In case you haven’t noticed, Apple quietly introduced a new “Soccer Fever” section on the App Store ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a month-long international soccer tournament that kicks off on June 12th. The section consists of four app categories: Soccer Apps, Soccer Games, Share the Fever and Discover Brazil. We’ve handpicked some of the best World Cup apps for iPhone and iPad from the list ahead… 

Soccer Apps

FIFA Official App is the most essential app you need for following the World Cup, allowing you to keep up to date with match alerts from your favorite teams and follow all of the games live in the Global Stadium. Free for iPhone.

Yahoo Sports is another good app that will be providing comprehensive coverage of the World Cup, especially because it was recently updated with coverage enhancements for the month-long tournament. Free for iPhone and iPad.

WatchESPN lets you watch live sports and shows from ESPN, with full access to live streaming feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes. Enjoy the World Cup as it happens. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Deportes Telemundo delivers the latest news, live scores, stats, commentary, videos and galleries of your favorite countries participating in the World Cup. Video is only available in the United States and select countries. Free for iPhone.

ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup is your one-stop destination for following all of the action and drama of soccer, with comprehensive 2014 FIFA World Cup coverage alongside traditional league news and scores. Free for iPhone.

Univision Deportes provides live streaming and 24/7 coverage of soccer worldwide. The coverage might be in Spanish, but the real-time results, stats and comprehensive videos it provides is exceptional. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Soccer Games

FIFA 14 by EA SPORTS is the most authentic soccer game and your go-to title for the World Cup, featuring 33 leagues, over 600 licensed teams and more than 16,000 players. Take part in match day madness with intuitive controls and more. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Real Soccer 2013 is a popular simulated soccer game by Gameloft that immerses you in a realistic experience with over 3,000 top players and over 700 motion-capture animations. Develop your team and lead your club to the top. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Dream League Soccer provides you with the opportunity to build the best soccer team on the planet, recruiting new players and upgrading your stadium as you take on the world in online multiplayer. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Soccer Rally 2: World Championship isn’t just your typical soccer game. The app combines the sport with racing, tasking you with driving to glory through 28 challenging tournaments. Multiplayer mode available. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Cristiano Ronaldo Footy is the official football — yes, or soccer — game from team Ronaldo. It features 3D action with new leagues to climb, powerful special moves, customizable teams and much more. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Pele: King of Football is a soccer game with streamlined gesture controls, featuring the legendary player Pele himself. Follow in his footsteps through career mode, working your way from the backstreets of Brazil to the World Stage. Free for iPhone and iPad.

What is your favorite World Cup app?

After 820 preliminary matches played by 203 national teams, the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament is down to the final 32 teams.  The group stage will be played June 12-26. There are 8 groups of 4 teams, who will play each other to determine who advances to the round of 16.




Groups
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

[See game schedule]

In our continuous efforts to “connect the fun to the fun people”, below is our list of recommended World Cup viewing locations in NYC.
See also:

MurphGuide Directory of Soccer Bars in NYC

MurphGuide Directory of Sports Bars in NYC

English: Joseph Blatter, FIFA's presidend (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sao Paulo (AFP) - FIFA chief Sepp Blatter opened the global football body's congress Tuesday under fresh pressure to stand down and with upheaval and corruption claims clouding this week's World Cup opening.

Two days before the grand kick-off in Sao Paulo, Blatter steered clear of controversy as he addressed representatives of all 209 member associations gathered at a large exhibition centre.

"Tonight we are in a festive mood because let's say the discussions and all of what's linked with FIFA and is so important nowadays, we will discuss it tomorrow," he said.

"And if there are any problems perhaps we can sort them. But now we will just be here in Sao Paulo for the opening ceremony of our congress."

The 78-year-old Swiss, who looks set to renege on promises not to seek a fourth term when his current stint expires next year, earlier faced strong dissent from some European delegates.

FIFA has been in the firing line after Britain's Sunday Times reported allegations that millions of dollars in bribes were paid to help Qatar secure the 2022 World Cup.

"'Mr Blatter, this is nothing personal but if you look at FIFA's reputation over the last seven or eight years, it is being linked to all kinds of corruption and all kinds of old boys' networks things'," Dutch football boss Michael van Praag said he told Blatter at closed-doors talks in Sao Paulo.

"FIFA has an executive president and you are not making things easy for yourself and I do not think you are the man for the job any longer."

England's David Gill also called it "disappointing" that Blatter appeared set to stand again. "I think we need a full, frank and open debate about what FIFA needs going forward," he told reporters.

Meanwhile the World Cup build-up has been hit by a subway strike in Sao Paulo and protests over the tournament's multi-billion dollar price tag, while basic public services are lacking.

And concerns remain over Sao Paulo's new Corinthians Arena, which will host Brazil v Croatia in the tournament's opener on Thursday but has not been tested at full capacity.

But Blatter has been defiant, saying criticism of Qatar's World Cup hosting was motivated by racism and taking aim at FIFA's "destroyers".

Blatter is expected to formally announce his candidacy during the congress, which gets down to business on Wednesday.

HARARE - Without a doubt, football administration in Zimbabwe has had its fair share of problems – and some of them self-inflicted and highly unnecessary.

From the times of Nelson Chirwa, Trevor Carelse-Juul, Leo Mugabe, Wellington Nyatanga to the current executive led by Cuthbert Dube, the country has been rocked by a number of administrative blunders, which have stalled football development locally.

And these have not been limited to the lack of qualification to major tournaments by our soccer teams that the call for Sports minister Andrew Langa to disband the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) board – and, therefore, attract a Fifa ban – is not only ill-advised, but misplaced and retrogressive.

While the chorus has been fronted by former Dynamos secretary-general Leslie Gwindi and others, l believe these self-serving shrill calls have also exposed a serious, if not contrived, lack of understanding of the national association’s mandate and what a global ban would do to Zimbabwe.

From my understanding, Zifa’s mandate in running the local game goes beyond the senior men’s team or so-called Warriors, but actually anchored on four key pillars, including administration, coaching, football medicine and refereeing.

Admittedly, it is every Zimbabwean football fan’s desire and aspiration for our teams to progress, but quite another for Gwindi and company to call for the country’s expulsion from Fifa simply because they want to get rid of Dube.

For a body that has largely been surviving on the Zifa president and Zurich-based organisation’s benevolence, and goodwill, do people not know how detrimental these actions would be on the broader national game?

In the midst of tight budgets at government level and ever-increasing penury at 53 Livingstone Avenue, Sepp Blatter has bailed us on many key projects, including the foreseen new headquarters, beyond the annual $250 000 grant.

Therefore, is it in our national interest to be losing the little that is coming through – from our all-weather friends – on account of a generation of failed players and some petty personal wars driven more by selfish interests than football.

To expose the folly of this plan, are the proponents of this move in charge or control of whatever punishment Fifa would have brought on us and this includes the waiting period for our re-admission.

It does not take rocket science to know that once Zimbabwe has been sanctioned, it cannot come back into the fold of international football on its terms and, while we are ostracized, all facets of football would be suffering. These include the goal project and associated projects such as Zifa Village.

Yes, it’s hard to accept that among the squad that failed to beat Tanzania ang got eliminated from the Nations Cup qualifiers so early were some players we thought were a God-send generation. Perhaps we overrated them, and it’s as much as it hurts, it’s time to move on next generation of Warriors.

This is where Fifa comes in handy. Inviting a ban on ourselves from Fifa is not a much thought-after idea from those clamouring for it; we need to play as much football as we can in this rebuilding period.

A Fifa ban means we cease to become part of the Fifa family, and with it all the benefits that comes with being one. So how are we going to groom the next generation of Warriors if the players are not playing international football?

We need to forget about the players that have failed us, hard to take as it is to accept that this lot that promised so much has failed us.

Let’s assemble a development squad of Under-17 and Under-20 players. Get the same group to play as much football is it can, starting from this year’s Cosafa Cup in Botswana, leading up to the Chan tournament in 2016.

They will get hammered. Maybe not as much. But results are not what we are looking for in this rebuilding phase. But the time we start qualification campaigns for the 2017 Afcon and 2018 World Cup, we would have nurtured a team sufficiently equipped to take on the continent.

Besides the international games, also get the group to meet and train regularly at a high performance centre, at Zifa Village or the Innovative Centre, under the stewardship of expert elite coaches. Get Fifa to fund the coaching, they will listen to such proposals in Zurich.

This is what progressive football people should be putting on the table. Not inviting a destructive Fifa ban.

And it gets so worrying that the anti-Dube crusade includes misinformation campaigns that the Under-17 and 20 teams have been banned from international competition, yet the Confederation of African Football has never made such pronouncements.

That aside, has anything spectacular come out of our shores in terms of on-field achievement when the record shows that Zimbabwe has only qualified twice for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Save for the Sunday Chidzambwa and Charles Mhlauri eras in 2004, and 2006, has the bunch of senior national team players and coaches shown us anything out of the ordinary to warrant this wild, hysterical and misguided claim that we are among the best.

While continental giants like Cameroon and Nigeria – regular qualifiers for major events like Olympics, and the World Cup – have had frequent bonus clashes, is it really catastrophic for debt-ridden Zifa to be quarrelling with its players?

In another view, is the call for Zimbabwe’s expulsion from Fifa structures and assistance not akin to inviting “sanctions” on Zimbabwe, and at a time when the country desperately needs friends?

While many a people have decried the effects of a travel and asset embargo on President Robert Mugabe, and the economy, it is a shocking development to hear people calling for action against the country when they should be helping to fight these western embargoes.

And in lieu of the foregoing, it is my humble opinion that calls for Dube, and his executive to go – on account that they have failed – could be presumptuous and nonsensical for we have experienced “relative stability, and respect” from people like Blatter.

Unlike any of his predecessors, the man has ploughed significant personal resources into the game, while the nation had been accustomed to crises such as Asiagate under Nyatanga and the perennial near-misses of others.

Despite the vilification he is facing now, the Zifa boss forked out $20 000-plus and guaranteed Tanzania’s stay at Pandhari around that ill-fated weekend.

And when one looks at it objectively, what would have been more treasonous than the match-fixing scams?

In the meantime, we could concentrate on building strong teams around genuinely young players to take part in developmental tourneys such as Cosafa and ensure that Zimbabwe competes favourably in the future.

On the other hand, Dube’s arm-chair critics and detractors could also chip in financially, and otherwise to help develop, promote and control the national game!

And frankly, football is not Warriors and the Warriors are not football.

Report by Odisha Diary bureau, Puri: Odisha-based Internationally aclaimed sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo has created a sand sculpture at the golden sea-beach (near Light House), Puri, situated at a distance of 65 km, from Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, to celebrate the opening of 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930. The current champions are Spain, who won the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since 1978. It is scheduled to take place from 12 June to 13 July 2014 and 32 countries are participating in this competition. It will be the second time that Brazil has hosted the competition. In view of the worldwide celebration Mr. Sahoo prepared a beautiful sand sculpture that indicates unity, harmony and brotherhood of all the countries. In this sculpture he shows a foot ball, mascot and the FIFA world cup.

The sand sculpture is of the height of 7ft by using 10 tons of sand at a labour cost of 8 hours.  The nice idea of this preparation is appreciated by lover of art and culture, all visitors & tourist & people of locality. By preparing this sculpture the artist also wants to give the message” All in One Rhythm”.

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"Brazil is a large source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor."

Anyone else excited for 2014 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup in Brazil? Not necessarily a big American soccer (European football) fan, I enjoyed playing it as a child and love watching the games with friends. In the coming weeks, many will watch the international world cup, FIFA. In 2007, Brazil won the bid to host the 2014 world cup and the last year (2013 summer) was filled with national protests against the expensive event.


The reason for the protests include the under-investment in public services and the over-expenditure into the world cup.  Brazil built grand stadiums and the infrastructure necessary for the event, while skimping on social services and increasing prices and other issues like corruption, few hospitals, depreciated transportation system, and mismanagement of the construction for FIFA.

With this unrest framing the festivities of FIFA, prostitution and child sex trafficking is on the rise.
"The most significant human rights abuses included poor and at times life-threatening conditions in some prisons, sex trafficking of children and adolescents, forced labor, and exploitative working conditions."


End Child Prostitution in Brazil
As a sex tourism destination, the nation combats with sex trafficking and tourism and child exploitation. In Brazil, the age of consent is 14, with statutory rape penalized with sentences ranging from eight to fifteen years. Major coastal cities serve as tourist destinations for the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents without laws specifically addressing child sex tourism. Thousands of Brazilian highways have been identified by the police as hotspots for commercial sexual exploitation of children.

"More than 100,000 children were victims of sexual exploitation each year."

Many women and children are forced into prostitution abroad, with destinations including  neighboring countries such as Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, and Paraguay, and even further to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. With FIFA and a massive influx of tourists and fans arriving to Brazil for the games, the rampant child sex tourism issue remains unresolved and lacking global intervention and advocacy.

"Child sex tourists typically arrive from Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States."
With sixteen anti-trafficking offices, the government has implemented a national anti-trafficking plan and committed to approximately $2.9 million on it by 2014 this year. However, this plan faces defeat by Brazil's fickle trafficking definition that limits it to a movement-based crime. Increased efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses, and convict and sentence trafficking offenders, including those involved in internal sex trafficking can make a huge difference in the lives of women and children. With FIFA and the not-so-distant Rio 2016 Olympic Games draining the government of funds, dedication to increased funding for specialized assistance, shelters, and protection for victims of sex trafficking and forced labor appear to be a far-off dream.

The government took public measures to reduce demand for commercial sexual exploitation of children by continuing to raise awareness during the Carnival season, but how will this pan out during FIFA?

RIO DE JANERIO: Various Muslim football players will also be seen in an action with other non-muslims players during the FIFA World Cup, 2014 in Brazil.

According to reports that the Muslims football players are already added in the Iran, Algeria, Bosnia Herzegovina and Cameron teams for World Cup 2014 but various Muslims players are going to participate in the non-muslims football teams.

France experience midfielder player Bilal Yousuf, who is the famous as Frank Ribery’s name, has been pulled out due to his back injury in the mega event.

The World best midfielder Mesut Ozil plays from the Germany side. He is a Turkish-born Muslim.

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Jennifer Lopez at ISC Miami. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jennifer Lopez won't perform the World Cup's official song alongside fellow artists Pitbull and Claudia Leitte during the tournament's opening ceremony in Brazil, FIFA officials said Sunday.

Soccer's governing body said Lopez cannot perform at Thursday's event as earlier planned because of unspecified "production issues."

The singer's representatives didn't explain the reason why Lopez wouldn't be joining the act. They only confirmed the announcement in an emailed response, saying "regretfully Jennifer Lopez will not be attending this year's World Cup opening ceremonies."

FIFA said in a news release that Cuban-American rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte will sing the official tune "We Are One" before Brazil takes on Croatia at Thursday's opening game in Sao Paulo.

The song has let down many Brazilians who complain that it sounds too generic for the nation's Bossa Nova-crazed audiences and that it features foreign musicians singing mostly in English and Spanish. Leitte sings only a few seconds at the end of the song in her native Portuguese.

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SAO PAULO (AP) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter has hit out at critics who he says want "to destroy FIFA."

Blatter told Asian football leaders on Monday "I don't know what the reasoning is" behind The Sunday Times' allegations of corrupt payments by Mohamed bin Hammam.

The newspaper has reported Bin Hammam paid millions of dollars to Asian and African officials buying influence for Qatar's 2022 World Cup campaign and his own FIFA presidential challenge in 2011.

The FIFA chief, who is widely expected to stand for re-election, says "we are in the situation where we need leadership. I still have fire inside me."

Asian Football Confederation members stood to acclaim Blatter's request for support.

Minutes earlier, he promised FIFA member countries bonus payments from 2014 World Cup profits.

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The French men’s squad for the FIFA World Cup is struggling with injuries, but the women’s team has continued moving up, earning a top five spot in the FIFA Rankings by winning the Cyprus Cup in March. France currently sits on top of group seven in European qualifying for next summer’s women’s cup.

France is undefeated so far in qualifying for the 2015 cup, which will take place in Canada. They have seven wins over seven games with 21 points, and are two games ahead of the second place contender in the group, Finland. France has yet to play Finland in official qualifying, though, and the Finns are undefeated as well with five wins in five games.

Les Bleues earned their most recent three points with a 4-0 victory over Hungary early in May. Prior to that, France routed Austria with two 3-1 victories and shut out Kazakhstan in April and last September with seven and four goals, respectively. The French women decimated Bulgaria in both of their match-ups last November, shutting them out as well to the tune of 14 and 10 goals. France’s goal differential for qualifying is 43.

FIFA has France ranked fourth overall for women’s international soccer, behind only the United States, Germany, and Japan. If the French team qualifies for 2015, which seems likely at this point, it will be their third appearance on the world stage. The French women took fourth place in the 2011 World Cup after winning the number two spot in group play behind Germany, eventually losing to the United States in the semifinals and then to Sweden in the match for third place.

France played its first ever international game in 1920 against English side Dick, Kerr’s ladies, losing 2-0 in front of a crowd of around 20,000 spectators. The next year, women’s football was banned from FA and FIFA sanctioned events and pitches in France, England, and Germany for more than 50 years. Since FIFA reinstated women’s football, France has been on the move toward winning first place and lifting the World Cup trophy.


The French team is a combination of solid experience and youthful ingenuity, with veteran starters like Laura Georges and Camille Abily and fresh newcomers such as 21-year-old Amel Majri. Majri, who plays club for Lyon, has already netted one goal in a single appearance for the national team. Strikers Gaëtane Thiney and Marie-Laure Delie have over 100 combined goals in 180 appearances.

Qualifying will continue for France on August 20 with a second match against Hungary, a team that has never beaten France in international play. The French side will meet Finland on September 13 to decide the top spot in group seven. France is 7-1-2 all-time against the Finns, with a 14-point goal differential in favor of Les Bleues.

France will get an opportunity to warm up prior to these qualifying matches with friendlies against number-six ranked Brazil and number-one ranked United States. The team will play Brazil on June 11 before tackling a double-header against the U.S. on June 14 and June 19. France has beaten the U.S. twice in 16 meetings.

A win against Hungary or Finland could secure a spot in the 2015 Women’s World Cup for France, who have been steadily moving up through the rankings and are close to automatic qualification. France’s balanced lineup and superior goal-scoring ability provide a strong formula for dominating in qualifying and potentially in the World Cup Finals.

Commentary by Christina Jones


Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/fifa-womens-world-cup-france-on-the-move/#vgyGPl4dJzW6DfLZ.99

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AO PAULO (AP) — FIFA says about 1,400 people will have to change their tickets less than a week before the World Cup begins because they were handed out before work at the stadiums was completed.

FIFA said Saturday it notified 1,376 people whose tickets will have to be swapped because they do not correspond to valid seats.

Football's governing body said seating configurations changed after technical teams established exactly where the media tribunes and broadcast equipment had to be placed in each of the 12 venues.

FIFA said the changes were not caused by the delays in finishing Brazilian stadiums, and that such adjustments also happened in previous World Cups. It said the swaps account for "just a few cases comparing with the 2.2 million tickets sold to the general public."

Unquestionably, theScore is one of the best sports applications someone can download. From the constant flow of score and news updates to the very smooth design, theScore knows how to make people happy. So for the upcoming World Cup, theScore is being updated to bring people as close to Brazil as they can.

First and foremost, theScore is going to make sure you can follow your favorite team participating in the month-long tournament. This means you are going to get news and statistics updated in real-time; therefore, you are not going to miss a single moment even when you are not watching on television. And in case you are worried about missing a game, theScore will let you add the team’s schedule right to your calendar. Everything related to your favorite team can be found in one feed that is personalized just for you.

Here is what that personalized feed will look like:

So maybe you are busy and cannot watch on television. This is what theScore is known for: real-time updates pushed right to your mobile device. Aside from receiving notifications, you can setup right inside theScore and track what is going on down in Brazil. theScore is going to make sure your mobile experience is just what you want.

Matchups, lineups, stats, and a recap for games that have past, all in one place:

Play Store Download Link

By JOE APU World soccer ruling body, FIFA on yesterday, June 5, 2014 confirmed a total of 736 players and 32 coaches after they have been officially verified.
The players and coaches are the ones that will potentially feature between 12  June – 13 July.

In a release by FIFA, all the initial provisional squads have been trimmed down, injuries weighed up and fitness assessed as the teams go through their final preparations ahead of the big kick-off in Sao Paulo. From Algeria to USA, the camps are now finalised and all those who have made it in to their team’s final 23 can focus on performing well and trying to get on to the pitch during the global finals.

However, FIFA is disturbed that injury ruled out the likes of Colombia’s Radamel Falcao and Landon Donovan failing to make the USA squad as he failed to regain fitness.   Even so, there are tons of big names on their way, with nine of Real Madrid’s victorious starting line-up from last month’s UEFA Champions League final making the trip to Brazil, and many, more star attractions preparing to line up.

Aside from the two players FIFA had mentioned to be missed, injured Nigeria’s Elderson Echiejile would have listed too but with his name on the final 23-man list of Nigeria, he was cleared.

The Super Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya,in a mail on yesterday said the player is awaiting the result of his scan.

It would be recalled that the fullback had to be substituted in the closing stages of the first half against Greece after he picked up an injury.

And there were fears he might not recover on time for the friendly game with the United States.

‘’As I speak to you, they are taking him for a scan, he has a muscle strain. He (Echiejile) accompanied us for training this morning but he had individual training; he was just running. We cannot determine how serious his injury is until he comes back from the scan.”

The encounter between the Super Eagles and Team USA comes up on Saturday, June 7 at EverBank Field Jacksonville, Florida.

The June edition of the FIFA World Rankings were released Thursday with Nigeria stuck at the 44th position in the world and sixth in Africa.

Algeria and the Cote d’ Ivoire are 22 and 23 in the world and first and second respectively in Africa.

Egypt placed 36th  falling a huge 12 places thanks to two poor results this month against Chile and Jamaica. The Pharaohs were starting to rise again and last month reached a three-year high of 24th, but just like their defence against Chile after leading 2-0, they self destructed dropping 12 places to 36th.

However, at third place Egypt remained unchanged in Africa, with Sierra Leone making the biggest move, 17 places into 9th place and Algeria managed to leapfrog Cote d’Ivorie into first place.

This summer, work productivity is expected to plummet as the mercury rises and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the world's biggest single-sport event, gets underway. For 30 days, all eyes are fixed on Brazil and Fox Sports 1 has the personnel and programming to cover it all.

FOX Sports has gathered a small army of respected soccer analysts to contribute daily to AMERICA'S PREGAME and Fox Sports LIVE, as well as FOXSoccer.com, America's most-visited online soccer destination. Most notably are FOX Sports' soccer contributor and Sports Illustrated Senior Columnist Grant Wahl who heads to Brazil to report live for both shows from the USA team base, while Fox Sports reporter Geoff Schreeves is primarily entrenched within the England camp.

Daily studio coverage includes opinions from U.S. Soccer Hall of Famers Eric Wynalda and Cobi Jones who both played in a record three World Cups and were part of the legendary 1994 U.S. squad that forever changed soccer in America. Former England international Warren Barton and former Dutch international Mario Melchiot also provide unparalleled analysis throughout the month-long tournament.

Each weekday highlights, news and analysis come first on AMERICA'S PREGAME (daily, 6:00 PM ET) and later on Fox Sports Live (nightly, 11:00 PM ET) beginning with the opening match on Thursday, June 12 and continue until a champion is crowned on Sunday, July 13. The U.S. kicks-off its FIFA World Cup quest against familiar foe Ghana on Monday, June 16.

Gaming analyst Todd Fuhrman contributes entertaining segments on the odds and ends of the FIFA World Cup groups and matches for AMERICA'S PREGAME and Fox Sports LIVE, while the shows also offers features on the stars and up-and-comers to watch; the U.S. team without forward Landon Donovan; and the rest of their so-called Group of Death with Portugal, Germany and Ghana.

FOXSoccer.com has also assembled a full team of writers on the ground, with Leander Schaerlaeckens embedded with the U.S. Men's National Team and Amy Lawrence, Patrick Barclay, Jonathan Wilson and Jamie Trecker all providing unrivaled coverage of the events on the streets of Brazil. FOXSoccer.com offers exclusive daily web hits along with statistical analysis and real-time commentary via MatchTrax across smartphones, tablets and computers. The Fox Sports GO app live streams all World Cup coverage on AMERICA'S PREGAME and Fox Sports LIVE.

In addition, Fox Sports draws from its vast array of assets with the latest updates from Fox Sports Brasil, Sky Sports Germany, Sky Sports Italia and Sky Sports Japan. Viewers can follow on social media with @FOXSoccer, @FOXSoccerTrax, @AmericasPregame and @FOXSportsLive for match commentary and up-to-the-minute reporting.

FOX Deportes' leading news program Central FOX and talk show La Ultima Palabra bring viewers complete commentary around the World Cup. Renowned soccer stars Alberto Garcia Aspe, Luis Hernandez, Daniel "El Ruso" Brailovsky, Raul Orvananos, Fabian Estay and top anchors Alejandro Blanco and Andre Marin are set to cover the biggest headlines direct from Brazil.

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, Fox Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. Fox Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2; Fox Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, Fox Sports also encompasses Fox Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Fox Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the Fox Sports Radio Network.

With just a few days to go before the first kick off, Hyundai Motor Company, Official Partner of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, delivered over one thousand vehicles for the ground transportation of the world’s biggest sporting event in Brazil. The branding decorations of the 32 buses that will transport the teams of the qualified nations were also unveiled.

Hyundai held an official handover ceremony for the cars at Arena de Sao Paulo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to deliver the branded team buses and the 1,021 sedans and vans. The vehicles will ensure the smooth operation of the global event, transporting FIFA officials, national teams, members of the organizing committee, referees and media representatives throughout the tournament.

William Lee, President of Hyundai Motor Brasil (HMB), said: “We are proud to partner with FIFA for this exciting football event, while we believe that our football engagement has been playing a vital role in connecting global customers to our brand. In particular, we will do our best to make the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ one of the most spectacular FIFA World Cup’s in history.”



“A flawless transport operation is critical to the success of the FIFA World Cup”, said FIFA’s Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “We are delighted to have the support of our Partner, Hyundai, who’s provision of the fleet of vehicles ensures that all event participants and crucially, the teams, travel in style and comfort.”

The 32 team buses are vibrantly decorated with national team colors, flags and the winning slogans of the ‘Be There With Hyundai’ competition, a unique global initiative run by Hyundai that encouraged participation from fans all around the world. Furthermore, each bus will be escorted by a specially-decorated Grand Santa Fe, Hyundai’s leading SUV model, as part of the company’s exclusive sponsorship privileges.

In addition to the delivery of cars, Hyundai will operate a complete Service Team at all World Cup Stadiums and FIFA facilities to ensure the best service support and assistance to drivers and fleet of cars during the entire event. Prior to the delivery, over 1,000 drivers were trained to become familiar with each model, as well as learn about maintenance, safe driving techniques and routes.

Since Hyundai Motor signed the agreement in 1999 to sponsor FIFA competitions including the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, the company has successfully served as the official partner of 2002, 2006, 2010 FIFA World Cups as well as many other FIFA tournaments. In 2010, the company extended its strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA to cover the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Through its successful sponsorship of international football, Hyundai Motor has significantly boosted brand awareness and brand image. — SG

Madrid, June 7 (IANS) Spain's Brazilian born striker Diego Costa has defended his decision to play for his adopted home rather than his homeland in the forthcoming 2014 World Cup finals.

Costa is eligible to play for Spain despite having represented Brazil in two friendly games, but the decision by Vicente del Bosque to select him for the national team has not been popular in his homeland Brazil, reports Xinhua.

Brazil coach Felipe Scolari recently added more fuel to the flames with declarations that if Costa has not chosen Spain, he would have picked him for Brazil.

Speaking to the press in Washington DC ahead of Spain's final warm up game against El Salvador, Costa denied this was the case.

"Scolari never phoned me," he said. "The only coach who spoke to me is Del Bosque, he was worried about me, he invited me out to lunch and made me know he supported me," added the striker, who has no regrets about choosing Spain.

"I am very happy here because they have received me like a brother," he said.

However, Costa's next words also made it clear that although he has chosen to play his football for Spain, his heart still lies with his homeland.

"I am and feel Brazilian and that is never going to change. I am from Sergipe state in the heart of the country and in my home in Madrid I maintain Brazilian customs and that is not going to change."

"I want to win the World Cup for Spain, but if we can't win then I hope Brazil do," said the striker.

Costa's presence in the squad had been placed in doubt by a hamstring injury he has been carrying for the past month and which forced him out of the Champions League final after just nine minutes.

Del Bosque waited until the last moment before taking him, but Costa has taken part in recent training sessions.

"Physically I am all right and I am very motivated to play in the World Cup, I am going to hold nothing back," he confirmed.

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