Cristiano Ronaldo is center of U.S. soccer team’s attention at World Cup

washingtonpost.com ^ | June 20, 2014 | Steven Goff

[Berlin_Freeper]

Link:
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/messi-handshake-world-cup

[Berlin_Freeper]

History or outrage? World Cup jersey exhibition gets attention with Nazi-era shirt on display in Brazil
An exhibition of football jerseys that includes a Nazi-era shirt and one from Mussolini’s fascist regime is raising eyebrows from visitors to a busy shopping mall in this Brazilian city.

[Berlin_Freeper]

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/5lfd/5lfd_20140621-0138a.mp3

[kevkrom]

Nike has another one, called The Last Game

[Berlin_Freeper]

Keep Calm and Carry On

[Berlin_Freeper]

▶ Nike Write The Future - World Cup 2010 Commercial - YouTube

[Berlin_Freeper]

Mesut Ozil needs special treatment because he is 'sensitive', believes Jose Mourinho

• Ozil is 'sensitive' and 'needs trust', according to Mourinho
• 25-year-old was widely criticised for some of his Arsenal performances in the latter part of last season
• Also booed by Germany fans during their friendly in Stuttgart in March
• Played a key role in 4-0 demolition of Portugal in their World Cup opener

Arsenal’s Mesut Özil ignoring his World Cup critics
“That’s their view,” said Özil

[Berlin_Freeper]

Nyantakyi charges Black Stars to restore Ghanaian hopes
“The game against Germany won’t be best, but it’s not impossible,” the President said.

“We are Ghanaians and we have a strong attitude, I am urging the team to go all out against the Germans and win the game.

“They need the prayers and support of Ghanaians, with that and total commitment am sure we can surpass them.”

Witch doctor’s creepy claim: I injured Ronaldo for World Cup
An influential witch doctor from Ghana known as “The Devil of Wednesday” vowed months ago to hex soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with an injury before the World Cup.

Now that Ronaldo, whose Portugal team was drawn into the so-called Group of Death along with Ghana, Germany and the US, has been diagnosed with a combo of worrisome injuries to his left leg, the medicine man is taking the credit/blame.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Feared Traditional Priest From Ghana Spends a Year in the Bronx [“The Devil of Wednesday”]

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

So are the favorites now:

1) France
2) Holland
3) Germany?

[Berlin_Freeper]

Huge sinkhole near World Cup stadium

[Berlin_Freeper]

At World Cup, South America Is Ascendant
Five of Six Teams Could Advance to Knockout Stage

[BeadCounter]

Sure, pick the European teams.

[BeadCounter]

No European team has won in South America but that 1978 Tournament is slightly dubious. And I’m a fan of Argentinan football but that remains so. It’s interesting that often, when so many stats and facts and figures are thrown out their about World Cup lore, these more sundry matters are not mentioned but don’t take my word for it.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/17/sport/football/brazil-chile-world-cup-scandal/index.html

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/dictators-reportedly-fixed-italy-argentina-world-cup-titles-according-to-study-042513

http://argen-times.blogspot.com/2012/04/was-1978-world-cup-in-argentina-fixed.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_FIFA_World_Cup

Though I immensely enjoy soccer, with no-calls, bad-calls, gamesmanship and what have-you, you have champions but their pedestal is often not that solid, in fact, it’s probably more of a perch.

[Berlin_Freeper]

World Cup fans are the most fanatical

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26002198/world-cup-interactions-dwarf-other-events-facebook

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_26001653/world-cup-fans-hijack-anthems-create-emotional-moments

[Berlin_Freeper]

Fan finds himself on the elevator with Argentine Team

[Berlin_Freeper]

Costa Rica before and after winning against Italy

[Berlin_Freeper]

Portugal Without 4 Starters

[Berlin_Freeper]

Cristiano Ronaldo again wore a brace on his troublesome left knee Friday, triggering a new wave of questions over his health as his Portugal team held its final World Cup training session before departing for a crucial game against the United States.

[dfwgator]

Should have had the surgery before, like Suarez did.