England v Uruguay – Preview #450828456 / gettyimages.com After just one game in Brazil, England’s tournament all comes down to an all or nothing game against Uruguay on Thursday in Sao Paolo. Uruguay themselves got off to the worst possible start after what looked like an obvious victory against Costa Rica, however, things didn’t go … Read more
Millions across the Middle East and North Africa will cheer Algeria, the only Arab squad to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, when it meets Belgium this week in its first tournament match. That enthusiasm, certainly among fans who are aware of their power, is however likely to be tempered by the growing realization that … Read more
After routing World Champions Spain by a 5-1 margin, Louis Van Gaal’s Dutch side take on Australia in their second assignment at the Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre. The Oranje outfit was simply imperious in their ruthless display, bringing the La Roja crashing down to earth. Robin Van Persie’s incredible flying header will be remembered for … Read more
Spain is a nation that has been in mourning for the past few days, expectedly so since it is not everyday that a team gets whacked 5-1 in a World Cup match, and certainly not when they are the defending Champions. The front page of Spain’s popular sports daily Marcawas funeral-black while El Mundo chose to … Read more
Defending Champions Spain take on a spirited Chilean side fully knowing that yet another repeat of the shocking performance against Netherlands will surely mean that the La Roja will be kicked out of the World Cup in the group stages. Spain beat Chile 2-1 in South Africa four years ago, but it very much looks … Read more
Netherlands have surely announced their domination in this World Cup as they humiliated the defending champions, Spain, 5-1 in their opening game. Confidence is booming within the squad, having won the most important game of the group. Louis van Gaal will have to keep his team focused ahead of their next opponent, Australia, as a … Read more
After another so close but yet so far moment with the England national team, I can imagine many spent the post-match hours browsing the internet to try and find out just how England had been defeated yet again. In retrospect Saturday evening’s performance was actually one of the best an England team has produced at … Read more
Ghana vs USA: Group Of Death Promises Action Group G will see 2 equally poised matches of different standards as the mighty Germany take on Portugal while Ghana meet USA at the Estádio das Dunas in Natal. Both the ‘Black Stars’ and ‘Stars and Stripes’ will look to start the tournament in winning fashion and up … Read more
World Cups, and the hosting of them, are highly political. Brazil has seen protests against the enormous expense of staging the finals while hospitals and schools crumble. 2022’s tournament is due to be hosted by Qatar, a country that has never qualified for a World Cup, with a population of only 2 million and summer temperatures above 40 degrees, Their … Read more
Ultra-conservative clerics are condemning soccer as a Jewish and Christian tool to undermine Islamic culture as millions of Muslims across the globe tune in to watch the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The condemnations revive a long-standing debate among conservatives as well as militants about the rectitude of the world’s most popular sport. They constitute … Read more