup ‘legend’

“‘When you win the World Cup, you start to become a legend — for the people around the world, you are different.’ For Fabio Cannavaro, this legendary status was hard earned. At just 5 foot 9 inches tall, he wasn’t built to be the world’s greatest center back. And he certainly never expected to be named the world’s best player.” CNN

World Cup 2014: Top 5 real dark horses of the tournament

“If you’ve followed the International football scene for the past few months leading up to the World Cup, you would have learnt how certain experts & pundits have touted Belgium as the real dark horses of the tournament; many have stated how this current crop of players is the golden generation of Belgian football, and we agree. As the months went on, many caught on to the Belgium dark-horses bandwagon, so much so that nearly every football enthusiast now thinks Belgium are the dark-horses for the tournament. Let’s go back a little.” Outside of the Boot

Cameroon – the team with ‘hemle’ (and Samuel Eto’o) on its side

“In Cameroon’s biggest city, Douala, we name streets and squares for the alcohol and sex trade (rue de la Joie), for corruption (Carrefour des Trois Voleurs, or Junction of the Three Robbers, for three officials who used public funds to build houses in the area), for violent deaths and footballers. All these names are unofficial. The only official names are those of the colonisers. Carrefour Eto’o Fils, the junction named for our striker and captain Samuel Eto’o, is in New Bell, the populous quartier where he was born. It is a few blocks from Place Roger Milla and Carrefour Thomas Nkono, named for past footballers. New Bell is Cameroon’s Soweto – revolutions begin here.” FT

Do U.S. Soccer Fans Steal Europe’s Customs? Damn Right We Do!

“It’s disappointing, though not terribly surprising, that this is how Jonathan Clegg begins his jeremiad against American soccer fans, published in the Wall Street Journal Thursday night: ‘Growing up as a soccer fan in England…’ Here we go. To lend credibility to the screed that follows, Clegg reminds us that his English upbringing allows him to understand the sport in a way that Americans never will: ‘I’ve witnessed my fair share of horrors. I’ve seen shocking acts of violence, overheard hundreds of abusive chants and watched Pelé retire to sell erectile dysfunction pills.’ He’s seen things. Clegg’s nod to his nationality also gives away his real reason for writing, the familiar hipster lament: he liked soccer (football) before it was cool, and now these neophytes are ruining everything.” New Republic

World Cup referees: everything you wanted to know…

“Love them or hate them, you certainly cannot ignore referees, the individuals who arguably, have the greatest influence on the outcome of a football match. It’s with that in mind that Sports Interaction has provided what they call the ultimate analysis of the men in black for this tournament. The exhaustive piece of research analyses the performances in international matches of all the World Cup referees and identifies those to avoid if, like Raheem Sterling, you might be prone to the occasional rush of blood to the head.” World Soccer

A central defensive decline?

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“Major international tournaments are generally underwhelming in terms of attacking football, with managers preferring to play cautiously, keep it tight at the back and then spring quick counter-attacks. This approach, which we can expect at the 2014 World Cup, has delivered more cautious, subtle defending — to the point where some may question where all the highlight-reel worthy tackles among centre-backs have gone.” ESPN – Michael Cox

How a New York bar brought boots and pints to North America.

“Jack Keane is recalling the days when he’d be threatened with physical violence for televising football in New York City. How dare you show that shit? shouted an instigator, some drunk East Village punk who was offended at the sight of the game. Don’t you know where you fucking are? ‘He grabbed me by the collar over the bar,’ Keane remembers. ‘He didn’t like me much, I’ll tell you that.’ This was the mid-’90s, when Manhattan’s East Village still had an extra layer of Giuliani-era grit to it and Nevada Smiths, the bar on Third Avenue that Keane ran, was the only place in town showing European football. ‘It was a completely different neighborhood,’ he says. ‘Filled with fucking crazy people. Cars being broken into, drug deals on the streets. It was a different era.’” 8 of 8

From bullet holes to Brazil: Edin Dzeko writes a new chapter for Bosnia

“It’s the question Edin Dzeko is constantly asked. ‘You ask me again about war…’ sighs the 28-year-old, rolling his eyes and smiling as he enjoys a rare moment of peace outside Bosnia-Herzegovina’s team hotel in the picturesque suburb of Ilidza. Perhaps the line of questioning is understandable given that just a short drive away is Dzeko’s home city of Sarajevo, where the national hero lived throughout the Bosnian War which raged between 1992 and 1995.” CNN

World Cup Heores | Oliver Kahn: leader of men, goalkeeper extraordinaire and World Cup Legend

“What is a legend? Does winning define a legend? Building on the above questions, what would an individual’s first thoughts be when he thinks about a World Cup Legend? The first images that flash by the mind are those depicting the player raising the illustrious WC Trophy in his hands. Obvious logic takes over when categorizing a player as a World Cup legend, he has to have won a World Cup trophy. History however has shown the world exemplary examples of individuals standing up and being greater than life.” Outside of the Boot

Croatia, a Work in Progress

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Darijo Srna, Croatia
“Next Thursday, Croatia has the privilege of playing the World Cup’s opening match against Brazil, the host nation. The Eastern European country gets to take on a team that has won the World Cup a record five times—and is this year’s favorite—before nearly 70,000 people in São Paulo’s brand new Itaquerao stadium. The game is the first World Cup match to take place in Brazil since 1950, when the country last hosted the event. Brazil was the favorite that year, too, but it lost in the final in a shocking upset to Uruguay—and the country has never forgotten it.” The Paris Review

Fandom – it’s bigger than football

“Ten years ago the England football team played a friendly in Portugal. Afterwards I shared a taxi with some England fans. We chatted about the game. Then one of them asked: ‘What was the score, then?’ This man must have spent hundreds of pounds coming to Portugal to see the match. It begged the question: why are people football fans? Why will the coming World Cup be the biggest media event in history, measured by the numbers of TV viewers and clicks on websites? Football seems to give people something they can’t get elsewhere.” FT – Simon Kuper

Will the Dragons roar at their first World Cup?

“There’s always something of a novelty about a new nation qualifying for the World Cup. This time, the sole debutants are Bosnia-Herzegovina, who reached the Promised Land by topping Group G in UEFA Qualifying, ahead of Greece on goal difference. Bosnia, who have only been a member of FIFA since 1996, topped their group and thus avoided the dreaded play-offs, where they were narrowly defeated by Portugal prior to the last tournament in South Africa. For a small country with a population of under four million, it is a colossal achievement, especially considering that, twenty years ago, the nation was embroiled in a long, bloody civil war, with its roots deeply entrenched in complex ethnic divides.” backpagefootball

Ireland’s best and worst World Cup moments

“The World Cup starts in less than a week and, great and all as it is, some of the shine is taken off the tournament when your own nation isn’t involved. Ireland have only been to three World Cups but managed to create enough memories to last a life time. Here’s a look at the five best and worst moments from 1990, 1994 and 2002.” backpagefootball (Video)

Eduardo Galeano: ‘My great fear is that we are all suffering from amnesia’

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“Most mornings it’s the same. At the breakfast table Uruguayan-born author, Eduardo Galeano, 72, and his wife, Helena Villagra, discuss their dreams from the night before. ‘Mine are always stupid,’ says Galeano. ‘Usually I don’t remember them and when I do, they are about silly things like missing planes and bureaucratic troubles. But my wife has these beautiful dreams.’ One night she dreamt they were at an airport where all the passengers were carrying the pillows they had slept on the night before. Before they could board officials would run their pillows into a machine that would extract the dreams from the night before and make sure there was nothing subversive in them. When she told him he was embarrassed about the banality of his own. ‘It’s shaming, really.’ There is not much magical about Galeano’s realism. But there is nothing shaming in it either. This septuagenarian journalist turned author has become the poet laureate of the anti-globalisation movement by adding a laconic, poetic voice to non-fiction.” Guardian

A Fairer World Cup Draw

“The United States has drawn one tough World Cup group, which includes Germany (currently the second-ranked team in the world), Portugal (ranked third) and Ghana (38th). (In the October rankings used for the Dec. 6 draw, Portugal was ranked 14th and Ghana 23rd.) That much is known. But here is something many fans don’t know: The difficulty of the United States’ group is not merely a byproduct of bad luck. It’s a perfectly normal outcome from the selection rules created by FIFA, soccer’s governing body.” NY Times

Jürgen Klinsmann’s Soccer Mandate

“If you talk with Germans about Jürgen Klinsmann’s ill-fated stint as the coach of F.C. Bayern Munich, it’s only a matter of time until they bring up the matter of the Buddha statues. After arriving in July of 2008 at Bayern—the free-spending New York Yankees-style hegemon of the German soccer league—Klinsmann’s first intervention was to personally oversee an overhaul of the team’s training center. The local press openly wondered whether the movie theatre, the so-called ‘quiet room,’ and the high-end d.j. console that he installed had much, if anything, to do with soccer, but they seemed willing to give Klinsmann the benefit of the doubt.” New Yorker

World Cup Commercial Featuring Chilean Miners Will Give You Goose Bumps

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“Chile is once again rallying around the miners who were rescued after being trapped underground for 69 days. However, this time, the 32 men who survived the mining accident are not asking for food or prayers, but rather for support for the country’s soccer team as it heads into this year’s World Cup. And ’32 men’ is not a typo. Thirty-three workers were rescued; however, one of them was from Bolivia and is not featured in a new commercial from Banco de Chile. The bank is an official sponsor of the Chilean team and published its new commercial on YouTube on May 27.” Yahoo (Video)

The World Cup of World Cup 2014 songs – as it happened

“You join us for the inaugral Guardian World Cup of World Cup songs. The idea is simple, we’ll put each country’s World Cup song up against each other and you, the reader, can vote on which should go through to the next round. We’ll hopefully end up with a final that will lead us to this year’s best/least worst World Cup song.” Guardian (Video)

Jonathan Wilson’s All-time Eleven

“The editor of The Blizzard football magazine and author of multiple books about football including, Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid and Anatomy of England.” Club Med – Jonathan Wilson

2014 Fifa World Cup: Guide to Belgium’s Group H

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Marc Wilmots
“Style & formation: Belgium gave a series of controlled and powerful displays throughout qualifying. Disciplined defensively, they are prepared to be patient but look to break with pace. A feature of their usual 4-2-3-1 system is the frequent positional interchanging between the three attacking midfielders.” BBC – Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea