Brazil vs England Friendly Greenlighted Despite Safety Concerns

The June 2 friendly between Brazil and England will go on, in spite of lingering concerns over the safety of the Maracana Stadium. Judge Adriana Costa dos Santos initially ruled that the match be suspended due to the stadium being “unfit for action”. It was reported that rubble outside the recently renovated structure could compromise the safety of spectators and football teams alike. The Maracana Stadium will host seven 2014 World Cup games, including the final. It is considered the “spiritual home of Brazilian football”, and was first built for the 1950 World Cup. At the time of Judge Dos Santos’ ruling, the Rio de Janeiro government...

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Injured Messi Joins The Argentinian Squad

Lionel Messi’s hamstring injury did not prevent Alejandro Sabella from asking the Barcelona prodigy to represent Argentina in the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup. Speculations and skepticisms alike surround Messi’s ability to deliver in the world cup. Following the loss to Bayern in the Champions League final bid, many have qualms on whether Messi is fit enough to endure another series of tedious encounters. With health concerns to consider, one cannot deny the fact that Messi’s absence in world cup, might also compromise Argentina’s campaign to snatch the silverware. Messi’s world cup appearance is expected. His absence, however, draws...

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6th FIFA World Cup Stadium Opens

It seems that the naysayers would be silenced, at least for now. Amidst concerns that the 2014 FIFA World Cup stadiums in Brazil won’t be finished on time, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff just inaugurated the Arena Pernambuco last May 20. Brazilian Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo, Governor of Pernambuco Eduardo Campos, and the LOC CEO Ricardo Trade also graced the stadium’s opening. The inauguration was capped off with a match between some...

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Ghana’s Kwarasey won’t Play in World Cup Qualifiers

Bad news for fans of Black Stars goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey: Don’t expect to see him in June’s World Cup matches against Lesotho and Sudan. Kwarasey reportedly has a recurring injury that will need to undergo surgery next week. He has already informed his team that he wouldn’t be able to make it to Maseru and Khartoum. This is the first time Kwarasey would be missing a game since his 2011 debut in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier versus Swaziland in Accra. Kwarasey’s absence could prove problematic to the team’s chances to make it for the third consecutive time to the Mundial. As of this writing, Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah...

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