Monday, September 22, 2014
FIFA Official Doubts the 2022 World Cup Will be Held in Qatar
By: NICK SCHWARTZ | usatoday.com
FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has been heavily criticized since the final vote in 2010, with allegations of corruption within FIFA and Qatar’s record of human rights violations leading many to call for the decision to be reversed. The challenges of holding the world’s biggest tournament in western Asia during the summer months — when temperatures in Doha reach an average high of 106 degrees — seem unsolvable. Qatari officials have promised to spend $4 billion on air conditioned stadiums to protect players and fans, but not everyone is convinced.
FIFA Executive Committee member Theo Zwanziger told German newspaper Bild that he does not think the tournament will take place in Qatar.
Via Reuters:“I personally think that in the end the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar. Medics say that they cannot accept responsibility with a World Cup taking place under these conditions…. Fans from around the world will be coming and traveling in this heat and the first life-threatening case will trigger an investigation by a state prosecutor.”
FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitted in May that awarding Qatar the World Cup was “a mistake,” and has also said that it is not “rational and reasonable” to play the 2022 World Cup in the summer. Moving the tournament to the winter would wreak havoc on club football league schedules across the world.
If Qatar is stripped of the World Cup, it could potentially be hosted in the United States. The U.S. finished second in the voting process in 2010, ahead of South Korea, Japan and Australia.
Read more: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/2022-world-cup-qatar-fifa-official
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Argentina's Sweet Revenge on Germany
 |
| Source: Reuters |
Argentina spoiled the party for world cup champions Germany by crushing the hosts 4-2 in an international friendly game in Duesseldorf on Wednesday .
A brilliant performance from Angel Di Maria spurred Argentina to a crushing 4-2 friendly win over world champions Germany on Wednesday in an entertaining rematch of July's World Cup final.
Despite the absence of injured captain Lionel Messi, Argentina ran circles around the World Cup winners on their home turf in the first match for both teams since Germany's 1-0 extra-time victory in the final in Brazil.
So impressive was the performance of the Argentine winger, who had missed the final through injury, in the Duesseldorf arena that even many of the German fans applauded his performance when he was replaced late in the match.
Germany coach Joachim Loew put only four of the starting 11 that won Germany's fourth World Cup on the pitch in the warm-up match for their Euro 2016 campaign that starts on Sunday against Scotland.
Captain Philipp Lahm, striker Miroslav Klose and defender Per Mertesacker, who all retired following the World Cup triumph, were hailed by the sell-out crowd of 51,132 while several other key players were missing through injury.
The inexperienced Germany defence could not contain new Manchester United signing Di Maria in the first half but also left lots of open space for lightening counter-attacks by moving deep into Argentina's territory.
Read full article: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/angel-di-maria-dazzles-as-argentina-crush-germany-42/1285470
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Germany, Argentina Set for World Cup Final rematch
Fifty days after winning the FIFA World Cup™ for the fourth time, the German national team assembled in Dusseldorf on Monday for Wednesday's repeat of the Final against Argentina.
Wednesday's match was already set to be a glamour friendly but there is added hype in the wake of Mario Gotze's extra-time winner when the teams last met in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July.
Around 45,000 people watched the World Cup-winners train on Monday and Wednesday's game at the Espirit Arena will attract a sell-out crowd.
On Sunday, Joachim Low's side host Scotland in Dortmund in their first qualifier for UEFA EURO 2016. For a German team still taking in the World Cup triumph, the two games have come around quickly.
"I think it's not easy for us - that's clear," Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said on Monday. "For Scotland it's the game of the year to start against us. We have to play well against Argentina with regard to the weekend and to be fully prepared for it."
Read full article here: FIFA.com
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
