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Teams: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon

Matches:

12- june: Brazil v Croatia (Sao Paulo) Opening Match

13- june: Mexico v Cameroon (Natal)

17- june: Brazil v Mexico (Fortaleza)

18- june: Cameroon v Croatia (Manaus)

23- june: Cameroon v Brazil (Brasilia)

23- june: Croatia v Mexico (Recife)

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Brazil squad
Goalkeepers:
Julio Cesar (Toronto FC/CAN), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro)

Defenders: Dante (Bayern Munich/GER), David Luiz (Chelsea/ENG), Henrique (Napoli/ITA), Thiago Silva (PSG), Daniel Alves (Barcelona/ESP), Maicon (Roma/ITA), Marcelo (Real Madrid/ESP), Maxwell (Paris St Germain/FRA)

Midfielders: Fernandinho (Manchester City/ENG), Hernanes (Inter Milan/ITA), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg/GER), Oscar (Chelsea/ENG), Paulinho (Tottenham/ENG), Ramires (Chelsea/ENG), Willian (Chelsea/ENG)

Forwards: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Fred (Fluminense), Hulk (Zenit Saint-Petersburg/RUS), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Neymar (Barcelona/ESP)

Bach-up players: Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense), Alan Kardec (Sao Paulo), Rafinha (Bayern de Munique), Miranda (Atlético de Madri), Filipe Luís, Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain)

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Croatian soccer player barred from World Cup for Nazi-linked chant

The international Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld a 10-match suspension of a Croatian soccer player who at a World

Cup qualifying match last fall led fans in a chant associated with Croatia's pro-Nazi World War II regime.

After Croatia's victory over Iceland in Zagreb, according to the court, Josip Simunic grabbed a microphone on the field and yelled, in Croatian, "To the battle! For the homeland!" Fans responded: "We are ready!"

In their report, court arbitrators identified the chant as "being the war call used by ... the Croatian pro-Nazi regime that ruled the state during World War II before being dissolved in May 1945."

FIFA imposed the 10-match suspension -- starting with Croatia's first World Cup match against Brazil -- and Simunic appealed last month.

"The player stated that he did not have the intention to offend or discriminate anyone but that he wanted to share his patriotic emotions with the fans after such an important success," the court said.

The court's decision means Simunic will not play in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-croation-soccer-player-nazi-chant-20140513-story.html

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mexican World Cup players banned from eating beef

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican World Cup players may be asking: Where's the beef?

The Mexican players are being banned from eating beef, a move aimed at avoiding positive doping tests from meat contaminated with the performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol.

Coach Miguel Herrera said Wednesday he had told his players more than a month ago not to eat red meat.

During the 2011 Gold Cup, five Mexico players tested positive for clenbuterol, a muscle-building drug. The Mexican Football Federation eventually cleared the players of doping. The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted what it termed "compelling evidence" that meat in Mexico was contaminated with clenbuterol and produced the positive tests.

"Our training center has determined, based on what happened in the past, that red meat shouldn't be eaten," Herrera said.

Mexican authorities have acknowledged that the drug, which is banned in the sports world, has been used in the country to fatten cattle.

Defender Miguel Ponce, who was left off the original 23-man team, said he had been eating some red meat. He was added to the team recently to replace injured midfielder Juan Carlos Medina.

"I ate a few tacos, but I hope there is no problem," Ponce said. "From now on I'll follow what's been requested."

...

AP

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os gemeos graffitis boeing 737 for team brazil's FIFA world cup travel

os-gemeos-graffiti-the-brazilian-nationa

may 27, 2014

brazilian artist twins os gemeos have recently painted on an extraordinary scale, tagging the entire facade of a boeing 737, which will transport the brazilian national football team from city to city during the quickly approaching 2014 FIFA world cup. dozens of portraits, meant to represent the people of the brazilian culture, are rendered in artists’ signature style: elongated faces, quirky outfits, colorful skin and animated expressions. from the tail to nose and the engines, the jet’s technological details and equipment are covered in the vibrant design, wrapping around the massive structure. with an airplane hangar as an art studio, the duo completed the the plane piece throughout a week-long process, using about 1200 cans of spray. you can see more images at UOL, which has documented the painstaking process and spectacular result.

os-gemeos-graffiti-the-brazilian-nationa
quirky outfits, colorful skin and animated expressions wrap around the plane

os-gemeos-graffiti-the-brazilian-nationa
the entire plane is covered in the artist’s signature faces

...

http://www.designboom.com/art/os-gemeos-graffiti-team-brazil-plane-world-cup-05-27-2014/

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cameroon arrive in Brazil following their bonus dispute

Cameroon finally arrived in Brazil for the World Cup on Monday after a dispute over bonus payments that delayed their journey for almost a day.

The squad, including former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o, had refused to fly to South America on Sunday morning.

But they eventually agreed a financial package with the nation's football federation after an emergency meeting.

The squad left from Yaounde at 06:00 on Monday, more than 20 hours later than had been scheduled.

Team coach Volker Finke had said players were complaining that the £61,000 they were due to be paid for figuring in the World Cup was not enough.

After agreeing an end to the row, Cameroon Football Federation president Joseph Owona said: "Everything has been resolved.

"We have opted for transparency. There is no problem and I think the team needs to be mobilised for all to look in one direction."

BBC

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Nishimura to referee the opening match of Brazil 2014

Japan’s Yuichi Nishimura has been assigned as the referee for the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ between Brazil and Croatia on Thursday 12 June. He will be assisted by compatriots Toru Sagara and Toshiyuki Nagi, with Alireza Faghani of Iran designated as the fourth official.

...

FIFA

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FIFA not criticizing Japanese referee over penalty

  • 460x.jpg

    Brazil's Fred, right, falls after making contact with Croatia's Dejan Lovren during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia, the opening game of the tournament, in the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

  • 460x.jpg

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — FIFA's head of refereeing has declined to criticize a controversial penalty decision in Brazil's opening World Cup win over Croatia — but says everyone makes mistakes.

Brazil striker Fred fell to the ground after minimal contact with Croatia's Dejan Lovren in Thursday's Group A game and Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura pointed to the spot. Neymar converted in the 71st minute to make it 2-1 and Brazil went on to win 3-1.

Massimo Busacca said Friday that "we are human" and that "there is not one human in life that has not committed a mistake."

Busacca said Nishimura "had a very good position" to make the call. He showed reporters one still frame of the incident, but did not show a video replay of the disputed penalty sequence.

AP

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I don't think this Cameroon side will be get a sniff against Croatia or Brazil. Waving goodbye to them already.

Mexico - Croatia will be an interesting one. Both look pacey and capable of scoring, but I think Croatia's defence will be the thing that makes the difference.

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Brazil 0 - 0 Mexico

Cameroon 0 - 4 Croatia

1- Brazil 4 pts

2- Mexico 4

3- Croatia 3

4- Cameroon 0

Next Matches:

23- june: Cameroon v Brazil (Brasilia)

23- june: Croatia v Mexico (Recife)

Another batch of "must watch" games to be up for.

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FIFA bans Cameroon's Alex Song for 3 matches

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — FIFA has banned Cameroon midfielder Alex Song for three games for elbowing Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic in the back during a 4-0 loss on Wednesday.

Song was already automatically suspended for Cameroon's final Group A match against Brazil on Monday.

FIFA says Song will complete his ban in Cameroon's next two official matches. After Cameroon's almost certain World Cup elimination Monday, it plays 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September against Ivory Coast and Congo.

FIFA's disciplinary committee also fined the Barcelona midfielder 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,300).

Song was sent off in the 40th minute when Croatia led 1-0

AP

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