Abel RKay

Two brilliant strikes from Luis Suarez were the difference between the teams as Uruguay condemned England to their second defeat of the competition. 

Spanish coach selected wrong players against Chile, says Baichung

Cameroun 0 v Mexico 1 Spain 1 v Netherlands 5 Chile 3 v Australia 1

  High five: Robin van Persie and Louis van Gaal celebrate striker's first goal    Roben scored 2  goals   Alonso scored a penalty   Roben celebrates his goal   De Vrij celebrates     Pictures Per Christophe Ens/AP Images, Getty Images, Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

It's Brazil 3 (Neymar 2 29, 71 min, Oscar 1) v Croatia 11 min(Own Goal by Marcelo) The teams had met in two previous matches, including in the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Brazil 1–0. Croatia forward Mario Mandžukić was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Iceland. The game was notable for a number of pioneering events. This was the first occasion in FIFA World Cup history on which an own goal opened scoring in the tournament. The match also saw the first use of vanishing spray and the advent of goal-line technology. Neymar celebrates his goal Neymar Equalizes Neymar's penalty shoot puts Brazil on lead   Neymar's shoots to score first goal Marcelo scores own goal to put Croatia on lead Neymar gets booked

Leo ndiyo leo, asemaye kesho ni mwongo! Waswahili hunena kauli kama hiyo pale jambo kumbwa hususan lenye kufurahisha linapotazamiwa kutokea. Watu wengi sana hupenda mpira wa miguu almaarufu kandanda, kabumbu kwa wabongo, football ama soccer kwa wenzetu wa USA na kule England. Basi leo ndiyo siku ambayo wengi wamekuwa wakiingojea kwa hamu kubwa sana, siku ya ufunguzi wa mashindano ya fainali za Kombe la Dunia litakaloshindaniwa kuanzia usiku wa leo, saa tano kwa Afrika Mashariki huko Brazil, Amerika ya Kusini. Katika mechi ya ufunguzi leo, wababe wawili ama majogoo wawili Brazil na Croatia watamenyana vikali sana kama si kuumana na kuzifanya zil nyasi za mandia au kapeti lile kupata shida sana kwa kipindi cha dakika 90 zote. Je, nani ama timu ipi itaibuka kidedea leo?

Neymar in action during a training session of the Brazilian national football team at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex, on June 09, 2014 in Teresopolis, 90 km from downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   David Luiz in action during a training session of the Brazilian national football team at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex, on June 09, 2014 in Teresopolis, 90 km from downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil   Paulinho (R) and Fernandinho take part in during a training session during a training session of the Brazilian national football team at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex, on June 09, 2014 in Teresopolis, 90 km from downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   Head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (L) gives instructions for Neymar during a training session of the Brazilian national football team at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex, on June 09, 2014 in Teresopolis, 90 km from downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   Thia...

Thursday, June 12 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on ESPN: Brazil vs. Croatia Group A in Sao Paulo Friday, June 13 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m PT on ESPN2: Mexico vs. Cameroon (Group A) in Natal 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on ESPN: Spain vs. Netherlands (Group B) in Salvador 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2: Chile vs. Australia (Group B) in Cuiaba Saturday, June 14 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT on ABC: Colombia vs. Greece (Group C) in Belo Horizonte 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on ABC: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica (Group D) in Fortaleza 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN: England vs. Italy (Group D) in Manaus 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN: Ivory Coast vs. Japan (in Group C) in Recife Sunday, June 15 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT on ABC: Switzerland vs. Ecuador (Group E) in Brasilia 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on ABC: France vs. Honduras (Group E) in Porto Alegre 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN: Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group F) in Rio de Janeiro   Monday, June 15 11...

The World Cup kicks off in Brazil today after years of construction delays and budget overruns . Protests and labour strikes are planned in the 12 host cities, including a 24-hour slowdown by some airport workers in Rio de Janeiro. However, the threat of a long subway strike in Sao Paulo has eased. Some businesses in Rio, the venue for seven games including the final, had boarded up windows and doors yesterday in case protests erupted. Brazil's national team hosts Croatia in the opening match at a newly-built stadium in Sao Paulo, the cost and late delivery of which came to embody the troubled World Cup preparations. Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans will descend on the country for the month-long tournament. However, many Brazilians are angry over the €8.3bn spent on hosting the World Cup when basic social services are poorly financed.   Massive street demonstrations hit the country last year. Although they have faded in numbers recently, officials expect a hard core...

Arena Amazonia Located in Manaus , the stadium can seat up to 42,374. Located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the arena was built on the site of the old Vivaldao stadium that was demolished in 2011. Estadio Castelao Located in Fortaleza , the stadium can seat up to 64,846. The site was completely refurbished over a two-year period to meet FIFA standards. Estadio das Dunas Located in Natal , the stadium can seat up to 42,086. The stadium was designed to imitate sand dunes, some of the most impressive natural attractions in the Natal region. Arena Pernambuco Located in Recife , the stadium can seat up to 44,248. Built for the World Cup, the stadium includes a university campus and a solar power plant. Arena Fonte Nova Located in Salvador , the stadium can seat up to 48,747. Modeled after its predecessor that stood in the same spot, the new arena is covered by a lightweight metal roof. Arena Pantanal Located in Cuiaba , the stadium can seat up to 42,968. Especi...

The former Brazil icon insists the Argentina star does not need to win the tournament to become one of the game's greats Brazil legend Ronaldo has dismissed the notion that Argentina captain Lionel Messi needs to win the World Cup to be considered a football legend. The four-time Ballon d’Or winner has won every honour with his club side Barcelona in Spain and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time at the age of 26. But despite his phenomenal success with the La Liga giants, some critics claim that until Messi replicates his club success on the international stage with Argentina, he cannot claim his place among the real greats of the game. However, Ronaldo has dismissed that suggestion, instead insisting that Messi has already done enough to be labelled a football god. “He can win that [the World Cup]. He has not retired yet, has he? And he is only 26,” the three-time World Player of the Year told The Times of India . “Moreover, in the history of fo...

  MIAMI – The chant from fans sitting behind the Ghana bench filled the vast, mostly empty stadium early in the second half of Monday's friendly against South Korea. "We want USA!" they hollered. The Ghanians were feeling festive as their team won its last warmup match for next week's World Cup opener against the Americans by beating South Korea 4-0. Jordan Ayew scored three times after entering the game as an injury replacement, and Asamoah Gyan also scored. "It was a good friendly match," coach James Appiah said. "It was important we put out a good team. Everyone who paid to come in here got his money's worth." Even so, Appiah said Ghana's not quite ready for its game against the United States next Monday in Natal, Brazil. "It's fine we won, but we still have some work to do," Appiah said. The Black Stars know what it takes to beat the Americans — they eliminated the U.S. team from the World Cup in 2006 an...

The Spaniard has been toying with his opponents, despite a back problem, but will renew his long rivalry with the Serb in an attempt to achieve another grand slam milestone Rafael Nadal has been toying with us at this French Open, as he sometimes does and, no doubt, will do in the future. It is hard to believe that the champion who destroyed Andy Murray on Friday to book his place in Sunday’s final against Novak Djokovic was the same Nadal who complained of a back problem after a minor dip in the second set of his third-round win over Leonardo Mayer. The contrast is staggering. In the space of a week, Nadal has bounced out of his phone box, whipped off his glasses and is flying again. He is a phenomenon. After he had noticeably powered down in that set against Mayer, he said: “Yes, I felt a little bit my back, so that’s why I slow down a little bit the serve. I felt a little bit from the beginning. In the second match I was not serving that fast, too.” Asked was it a concern, ...

In this picture taken Friday June 6, 2014 German national soccer player Marco Reus lies on the pitch during the friendly soccer match between Germany and Armenia in Mainz Germany. Reus was helped off the pitch after twisting his left ankle while challenging Artur Yedigaryan for the ball. Reus immediately dropped to the grass and appeared in considerable pain. Team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt shook his head as he assisted the Borussia Dortmund player off the pitch. Reus was taken to the hospital to determine the full extent of the injury. AP Photo/dpa,Thomas Eisenhuth) The Associated Press                Germany’s midfielder Marco Reus in agony during the win over Armenia   (Picture: Roland Daniel/Getty Images)     Germany are sweating on the fitness of Marco Reus after the attacker was forced off injured in Friday night's 6-1 friendly victory over Armenia in Mainz.

Published: 8 Jun 2014 at 01.49 Online news: World Writer: AFP   German star Marco Reus became the latest player to suffer World Cup injury heartache on Saturday as the football world prepared to descend on Brazil.   Germany's midfielder Marco Reus reacts on the pitch during a friendly football match  against Armenia in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2014 on June 6, 2014 in Mainz, central Germany   A day after injury saw French winger Franck Ribery ruled out of the tournament, Reus's cruel exit was confirmed by officials as Germany prepared to jet off to their Brazilian base camp. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder left the field in tears during Germany's 6-1 drubbing of Armenia on Friday, and coach Joachim Loew confirmed the worst. "Marco is obviously very disappointed to miss the World Cup and also for us it is a real blow," he said. "When we learnt last night (Friday) that the injury was to the ligament we knew his chances of goin...

Published: Tuesday 3 June 2014, 13.40CET By UEFA.com "Anyone who knows me knows that the World Cup goal record is a target of mine," said Miroslav Klose as the 35-year-old striker prepares for one last finals tilt with Germany. "I expect this will be my last World Cup," said Miroslav Klose ahead of his trip to South Africa with Germany four years ago. "You never know for sure what will happen in football, but it isn't very likely I'll be involved in 2014." Unlikely, maybe. Impossible, no. Klose – 36 on 9 June – has been named as the only out-and-out striker in Joachim Löw's 23-man party for Brazil. The SS Lazio man has been a valued presence in the Germany squad for 13 years now, though his trademark somersault goal celebration has been quietly put out to grass in recent years. "Everyone knows how old I am," he noted. "It's been a long time since I've pulled out the somersault. I think it's better that I let i...