As the 2010 FIFA World Cup draws to a close, the logo for the the next World Cup in 2014 in Brazil was revealed yesterday.
This evening at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the Official Emblemfor the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil was unveiled in the presence of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Brazil 2014 Organising Committee and FIFA Executive Committee member Ricardo Teixeira, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter as well as former Seleção players Cafu, Carlos Alberto Torres, Romario and 1994 FIFA World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Prior to the emblem unveiling, 500 guests, including international media, were treated to a small taste of what they can expect from the first FIFA World Cup in Brazil since 1950. Brazilian music groups Barbatuques and Bossa Cuca Nova and Grammy award-winning singer Vanessa da Mata appeared on stage in an hour-long show hosted by the Brazilian celebrity couple Fernanda Lima and Rodrigo Hilbert.
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Carles Puyol sent Spain through to the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a stunning header and only goal of the match to help La Furia Roja beat Germany 1 – 0 on Wednesday.
The Barcelona centre-back powered home a header from 10 yards from Xavi’s corner 17 minutes from time to send the reigning European champions into their first ever World Cup final.
Holland reached the title game by beating Uruguay 3-2 in Cape Town on Tuesday.
It means there will be a new name on the trophy for the first time since France claimed victory on home soil in 1998.
Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque had sprung a surprise before kick-off by dropping out-of-form Liverpool forward Fernando Torres and replacing him with Barcelona youngster Pedro.
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Holland are in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday after they beat Uruguay 3 – 2 last night.
Goals from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben secured a semi-final victory over Uruguay in Cape Town and a chance to avenge defeats on the game’s biggest stage in 1974 and 1978.
Bert van Marwijk’s side may not delight like the ‘Total Football’ Dutch teams from the playing days of Johan Cruyff.
But having waited so long, theOranje will care little for that as they prepare to bring their own glow to Johannesburg in a meeting with either Spain or Germany.
Captain Van Bronckhorst brilliantly put his side in front before former Manchester United star Diego Forlan levelled with a goal that ultimately was not quite enough, even though Maximiliano Pereira’s strike gave a glimmer of hope in stoppage time.
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Argentina coach Diego Maradona has apparently stepped down on Monday, although the country’s local football association and a close friend told Reuters he had not resigned.
“It’s done, my chapter has ended,” Cronica newspaper quoted Maradona as saying, two days after Germany’s resounding 4-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals. “I gave everything I had.”
A spokesman for the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said Maradona had not officially resigned and that AFA President Julio Grondona would meet him after the World Cup had finished.
A close friend of Maradona’s told Reuters: “I still can’t confirm it, (the resignation) is something that’s being discussed.”
The friend said Maradona’s decision would be announced during a press conference but he did not say when.
“Diego is at home with his family thinking this over,” he said.
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Christiano Ronaldo will become the father of a baby boy he revealed on his website on Sunday and the mother of the child’s identity will remain a secret. The Real Madrid winger and Portugal captain said “it is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy”. [...]
Brazillian coach Dunga along with his entire technical staff have been dismissed after the side’s quarterfinal exit from the World Cup. The decision was widely expected after Brazil was beaten 2-1 by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Friday. The team took a 1-0 lead through Robinho in the first half, but went on to [...]
Another World Cup winner is set to bow out of the tournament this Saturday as a young German side take on Maradona’s Argentina at Cape Town stadium. In the round of sixteen both of these countries swept aside their opponents, even if in somewhat controversial circumstances. However, no one can really argue that they don’t [...]
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has officially joined Liverpool Football Club as their new manager. “The 62-year-old former Fulham, Inter Milan and Switzerland manager has agreed terms with the club on a three-year contract and becomes the 18th manager in our history,” the club said in a statement. It added that Hodgson would begin his management [...]
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the Super Eagles from international competition for two years following their poor performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “Mr President has directed that Nigeria will withdraw from all international football competition for the next two years to enable Nigeria to reorganise its football,” Ima Niboro, Jonathan’s senior communications [...]
Two match officials, Uruguay’s Jorge Larrionda and Italy’s Roberto Rosetti, whose blunders have prompted FIFA to rethink using video technology, will not referee another match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They were left off the list of 19 referees announced by FIFA on Tuesday to take part in the rest of the competition although [...]
