2014-world-cup Page 26 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Let's Stop Calling Belgium A Dark Horse
It's not a perfect fit, but Belgium are the closest thing we have to a true dark horse in this World Cup. They won't step onto the pitch as a mysterious bunch of kids in cleats—indeed, the whole reason they are so intriguing is because everyone expects these Belgians to be running things in a few ye...
Watch Famous World Cup Goals In Gorgeous Painted Animation
Just by its nature, each World Cup is more certain to produce indelible moments than just about any other sporting event we have. Here are a bunch of the best, animated beautifully by Richard Swarbrick....
World Cup Group G Preview: Let's Just Kill 'Em And Get Breakfast
Here's your Group G hub and open thread where you'll find our previews and predictions....
Germany, Now Ravaged By Injuries, Should Still Walk The Group Of Death
It wasn't too long ago— a few weeks, maybe—that Germany looked a lock to travel down to Brazil and cut a bloody path through the World Cup. Then came the injuries. ...
Can Ghana Break American Hearts Once Again?
Ghana locked up a spot in Brazil by first cruising to the top of their African qualifying group, then demolishing Bob Bradley's Egypt over 2 legs by an aggregate 7-3 score line. The Black Stars allowed only 6 goals in their 8 qualifying games, while scoring 25 of their own. They were led by veteran ...
Portugal's Eusébio Was As Gifted On The Pitch As He Was Important Off It
From Eduardo Galeano's classic, now available as an ebook. We'll have excerpts throughout the week....
Portugal Might Be Ronaldo And The Rest, But That's Still Scary Good
Portugal made a surprising run to the semifinals of Euro 2012, narrowly losing out to Spain on penalty kicks in a game many thought the Portuguese deserved to win. It marked the second straight tournament where Portugal were eliminated by their archrivals, as Spain won a 1-0 Round-of-16 matchup in S...
Since They're Down There Anyway, The USMNT Might As Well Win
If we're being pragmatic, just for a second, we have to admit that if one started at the very first World Cup in 1930 and moved forward through history until today, right now, one could only conclude that the United States men's national team has been a complete, unmitigated joke. ...
Bosnia And Herzegovina Could Break Some Hearts In Their First World Cup
After generations spent competing on the international stage for various iterations of Yugoslavia, after gaining independence in 1992, making it through the Bosnian War, then getting FIFA recognition mere days after the war's conclusion, the nation known as Bosnia-Herzegovina will finally make its f...
<em>Joga Bonito</em> Incarnate: The Joy And Tragedy Of Brazil's Garrincha
From Eduardo Galeano's classic, now available as an ebook. We'll have excerpts throughout the week....
In Brazil, Iran Will Finally Get The Vacation They Deserve
Iran aren't a bad side. They won five of eight matches in the final round of their Asian World Cup qualifiers to finish first in their group, make the tournament, and prove themselves to be at least one of the best teams in a bad confederation. ...
The Venn Diagram Of World Cup Hopes
Project Babb, the Telegraph's World Cup microsite, has created this handy Venn diagram sorting the 32 sides by their chances of succeeding in Brazil. It's hard to argue with most of the placements, but—as usual—the real fun is in the overlaps....
Why Nigeria, Now Hardened Veterans, Will Be A Tough Out In Brazil
Nigeria come into Brazil with as much international tournament experience in the last few years as any team in the world, having won the 2013 African Cup of Nations and subsequently playing in the 2013 Confederations Cup. These experiences gave manager Stephen Keshi, a former Super Eagle himself, mo...
Argentina Have Stopped Giving A Fuck, And Are Betting It All On Attack
Argentina has long been one of the best, most feared soccer nations in the world. Playing in the World Cup is just what they do. The tournament this summer will be their 16th World Cup appearance and 11th in a row, but they haven't won it since Diego Maradona scored maybe the greatest goal of all ti...
John Oliver Brilliantly Lays Out All The Reasons To Hate FIFA
We spend a lot of time talking about what a cartoonishly corrupt organization FIFA is, but sometimes it feels like there's not enough time in the day to do a proper rundown of everything there is to hate about Sepp Blatter and his goons. Thankfully, John Oliver is here to give FIFA the comprehensive...
World Cup Group E Preview: We Don't Believe You, You Need More People
Here's your Group E hub and open thread where you'll find our previews and predictions....
"The Ball," From <em>Soccer In Sun And Shadow</em>
From Eduardo Galeano's classic, now available as an ebook. We'll have excerpts throughout the week....
Honduras Don't Stand A Chance, But They Won't Play Like It
Calling Honduras a minnow isn't fair. Sure, Honduras are likely to ultimately be outclassed and eliminated in the group stage. But the two Group E teams that advance after playing the Central American side won't be leaving the experience behind them in the knockout stages. They'll have been pushed t...
Here's Michael Wilbon Telling Jürgen Klinsmann To "Get Out Of America"
Goddammit, Michael Wilbon....
Why Ecuador's Inspiring Trip To Brazil Won't Have A Happy Ending
If you're looking for a last-minute underdog to support, this is your team. ...