world-cup-2014 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights



Which Countries Get Carded The Most At The World Cup?
Quartz has crunched the numbers on World Cup penalties, counting all the yellow and red cards for every squad back to 1970. Slovenia comes in number one, racking up 20 cards in their six World Cup games (3.33 per game). Peru was the least penalized, with nine cards in 13 games (0.69 per game)....

All 204 World Cup Shootout Attempts, In One Chart
With the tournament starting next week, the BBC has put together a neat little guide on "what makes the perfect World Cup shootout penalty." The graphic above—showing the location and result of all 204 World Cup shootout attempts—is just one of several neat visuals; go check them all out....

"Soccer," 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....

British Comedian Almost Sneaks On Team England's World Cup Plane
Simon Brodkin is a British actor/comedian/prankster who plays, among other characters, a soccer player named Jason Bent. Brodkin, dressed in character as Bent, got amongst team England on a private tarmac at Luton Airport and tried to board the plane the squad was taking to Miami as they begin train...

Pitbull And J. Lo Team Up For The Official 2014 World Cup Anthem
Here it is, the song that you are going to be so damn sick and tired of hearing by the time the 2014 World Cup is over. Wrap your ears around Pitbull and J. Lo's "We Are One (Ole Ola)."...

Run The Jules: Your Guide To The USMNT's Newest (Maybe?) Star
During last night's USA-Mexico friendly, USMNT fans finally got a glimpse of Julian Green, the 18-year-old superstar-in-the-making(?) who spurned Germany to play for the US. The massive excitement at his arrival is matched only by the massive amount we don't know about him. Who is this guy? Is he re...

How Will The 2014 World Cup Ball Swerve? An Aerodynamic Test
There are now only a few months to go until the biggest sporting event of 2014—the FIFA World Cup in Brazil—and questions are being asked. Will the stadiums be ready? Are the airports ready for the crowds? But one matter rises above all others, and may have an impact on the destiny of the cup itself...


Man Dribbling Soccer Ball From Seattle To Brazil Gets Hit By Car, Dies
Richard Swanson, 42, planned to dribble a soccer ball from Seattle, Washington to Brazil. He started two weeks ago, on May 1, and was headed to Sao Paulo in time for the 2014 World Cup. Today, he was hit by a pickup truck while walking south on US Highway 101, in Lincoln City, Oregon. Swanson was de...

Costa Rica Is Not Happy About This
Last night it was very cold in Colorado, and there also may have been some precipitation. Despite the inclement weather, Costa Rica played its World Cup qualifier against the U.S. Men's National Team, and lost (fair and square) 1-0. For some reason, they are piqued. From Reuters:...

A Soccer Match Between Teams From Argentina And Brazil Ended Early Because Police Beat And Threatened The Argentine Team In Their Locker Room At Halftime
This happened a couple of days ago, but we missed it with everything else going on. At Wednesday evening's Copa Sudamericana—Wikipedia calls it "the second most prestigious club competition in South American football"—between Brazil's São Paulo and Argentina's Tigre, some pre-match gamesmanship and...

FIFA Mandates World Cup Drunkenness
At long last, we've identified the one cause FIFA will fight for: The right to sell their sponsors' beer....