Photo of the Day
A TV crew member holds a director’s clapboard showing the flags of semi-finalists Brazil and Germany during Germany’s training session at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte July 7, 2014. Germany will play Brazil in their 2014 World Cup semi-final match on July 8 in Belo Horizonte. (Reuters)
Possessed. Dispossessed
The World Cup is closing in on its final chapters: semifinals on Tuesday and Wednesday, finals on on Sunday. The tournament is already leaving great sporting memories, but it’s also leaving a legacy of controversy over evictions and land seizures that made way for the event.
Authorities evicted residents in dozens of neighborhoods across Rio and other major Brazilian cities ahead of the tournament.
The evictions sparked protests from those who believe the mega-events serve primarily the interests of the wealthy.
And now the scenario is repeating itself as Brazil prepares for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Read more here from VOA’s Scott Babb and watch below:
Photo of the Day
Brazil’s Neymar grimaces in pain during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Brazil and Colombia at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Friday, July 4, 2014. Brazil’s team doctor says Neymar will miss the rest of the World Cup after breaking a vertebrae during the team’s quarterfinal win over Colombia. (AP)
Brazil (2-1) Colombia
UPDATE: The hometown heroes of Brazil are one step closer to winning the cup on their home turf, after beating Colombia 2-1 and securing a spot in Tuesday’s semifinal against Germany. But the big news for Brazil is two absences from their next match. After his second yellow card in as many matches, Brazil’s captain Thiago Silva is out of the semis. And Brazilian star Neymar is out for the rest of the World Cup after fracturing a vertebra in his back. We’ll find out Tuesday if these key absences will hurt Brazil’s game, but regardless, the Brazil/Germany match is sure to be an exciting one.
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Just like the first match between France and Germany, this Brazil/Colombia match (4 PM ET/8 PM UTC) is also a battle of neighboring nations. Brazil is hoping that playing on its home turf will keep visiting Colombia fans quiet. Colombia, meanwhile, hopes to finish the job Chile came so close to completing: knocking out the hometown favorites.
For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.
Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.
And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.
KO!
All Times GMT (EDT + 5 Hours)
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| G | (GMT) (GMT) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/07 - 17:00 | Rio de Janeiro | GER | 1-0 | FRA | |||
| 04/07 - 21:00 | Fortaleza | COL | 1-2 | BRA | |||
| 05/07 - 17:00 | Brasília | BEL | 0-1 | ARG | |||
| 05/07 - 21:00 | Salvador | CRC | 0(3)-0(4) | NED | |||
| 08/07 - 21:00 | Belo Horizonte | GER | 7-1 | BRA | |||
| 09/07 - 21:00 | São Paulo | ARG | 0(4)-0(2) | NED | |||
| 12/07 - 21:00 | Brasília | NED | 3-0 | BRA | |||
| 13/07 - 20:00 | Rio de Janeiro | ARG | 0-1 | GER | |||