World Cup Qualification - Brazil 2014

[soggy biscuit]

Some radio presenter just said there is talk of a 1 minute drinks break in the middle of each half during that game so as to avoid players rolling around for even longer than usual while team mates all run to the side to grab water bottles every 2 minutes

[Kitsondinho]

A few degrees and a few percent in humidity, yeh go on then I'll give you that. As I said though, not a huge difference.

Of course the TV companies want the kick off to be at a time when more people will watch it - but so do millions of Europeans who'll be tuning in, albeit not the minority you're in who were relishing the novelty of staying up all night.

More worried about the fact that the hotter it is, the less chance we have of getting a draw. We'll be chasing the ball for 85% of the game and that'll be knackering in that heat.

[just some bloke]

draw with Italy, draw with Uruguay, beat Costa Rica. We'll go through with whoever wins out of Uruguay and Italy in that game.

[Green]

A few degrees and a few percent in humidity, yeh go on then I'll give you that. As I said though, not a huge difference.

Of course the TV companies want the kick off to be at a time when more people will watch it - but so do millions of Europeans who'll be tuning in, albeit not the minority you're in who were relishing the novelty of staying up all night.

More worried about the fact that the hotter it is, the less chance we have of getting a draw. We'll be chasing the ball for 85% of the game and that'll be knackering in that heat.

I'm really not sure it's going to matter on that front, we could play at 2am local time and it'll still be hot. In some ways it'll feel hotter later in the evening as the relative humidity rises. A tropical climate is very different to a continental one where you might get the relief you're seeking.

[LWJ]

Talk of fraud in the draw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C71dCrZ_-Rs

[TBM]

Talk of fraud in the draw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C71dCrZ_-Rs

I did find it weird at the time why the had to hand the ball to the presenters - whereas the first "known" ball wasn't

[LWJ]

There's a twitter account who tweeted the day before what some of the groups were. he # it fifafraude I think...

[LWJ]

https://twitter.com/FraudeMundial14

Obviously need to translate but easy to do so with Chrome

[TBM]

There's a twitter account who tweeted the day before what some of the groups were. he # it fifafraude I think...

Yeah there's also a link on the previous page

[LWJ]

There's a twitter account who tweeted the day before what some of the groups were. he # it fifafraude I think...

Yeah there's also a link on the previous page

Yahoo link, no twitter

[TBM]

There's a twitter account who tweeted the day before what some of the groups were. he # it fifafraude I think...

Yeah there's also a link on the previous page

Yahoo link, no twitter

Which says

You can read the original Spanish Tweets here, but here's our translation:

"We profoundly lament that a sport that is so pure is manipulated by an international organisation that acts on its economic interests… We are not trying to rid the World Cup of its excitement and euphoria. However, if this corrupt manipulation goes on we will consider ourselves obliged to publish the name of the winner of the competition, which has already been dictated by Blatter and his company from Switzerland.

"On the other hand, neither is it our intention to ruin all the drama of the World Cup draw. With that in mind, we will only publish the group in which Argentina will play. Let's begin."

Then followed the next two Tweets, which you won't need Spanish knowledge to understand. The first predicts correctly that Italy would be the team that came out of Pot 4 and put into Pot 2, while the second names Argentina's three group stage opponents:

[Barry the bird boggler]

Not sure 3 hours is gonna make a huge difference to the humidity or temperature, Kitsondinho.

Fair enough those of you wanted to stay up until 4am - I suggest you don't let the change in kick off time stop you.

Apparently it will make a difference. The sunset is around 6-6:30pm (on average) in Manaus during June, which is now K/O. If it was three hours later, temperature should have dropped by several degrees. The 9pm (local time) K/O would have been easier to play in, which is why both FAs and both managers didn't want the change. It has only been changed for ITV (yes I know!!) and RAI because they wanted an earlier K/O.

Even worse if ITV have got it and not BBC

[stealthpapes]

Which says

You can read the original Spanish Tweets here, but here's our translation:

"We profoundly lament that a sport that is so pure is manipulated by an international organisation that acts on its economic interests… We are not trying to rid the World Cup of its excitement and euphoria. However, if this corrupt manipulation goes on we will consider ourselves obliged to publish the name of the winner of the competition, which has already been dictated by Blatter and his company from Switzerland.

"On the other hand, neither is it our intention to ruin all the drama of the World Cup draw. With that in mind, we will only publish the group in which Argentina will play. Let's begin."

Then followed the next two Tweets, which you won't need Spanish knowledge to understand. The first predicts correctly that Italy would be the team that came out of Pot 4 and put into Pot 2, while the second names Argentina's three group stage opponents:

cui bono?

[YateleyRoyal]

Germany plan to build their own team accomodation at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as local facilities do not meet requirements, according to Bild newspaper.

The paper says local hotels weren't luxurious enough so the German authorities are creating the sports village for the team, complete with 13 housing blocks, a press centre and training pitch.

[Kitsondinho]

Not sure 3 hours is gonna make a huge difference to the humidity or temperature, Kitsondinho.

Fair enough those of you wanted to stay up until 4am - I suggest you don't let the change in kick off time stop you.

Apparently it will make a difference. The sunset is around 6-6:30pm (on average) in Manaus during June, which is now K/O. If it was three hours later, temperature should have dropped by several degrees. The 9pm (local time) K/O would have been easier to play in, which is why both FAs and both managers didn't want the change. It has only been changed for ITV (yes I know!!) and RAI because they wanted an earlier K/O.

Even worse if ITV have got it and not BBC

Turns out I was wrong on that front. On the BBC.

[Sanguine]

Croatia will be without their veteran centre-back Josep Simunic for the whole of the tournament, because he is a massive racist.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25408303

[Lacoste]

Townsend out of world cup.

According to Jason Roberts, Townsend's hamstring is racist.

[sandman]

Ah Jason Roberts 'jokes' on anything involving a black player, that never gets old does it? Oh wait... yes it does.

[soggy biscuit]

Falcao to possibly miss the world cup

[soggy biscuit]

French media saying he has done his ACL and is out for up to 8 months.

Could also mean that 8 foot tall Traore may stay with Monaco for the season instead of a loan to Everton