‘Don’t behave like stars’
RIBEIRAO PRETO: The atmosphere in France’s World Cup squad is far removed from the shambles of four years ago. Patrice Evra even jokes that “this one is scary because everything’s going well.” Evra was captain when the squad created controversy at the 2010 World Cup by refusing to get off the bus for practice in protest at the exclusion of their teammate, Nicolas Anelka. He served a five-match ban and was widely vilified by the French media for his role in the strike. Evra played at the European Championship four years ago, but was a peripheral figure under former coach laurent Blanc. Evra warns his teammates about over-confidence in Brazil, saying “the day we start thinking that everything is easy and behaving like stars then we’ll fail.”
Nude photos that distract Croatia
Salvador: Croatia’s coaches are urging their players to focus on facing Cameroon at the World Cup rather than lamenting the publication of photos showing some of them bathing nude at their training complex’s swimming pool in Brazil. Since the paparazzi photos were published by Croatian media over the weekend, players have refused to speak to the media. “The players are talking about that theme, but we want them to concentrate on the match against Cameroon,” assistant coach Robert Kovac said on Tuesday. “If those photos were not published, they would be thinking about Cameroon. like this, they are distracted by things outside the pitch.” However, Kovac said he understood the players’ reasons for boycotting the media. “That was a private thing,” he said. “They had a day off and they relaxed a bit. It was not appropriate by photographers to abuse the situation.” I don’t want to deal with that,” Croatia coach Niko Kovac said late Tuesday in Manaus. “That’s behind us.” Robert Kovac said the match in the Brazilian rainforest could be won by the team which copes better with the hot and humid conditions. “It will be tough in Manaus, where conditions are inhumane,” Robert Kovac said. “It is important that we win ball possession, be patient and create opportunities.”
Not blocking Maradona: FIFA
Rio de Janeiro: FIFA has played down the latest broadside aimed by Diego Maradona, one of the governing body’s fiercest critics. The Argentina great has claimed in the media that he was blocked at the Maracana Stadium from watching his country’s 2-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday. Maradona is accredited as a journalist at the World Cup working for Venezuelan broadcaster Telesur, which does not have rights to broadcast matches. FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer says it did not receive a complaint from Maradona “nor for anybody else.” Fischer says “maybe he went somewhere where we didn’t have the necessary access but we have no record of it.” Maradona was captain and inspiration of the Argentina team that won the 1986 World Cup.
Wobbly stairs
Rio De Janeiro: Video of a staircase most people use to get to and from Rio’s famed Maracana stadium shows the structure built atop scaffolding wobbling under the weight of fans who attended the World Cup game between Argentina and Bosnia over the weekend. Fans of various nationalities said Tuesday that they were scared it might come crashing down. The footage shot by a Brazilian photographer showed people packed on the staircase of wooden steps as it swayed, grabbing hand rails to support themselves as they headed via their only exit to a concrete ramp leading to a subway station after the game. “When people walk on it the wood moves, so with thousands of people walking up there, there could be an accident,” said Jorge Martinez, a Mexican systems engineer who used the stairs to leave Sunday night’s game.
A few handy words for speaking “futebol”
To impress friends with your knowledge of futebol, here’s a few words and phrases Brazilians use to discuss their jogo bonito, the beautiful game:
Fominha: Player who selfishly keeps or hogs ball. Derived from verb for hunger.
Frango: Embarrassingly easy ball goalkeeper shouldn’t have let in. Derived from word for chicken, idea being that ball was as elusive as a running chicken. A bad goalkeeper is a “frangueiro,” roughly meaning “chicken taker.”
Gol de placa: Extraordinarily beautiful goal.
Fregues: meaning customer, applied to teams that keep coming back for another beating. They’re good customers.
Drible da vaca: literally “cow’s dribble,” when player kicks ball past opponent, runs round him and collects ball on other side.
Bola quadrada: Bad pass, literally “square ball.”
Even Terror attack can’t break Nigeria
Campinas: An official with Nigeria’s World Cup squad says the players are more determined than ever to succeed in Brazil following a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 people in their home country. Boko Haram, an armed Islamic group that is aiming to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state and is behind the kidnapping of 250 schoolgirls, has been blamed by police for Tuesday’s attack against a World Cup viewing site in northeast Nigeria.