My G, we already had this discussion. Go back a few pages. Or I guess I'll just post the links so it doesn't turn into a debate again. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=8966281&postcount=385 http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=8967525&postcount=405 Anyway bring on the pre WC friendlies.
Rumor has it that Huntelaar might be left off the roster as well, 23 get announced tomorrow morning (in Holland).
http://www.businessinsider.com/braz...rd-of-the-structures-for-the-world-cup-2014-5 Brazil Has Barely Finished A Third Of The Structures It Promised To Build For The World Cup
Honestly I don't mind them not completing all the stuff I mean obviously I'm not there so I don't have to deal with the inconvenience but Brazil isn't in a place where it should be spending all it's money on soccer... Hopefully they will put some of the money saved in the pockets of their people!
I think most of the stuff that isn't complete would be things that are actually useful long term though. Stuff like improved roads and metro would help the citizens. Instead they've sunk all of their time and money into stadiums that don't really benefit people that much.
It's likely this stuff will never be built and the Brazilian people will bear the brunt of this for years to come. Major events like the World Cup and Olympics are financial scams, but so much fun to watch.
Exactly. Only cities on already-stable financial ground come out of things like the Olympics and the World Cup in decent shape. More often than not, countries and cities that host these major global festivals come out of it bearing huge financial obligations that take decades to wear off. Some places never come out of the hole.
But let's not have the World Cup in countries that already have the infrastructure. Well done, FIFA. you only have yourselves to blame.
I am so looking forward to this.. i hope the tournament is ruined (except when we have a good squad. Than i want to see us win. But i doubt it). The corruption is just terrible
If these si.com writers are correct, it looks like you are right in that (at least) 4 of the Gold Cup vets will start against Ghana: Beasley, Besler, and Zusi with Bedoya/Davis/Diskerud battling for the starting left midfield spot. Repped.
Qatari official 'paid millions' for 2022 World Cup London (AFP) - A former top Qatari football official paid more than $5 million to get support for the emirate's controversial campaign to host the 2022 World Cup, a British newspaper alleged Sunday. The Sunday Times said it had obtained millions of emails and other documents relating to alleged payments made by Mohamed Bin Hammam, then a FIFA executive member for Qatar. It alleged that Bin Hammam, who is also an ex-Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, used slush funds to pay cash to top football officials to win a "groundswell" of support for Qatar's World Cup bid. Bin Hammam, who launched an abortive challenge against incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter, resigned from his FIFA and AFC posts in 2012, shortly before he was banned for life from football administration by the global governing body's ethics committee. Football's world governing body FIFA is investigating the 2010 vote that awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and the 2018 tournament to Russia, following previous corruption accusations. A report by FIFA chief investigator Michael Garcia, a top US lawyer, is to be finalised this year. He is due to meet senior officials from the Qatar 2022 organising committee in Oman on Monday. But that meeting may now have to be postponed in light of the Sunday Times revelations. FIFA and Qatar are already under pressure because the 2022 event will be held in the searing heat of the Qatar summer. FIFA's president wants the tournament held in the northern winter, for the first time, because of the problem. British media have made repeated allegations about the Qatar campaign to secure the tournament however. The Sunday Times said Bin Hammam had made payments of up to $200,000 into accounts controlled by the presidents of 30 African football associations, and hosted hospitality events in Africa at which he handed out further funds, to get backing for Qatar's bid. Bin Hammam also paid $1.6 million into bank accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the former vice-president of FIFA, $450,000 of which was before the vote for the World Cup, the Sunday Times said. Jose Mourinho's exclusive World Cup analysis Warner was one of the 22 people who in 2010 decided to award Russia the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 tournament. He stood down in 2011. - More pressure - The latest allegations come two months after Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper alleged that a company owned by Hammam had paid money to Warner. Bin Hammam did not respond to questions from the Sunday Times and his son declined to comment on his behalf, the newspaper said. It quoted the Qatari committee behind the World Cup bid as denying that Bin Hammam played any secret role in their campaign, or had any knowledge of the alleged payments. The decision to give the World Cup to Qatar, a country with little football history, provoked widespread condemnation particularly over health concerns for leading players forced to play in the desert nation's stifling summer heat. Blatter said in May that it was a mistake to choose Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup because of the country's sweltering summertime climate. The new allegations will place FIFA under fresh pressure to re-run the vote for the 2022 World Cup, which was held in conjunction with the vote for the 2018 tournament. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/qatari-paid-millions-world-cup-bid-support-231325669--sow.html
Not sure where to post this, but since he is in the Spanish squad might as well discuss it here; Villa has left Atletico and is signing for NYCFC the new MLS team. They seem to have a **** load of money to spend, Lampard could be the second signing. I'm moving to NY next year, glad to see they might have a competitive team to play in the Yankees stadium. Stadium sucks to watch football though. Not sure if they will build a new one.
