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James Rodriguez, First World Cup, 4 Games 5 Goals & 2 Assists, 22 Years old. Amazing player.
France vs Nigeria
France vs Nigeria Full Match ~ LIVE Fifa World Cup 2014 [REVIEW] France vs Nigeria, LIVE Fifa World Cup 2014 Nigeria scores Goal! Fifa World Cup Brazil 2014 2014 FIFA World Cup - France vs Nigeria
2014 FIFA World Cup: USA vs Germany Team USA Advances Despite Germany DefeatMission accomplished -- Team USA booked its place in the last-16 of the World Cup.
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If you make it to the grand old
age of 87, you could be forgiven for wanting to put your feet up and
take things easy. You've earned it after a lifetime's graft: time to
pick a favourite armchair, commandeer the TV remote, and grumble loudly
about how kids today have no idea how hard it was for you growing up -
while simultaneously insisting that things were better in the good old
days. And you've even earned the right not to care about the
incompatibility of holding both those views at once.
But an
87-year-old in Brazil has eschewed such pleasures, and instead is using
his golden years to perfect his keepy-uppy skills while parading up and
down the Rio beachfront in his full national team kit.The elderly gent seen in this Instagram clip hasn't been identified by name, for some reason, but the Internet confidently asserts that he was born in 1927.
We're not quite sure his age is being asserted without someone bothering to either find out (or make up) his name. Why stop with just his date of birth? We might as well also assert that he was one of the men who played on the losing Brazilian side in the 1950 World Cup final. Perhaps he was!
Ok, well, we just checked, and the last of the survivors from that team was centre back Juvenal Amarijo, who died in 2009. So this guy isn't a former World Cup star. But still - check out those keepy-uppy skills!
Cristiano Ronaldo
doesn't need to dominate a World Cup to be acclaimed as one of the
finest players of all time, but if he does do exactly that it could make
all the difference in his quest to be recognised as the greatest.
Alfredo Di Stefano, George Best, Ryan Giggs, George Weah
and Eric Cantona are all united by the fact they never even went to a
World Cup, and it is not necessarily a coincidence none of them are
quite considered in the same bracket as Pele and Diego Maradona, the two men widely spoken of as the best players of all time.
Both of them are inextricably
linked with the World Cup, Pele winning the tournament three times and
Maradona dominating in 1986. Their club achievements are extensive, but
if you think of the pair the image that invariably comes to mind is of
them in the colours of their national teams, and on the biggest stage of
all.
This summer, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have the chance to join them at that exalted level.
Some
might argue the Portuguese and Argentine – just the 407 La Liga goals
between them in 425 games – do not need to enjoy fine tournaments this
summer to do so. Yet a World Cup victory would ensure the debate over
the finest player in history would at least become a three- or four-way
conversation.
It almost seems
routine to say that Ronaldo is coming into the tournament on the back of
another season of astonishing personal performance. He scored 55 goals
in 45 games for club and country during 2013/14, and saved his best for
when it counted, finding the back of the net 17 times in the 15 games
from the end of February that defined Real Madrid's season and ended with their 10th European Cup being secured.
Yet
it could be argued he has never shone on the biggest stage of all. The
2006 World Cup, Ronaldo's first, is largely recalled - in England at least - for the furore that followed the dismissal of his then Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney in the quarter-final between the sides.
Rooney was sent-off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho, but Ronaldo's reaction – rushing to plead for referee Horacio Marcelo
Elizondo to take action, before winking once he had done so – briefly
made him public enemy number one back in England. Ronaldo actually
enjoyed a fine tournament, missing out on the Young Player Award after
an online campaign in England ensured Germany's Lukas Podolski won the title.
This time, things
promise to be different. Ronaldo's dedication is quite something, his
3,000 sit-ups a day just one small part of a regime that has taken him
from promising youngster to genuine superstar.
"He is the most ambitious player I have met, with the hunger and desire to score in every game,”
Xabi Alonso said back in February. “He is impressive in terms of his athletic qualities and his technical abilities. He is a complete player; he has a great shot; he knows how to put his opponent off balance in one-on-one situations; he's great at finding space and he has great timing.”
Certainly those qualities were to the fore when Ronaldo dragged Portugal almost single-handedly to Brazil. His performance against Sweden in their play-off was sensational, his hat-trick in the second leg one of the finest displays in recent memory. Now he has to do the same in a tough group against Germany, Ghana and USA. Come through that and Portugal will likely face one of Belgium, Russia or South Korea.
But
there are some who believe Ronaldo is not even the finest player in
Portuguese history, among them Luis Figo. To his mind Eusebio is still
the king, and the outpouring of grief when the 'Lisbon Lion' died in
January demonstrated that he was a national icon. What Figo cannot
dispute is that if Portugal are to do well they need Ronaldo at his
best.
“In my opinion no one
is above Eusebio,” Figo told Laureus last month. “But probably Ronaldo
will beat some records and for sure he will be remembered. To be
remembered like Pelé or Maradona? Well, if you want to be remembered
like that in the World Cups, of course, you have to win, but in his
general image and the prestige he has, I don’t think he needs that.
“He
had a fantastic season this year too. I think his performance in the
last years has been amazing and for Portugal he is the No.1.”
Now we must see if Ronaldo seizes his chance to be considered one of the best in history.
He
made sure he would be on the back page of every newspaper after ripping
off his top after scoring the last goal in Madrid's Champions League
Final victory. Few would be surprised if he was striking the exact same
pose later this summer as he bids to join the greats.
Danny Welbeck has emerged as a doubt for England's World Cup opener against Italy.
 |
| England's Danny Welbeck in training (AFP) |
All eyes will be searching for Welbeck when England hold a partially open training session at the Urca military base in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.
The Manchester United
forward reportedly suffered a leg injury and limped out of Tuesday's
session, making him a doubt for the Three Lions' first Group D game
against Italy on Saturday.
If Welbeck is ruled out, the chances of Raheem Sterling starting the match will be vastly increased.
Manager Roy Hodgson has resisted the temptation to shower praise on Ross Barkley and Wayne Rooney since the England squad met, but that has not been the case with Sterling.
Sterling missed England's final warm-up game against Honduras in Miami after he was sent off in a brief substitute appearance against Ecuador at Sun Life Stadium.
He appears to be in pole position to start the Italy game, though - either as a winger or in the number 10 position just behind Daniel Sturridge.
"If I select him, it won't be a risk that he hasn't played so many minutes," Hodgson said.
"He's as fit as a flea and I'm pretty certain he hasn't forgotten how to play matches, either.
"It
was unfortunate that he couldn't play the (Honduras) game (because of
suspension), but I can tell you that Raheem Sterling is very much in the
group of players I'm considering."
Generally, one in 10 people experience stomach cramps, sickness or dizziness after taking the pills.
The
last thing Hodgson wants is to lose one of his players to illness, but
the England manager has been left with no option but to issue the
anti-malarials to his players.
He said: "As far as I'm
concerned, I've got to go with medical opinion and if the doctors are
telling me that when we go to Manaus, the players must take malaria
tablets, whether it has side-effects or not, what do I do?
"I
can't turn around and say 'We will not take malaria tablets', because
the bottom line is better stomach cramps or whatever it is for one
player in 10 than have someone contract malaria because that would be
unthinkable."
Interestingly,
Hodgson did not take any anti-malaria drugs before a trip to Manaus last
year, but the FA confirmed he has done so this time around.
"I went to Manaus and I didn't take any for the two days I spent there," Hodgson said.
"That might just be something to do with the fact that I'm not a football player."
After
consulting FIFA's chief medical officer Professor Dr Jiri Dvorak,
England have decided not to have their yellow fever vaccinations.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said he would like to play Barcelona teammate and Brazil forward Neymar in the World Cup final.
 |
| Argentina's Lionel Messi |
The tournament gets
underway tomorrow with Brazil meeting Croatia, and Messi has said in an
interview that if he could choose, he would play the hosts in the final.
But, Messi added, if he can’t face Neymar, he would be happy just to be in the showpiece game regardless of the opposition.
"It would be a dream to get to the World Cup final," Sport reports Messi as saying.
This will be Messi’s third World Cup, having debuted in the competition in 2006 and returned four years later under Diego Maradona.
Messi reflected on his past World Cup experiences, revealing his unhappiness with criticism that was levelled at him after Argentina disappointed in Germany, and what it was like to be coached by Maradona.
“It
was beautiful as it was my first experience in the tournament,” Messi
said of 2006. “But after we went out they were very unfair to me,
because that team played well.
“They said I wasn’t bitter about the defeat, which wasn’t true.
“[Maradona and I] got along very well. He has a way of communicating things that is most special.
“Sometimes it’s easier to clear out the Coach than the players, who were truly responsible for getting knocked out.”
“I don’t look anything like the person I am at home,” he said. “I like to win and if I have to fight or argue to do so, I will.
“Once I come onto the field, I’m transformed.”
Read the original article on Football Espana - The ultimate website for English-speaking fans of Spanish football
After four long years, the wait is over, and the FIFA World Cup is back. This year, Brazil hosts the tournament for the first time since 1950, and it kicks things off on its home turf Thursday against Croatia.
Thirty-two teams from all over the world will compete in the tournament. The teams are separated into eight different groups and will play a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, and the action will crescendo as each round passes.
Here is the full World Cup schedule, including dates, times and TV listings for all of the games. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.
Thursday, June 12
Group A: Brazil vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, June 13
Group A: Mexico vs. Cameroon, Noon (ESPN2)
Group B: Spain vs. The Netherlands, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group B: Chile vs. Australia, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, June 14
Group C: Colombia vs. Greece, Noon (ABC)
Group D: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group D: England vs. Italy, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Ivory Coast vs. Japan, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, June 15
Group E: Switzerland vs. Ecuador, Noon (ABC)
Group E: France vs. Honduras, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group F: Argentina vs. Bosnia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 16
Group G: Germany vs. Portugal, Noon (ESPN)
Group F: Iran vs. Nigeria, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group G: United States vs. Ghana, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, June 17
Group H: Belgium vs. Algeria, Noon (ESPN)
Group A: Brazil vs. Mexico, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group H: Russia vs. South Korea, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, June 18
Group B: Australia vs. The Netherlands, Noon (ESPN)
Group B: Spain vs. Chile, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group A: Cameroon vs. Croatia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, June 19
Group C: Colombia vs. Ivory Coast, Noon (ESPN)
Group D: Uruguay vs. England, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Japan vs. Greece, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, June 20
Group D: Italy vs. Costa Rica, Noon (ESPN)
Group E: Switzerland vs. France, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group E: Honduras vs. Ecuador, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, June 21
Group F: Argentina vs. Iran, Noon (ESPN)
Group G: Germany vs. Ghana, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group F: Nigeria vs. Bosnia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, June 22
Group H: Belgium vs. Russia, Noon (ABC)
Group H: South Korea vs. Algeria, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group G: United States vs. Portugal, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 23
Group B: The Netherlands vs. Chile, Noon (ESPN)
Group B: Australia vs. Spain, Noon (ESPN2)
Group A: Cameroon vs. Brazil, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group A: Croatia vs. Mexico, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Tuesday, June 24
Group D: Italy vs. Uruguay, Noon (ESPN)
Group D: Costa Rica vs. England, Noon (ESPN2)
Group C: Japan vs. Colombia, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Greece vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wednesday, June 25
Group F: Nigeria vs. Argentina, Noon (ESPN)
Group F: Bosnia vs. Iran, Noon (ESPN2)
Group E: Honduras vs. Switzerland, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group E: Ecuador vs. France, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Thursday, June 26
Group G: Portugal vs. Ghana, Noon (ESPN2)
Group G: United States vs. Germany, Noon (ESPN)
Group H: South Korea vs. Belgium, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group H: Algeria vs. Russia, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, Noon (ABC)
Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up, 4 p.m. (ABC)
Sunday, June 29
Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 30
Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, July 1
Match 55: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 56: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Match 58: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner, Noon (ESPN2)
Match 57: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, July 5
Match 60: Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner, Noon (ABC)
Match 59: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Match 61: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, July 9
Match 62: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, July 12
Third-Place Game, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, July 13
Thirty-two teams from all over the world will compete in the tournament. The teams are separated into eight different groups and will play a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, and the action will crescendo as each round passes.
Here is the full World Cup schedule, including dates, times and TV listings for all of the games. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.
Thursday, June 12
Group A: Brazil vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, June 13
Group A: Mexico vs. Cameroon, Noon (ESPN2)
Group B: Spain vs. The Netherlands, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group B: Chile vs. Australia, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, June 14
Group C: Colombia vs. Greece, Noon (ABC)
Group D: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group D: England vs. Italy, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Ivory Coast vs. Japan, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, June 15
Group E: Switzerland vs. Ecuador, Noon (ABC)
Group E: France vs. Honduras, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group F: Argentina vs. Bosnia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 16
Group G: Germany vs. Portugal, Noon (ESPN)
Group F: Iran vs. Nigeria, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group G: United States vs. Ghana, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, June 17
Group H: Belgium vs. Algeria, Noon (ESPN)
Group A: Brazil vs. Mexico, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group H: Russia vs. South Korea, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, June 18
Group B: Australia vs. The Netherlands, Noon (ESPN)
Group B: Spain vs. Chile, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group A: Cameroon vs. Croatia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, June 19
Group C: Colombia vs. Ivory Coast, Noon (ESPN)
Group D: Uruguay vs. England, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Japan vs. Greece, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, June 20
Group D: Italy vs. Costa Rica, Noon (ESPN)
Group E: Switzerland vs. France, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group E: Honduras vs. Ecuador, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, June 21
Group F: Argentina vs. Iran, Noon (ESPN)
Group G: Germany vs. Ghana, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Group F: Nigeria vs. Bosnia, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, June 22
Group H: Belgium vs. Russia, Noon (ABC)
Group H: South Korea vs. Algeria, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Group G: United States vs. Portugal, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 23
Group B: The Netherlands vs. Chile, Noon (ESPN)
Group B: Australia vs. Spain, Noon (ESPN2)
Group A: Cameroon vs. Brazil, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group A: Croatia vs. Mexico, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Tuesday, June 24
Group D: Italy vs. Uruguay, Noon (ESPN)
Group D: Costa Rica vs. England, Noon (ESPN2)
Group C: Japan vs. Colombia, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group C: Greece vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wednesday, June 25
Group F: Nigeria vs. Argentina, Noon (ESPN)
Group F: Bosnia vs. Iran, Noon (ESPN2)
Group E: Honduras vs. Switzerland, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group E: Ecuador vs. France, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Thursday, June 26
Group G: Portugal vs. Ghana, Noon (ESPN2)
Group G: United States vs. Germany, Noon (ESPN)
Group H: South Korea vs. Belgium, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Group H: Algeria vs. Russia, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Knockout Stage
Saturday, June 28Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, Noon (ABC)
Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up, 4 p.m. (ABC)
Sunday, June 29
Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, June 30
Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, July 1
Match 55: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up, Noon (ESPN)
Match 56: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Quarterfinals
Friday, July 4Match 58: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner, Noon (ESPN2)
Match 57: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, July 5
Match 60: Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner, Noon (ABC)
Match 59: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Semifinals
Tuesday, July 8Match 61: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, July 9
Match 62: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, July 12
Third-Place Game, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, July 13
Final,
3 p.m. (ABC)
Dates 12 June – 13 July
Teams 32 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s) 12 (in 12 host cities)
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international men's football tournament that is scheduled to take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014. It will be the second time that Brazil has hosted the competition, the previous being in 1950. Brazil was elected unchallenged as host nation in 2007 after the international football federation, FIFA, decreed that the tournament would be staged in South America for the first time since 1978 in Argentina, and the fifth time overall.
The national teams of 31 countries advanced through qualification competitions that began in June 2011 to participate with the host nation Brazil in the final tournament. A total of 64 matches are to be played in twelve cities across Brazil in either new or redeveloped stadiums, with the tournament beginning with a group stage. For the first time at a World Cup Finals, the matches will use goal-line technology. After testing several systems over two years, FIFA awarded German company GoalControl GmbH the contract to provide GLT technology for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil
With the host country, all world champion teams since the first World Cup in 1930 (Argentina, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay) have qualified for this competition. Spain is the defending champion, having defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the 2010 World Cup final to win its first World title. The previous four World Cups staged in South America were all won by South American teams.