So, now that Spain has yet another excuse for not doing any work for 3 months, we're left turning
our attention back to club soccer, World Cup 2014 Qualifying, and praying that your team doesn't
get put in a group that will have to play a World Cup match in Manaus, Brasil (a mere 1,427 mi from
the nearest fellow host city (Cuiabá--which happens to be a neighborly 627 mi from it's nearest
fellow host city of Brasilia).
The brazilian national team has spent the past week at CT Caju, home of Atletico-PR's training
ground in the southern city of Curitiba, Brazil. Contrary to the ridiculous circus that coach
Parreira bought into in 2006, Dunga's pragmatic and no-frills approach has shown through already.
Most practice sessions have been closed to both press and the public.
Meet Raio Gomes, Brasil's Official Fútbolita! The journalism student from Brasilia, the capital of
Brazil, works at a news agency for children's rights and supports Flamengo passionately. She also
hopes to work as a professional journalist in the area of Sports and Culture one day. So let's all
say "
BEM-VINDO, menina!
The brazilian national team and it's complete delegation visited Lula in Brazil's capital,
Brasilia. The president, an outpoken Corinthians fan, offered the Palacio da Alvorada (official
residency) as the venue. CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) President Ricardo Teixeira was
working on home turf, given his political and mafiosi-style antics.
FIFA officials are visiting Brazil this week; Secretary General Jerome Valcke has met with
members of the Local Organising Committee and Government officials to get updates on the World Cup
2014.
CBF has announced that the draw which will define the qualifying groups for the World Cup 2014
will be held in July of 2011 in the city of Rio de Janeiro (which was the only candidate city to
host the event).
Lancenet, one of the most influential sports website in Brazil, published yesterday a report
about the Local Organising Committee of the World Cup 2014.
The members of the LOC were all chosen by the President of CBF, Ricardo Teixeira: Joana
Havelange, Teixeira's daughter (Teixeira is son in law of Joao Havelange, who was President of
FIFA from 1974 to 1998); Francisco Mussnich, Teixeira's lawyer; Mario Rosa, Teixeira's advisor in
Brasilia, helped Teixeira while he was responding to a Probing Comission before the Brazilian
Senate, in 2001); Rodrigo Paiva, spokesman of CBF; and economist Carlos Langoni, former President
of the Central Bank of Brazil.
The brazilian national team and it's complete delegation visited Lula in Brazil's capital,
Brasilia. The president, an outpoken Corinthians fan, offered the Palacio da Alvorada (official
residency) as the venue. CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) President Ricardo Teixeira was
working on home turf, given his political and mafiosi-style antics.
The brazilian national team has spent the past week at CT Caju, home of Atletico-PR's training
ground in the southern city of Curitiba, Brazil. Contrary to the ridiculous circus that coach
Parreira bought into in 2006, Dunga's pragmatic and no-frills approach has shown through already.
Most practice sessions have been closed to both press and the public.
