Brasil.FIFA have released the dates and venues for the matches of the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, with the patience of traveling supporters set to be tested once again.
Instead of keeping group games within a couple of venues located close to one-another, as used to be the norm, fans will face trips of up to 2,000 miles in order to watch all of their nation’s opening clashes.
One unlucky Group A team will begin in Sao Paulo, then trek 1,680 miles (2,700 km) up to Manaus, before an odyssey of 3,538 miles (5,698km) Togel Hongkong across the Amazon to Recife, a voyage one team from Group D and another from Group G must also endure. Even the hosts are not spared, with the seleçao kicking off in Sao Paulo before flying 1465 miles (2357km) to Fortaleza and then making another journey of 1042 miles (1677km) to Brasilia.
The explanation for clocking-up so many air miles, according to the organising committee, is the varying weather, with the south of Brazil much cooler than the north.
“The climate is so different you do not want to give an advantage to one country over another,” said Head of Operations Ricardo Trade.
The semi-finals will take place in Belo Horizonte’s Estadio Mineirao (70,000) and Sao Paulo’s Novo Estadio do Corinthians (68,000), with the final in Rio’s renovated Maracana (85,000) on the 13th of July 2014.
Starting times for matches will be 1700, 1900, 2300 and 0200 GMT.
Morocco to host Club World Cup
Morocco to host Club World CupMorocco will host both the 2013 and 2014 FIFA Club World Cups.
Iran, South Africa and the U.A.E. all withdrew their bids, leaving FIFA to bring the competition to Africa for the first time. The hosting is set to be rubber-stamped in Zurich in December.
The North African nation has a strong soccer tradition, and the national team memorably became the first African nation to win a group in the World Cup Finals, topping England, Portugal and Poland at Mexico ’86, before losing to a late Lothar Matthaus goal from eventual finalists West Germany in the next round.
Morocco will also host the 2015 African Cup of Nations, whose centerpiece will be the new 80,000-seat Grand Stade de Casablanca. Their current national team boasts QPR’s mercurial midfielder Adel Taraabt and Arsenal striker Marouane ChMorocco to host Club World Cupamakh.
The 2011 edition of the Club World Cup, featuring Barcelona (Spain), Santos (Brazil), Monterrey (Mexico), Auckland City (New Zealand), a representative from Asia and one from Africa, as well as Japan’s A-League champions, takes place in the land of the rising sun between the 8th and 18th of December this year, with the final in Yokohama.
European clubs have won the cup the past four years (Milan, Manchester United, Barcelona and Inter), following three consecutive Brazilian triumphs from 2005 to 2007 (Corinthians, Sao Paolo and Internacional).
Next year’s tournament will also take place in Japan.
