dc Page 226 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
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. ...
Even France Couldn't Mess This Up...Right?
In theory and on paper, France are stacked. The spine of this team is ridiculous. Their keeper is incredible. They have more powerful, quick, shockingly young center backs than they know what to do with. The center of their midfield is an embarrassment of riches nearly on par with Spain's and Italy'...
Gallery: In The Shadow Of Rio's Maracana Stadium
AP photographer Léo Corrêa recently documented the Mangueira slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mangueira lies in the shadow of Rio's iconic Maracana stadium, but there are deep fissures between the favela's residents and fans that will enjoy this month's World Cup just blocks away. Above, women visit ...
This Dude's Soccer Trick Shots Will Blow Your Mind
Trick shot artist Rémi Gaillard has a new World Cup-themed video out, and oh man is this dude good at soccer trick shots. I would wager that he is better at this than any of us will ever be at anything....
Definitive Proof That God Is Swiss
When the World Cup groups were drawn in December, many of the top seeds—Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina—were perennial giants. A few—Colombia, Uruguay, Belgium—raised a few eyebrows for, if nothing else, their novelty as a world superpower. One country in particular, Switzerland, didn't seem to be...
World Cup Group D Preview: Luis Suárez Is Bathing In Placenta <em>Right Now</em>
Here's your Group D hub and open thread, where you'll find our previews and predictions....
Rio Mayor On World Cup: "We’re Latins, We’re Not Used To Deadlines"
The World Cup will go off on time. This was never in any doubt, despite the requisite doom-and-gloom stories surrounding Cups and Olympics. But it has not been pretty—11 of 12 airport upgrades remain unfinished, mass transit infrastructure is well behind schedule, and the São Paulo stadium set to ho...
"The Referee," 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....
Overmatched, Costa Rica Can Still Make It Rough For Everyone Else
Do they have any shot? Not really. But that doesn't mean Costa Rica can't put the fear of God into the Group D favorites for a half or so....
I Found Michael Jackson In A Brazilian Favela
From Dave Zirin's newest book, Brazil's Dance with the Devil: The World Cup the Olympics and the Fight for Democracy, available now. We'll be running excerpts throughout the World Cup....
Get Ready To Hate The Caxirola
Brazil's answer to the vuvuzela? Not quite. The "official musical instrument of the 2014 World Cup" is softer—it produces a rattle, not a blare. Another thing in favor of your viewing experience: it's been formally banned from Brazilian stadiums. But that hasn't stopped fans from bringing them in so...
Italy Great; Sky Still Blue
Regardless of how you feel about a shirtless, flexing Mario Balotelli, the luxurious follicles that sprout all around Andrea Pirlo's head, or Lorenzo Insigne's textbook giocatore look of prison-chic with a €1,000 weekly hair budget, Italy do not enter this tournament as a "sexy" team. Somehow, one o...
Cleveland Politician Proposes Tying Stadium Money To Wins
Last year, voters in Cuyahoga County approved a 20-year extension of a sin tax to pay for upkeep on Cleveland's three pro sports stadiums. Today, one elected official presented a proposal to tie part of that payout to the teams' performance. He calls it, a little obviously, a "win tax."...
Finally, England Have A Chance To Win Something
At long last, England's "Golden Generation" is dead....
Uruguay Are Inevitable
Many believed that Uruguay's dramatic run to the World Cup semifinals in 2010 was somewhat of a surprise. It wasn't....