Italy

Costa Rica (1-0) Italy

Can Italy Beat the Heat…and Costa Rica? (UPDATE: Costa Rica Wins & Advances)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


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Can Italy Beat the Heat...and Costa Rica?

UPDATE: Whether or not the heat was an issue for Italy, Costa Rica got the best of them, winning 1-0. With their win, Costa Rica not only advances to the Round of 16, but knocks England out of the World Cup.

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It seems pretty obvious that the biggest challenge Italy will face in their match against Costa Rica will be…well, Costa Rica.

But not according to Italian coach Cesare Prandelli, the biggest challenge for his team may be the steamy Brazilian heat. He told the Associated Press that he’s “certain his players will suffer” from the conditions.

Midfielder Daniele de Rossi is also worried about the weather: “Last year we played Japan in Recife at 9 p.m. and we were dying. [Costa Rica are] more accustomed to this climate but I think both squads would accept time outs.”

Will the heat beat Italy? Or will Italy keep their cool and win over a tough Costa Rica squad? Find out at 12 PM ET (4 PM UTC).

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.

Selfies with Players Latest Trend

Smile and Say “World Cup!”

By Andrew Palczewski   |

Of the countless number of World Cup souvenirs in Brazil, the most sought-after may be one you can’t buy.

Selfies – taking a picture of yourself with a smartphone – have become immensely popular worldwide. So it’s no surprise that fans are coming to Brazil with cell phones in hand, hoping to get a selfie with their favorite player. And a lucky few have been able to do just that, and walk away with what may be the ultimate World Cup memento.

Brazilian President Dilma Roussef kicked off the trend with World Cup stadium construction workers:

Dilma Roussef and construction workers.

Since then, fans have been seeking selfies with some of their favorite players – Javier Hernandez of Mexico:

Javier Hernandez of Mexico.

Brazil’s Neymar:

Neymar of Brazil.

Ecuador’s Jorge Guagua:

Ecuador's Jorge Guagua.

Italy’s Mario Balotelli:

Balotelli.

Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi:

Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi of Italy.

But it’s not just the players that are getting attention from fans – coaches, like Netherlands’ Louis Van Gaal, are too:

Louis Van Gaal, Netherlands' coach.

And even the players can get starstruck, resulting in a memorable photo. Take Germany’s Lukas Podolski, who was able to snag a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after Germany’s 4-0 rout of Portugal:

Lukas Podolski and Angela Merkel.

But the prize for best football selfie has to go to Team Mexico. Not only did they get a selfie with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto…

Team Mexico.

…they were able to fit the entire team into the photo!

Team Mexico.

Clash of the European Titans: Group D

The Blues Meet The Three Lions

By Mike Eckel   |


here

Mario Balotelli

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has never scored a World Cup goal in the two tournaments he has appeared in (Germany, 2006; South Africa, 2010). Mario Balotelli is considered one of the best free kickers in world football.

Their two teams — England and Italy– will clash for the first time in the 2014 World Cup at the sweltering Brazilian city of Manaus with kick-off scheduled for 6 p.m. USEDT (10 p.m. GMT).

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 watch it on Twitter at #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.