BRAZIL BEAT: Waffle House vs Belgian waffles

BRAZIL BEAT: Waffle House vs Belgian waffles 
 

A fan of the U.S. national soccer team walks by the seaside with a U.S. flag draped over his shoulders, in Salvador, Brazil, Monday, June 30, 2014. Salvador is one of the host cities of the FIFA 2014 Soccer World Cup.

  

SALVADOR, Brazil (AP) -- Waffle House doesn't serve Belgian waffles and certainly won't start now.

The Georgia-based restaurant chain took to its Twitter account Monday to proclaim, "We don't believe in Belgium waffles." Or Belgian waffles, as a follower quickly corrected. But the sentiment, a riff on American fans' "I believe that we will win" chant," was popular a day before the U.S. faces Belgium in the World Cup.

Restaurant spokeswoman Meghan Irwin says it's all in good fun. Earlier, when a follower asked for the restaurant's opinion on Belgian waffles, it tweeted: "We dominate them."

Waffle House serves American-style waffles. Belgian waffles are bigger with a lighter batter.

In Belgium, waffles have been a part of the diet for centuries. But so-called Belgian waffles aren't really served in that country. There are Brussels waffles and Liege waffles.

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CHEAP TRAVEL

SAO PAULO (AP) - Travel doesn't get any cheaper than the Argentine fans who have covered more than 1,000 miles in motorhomes and vans for days even without having tickets.

Penniless musicians, hitchhikers and other devoted fans began arriving Monday at the parking lot of Sao Paulo's Sambadrome, a venue used for Carnival parades that the city opened for them to camp. Argentina is playing against Switzerland in the city's Itaquerao Stadium on Tuesday to advance to quarterfinals.

Some fans wearing light blue and white were making noodles in a shabby pot.

"That's what we have been eating every day," said 48-year-old Fritz Latzina, who called himself a 

"professional fan," putting nearly 3,800 kilometers on his RV since he left Buenos Aires on June 11.

Mariano Bellotti, 22, had been hitchhiking with his friend for the past six months traveling from their native Mar de Plata.

"We thought this year we will be champions, so let's make it a trip, work odd jobs and live it to the fullest from the start," he said.

They couldn't afford the tickets, but they will hit the Fan Fests to support the players.

One of the vans parked at the Sambadrome stands out because of a giant sticker on its hood of Pope Francis with an Argentine flag to his right and a Brazilian one to his left.

Anticipating a final between the South American rivals, van owner Jose Alberto Brizio, 63, said, "Let the best team win."

"But he is blessing the best one," said Brizio, showing with a cigarette in hand that the pope is waving at his country's flag.

 - By Adriana Gomez Licon - http://www.twitter.com/agomezlicon

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WORLD CUP DOODLES

SAO PAULO (AP) - A bright blue letter G boots ball after ball through an O-shaped life preserver hanging from a palm tree in a makeshift version of a World Cup shootout. A red "e" lounges on the sand, sipping a tropical beverage through a straw.

The Google "Doodle Team," as it's called, is having a blast on-site in Brazil for this World Cup, offering up soccer-themed daily animations on the home page. Multiple versions each day, in fact.

This is the first time doodles are being created outside Google's Silicon Valley headquarters in Mountain View, California. A small group of the regular doodle team is on location in Sao Paolo.

"We're basically compressing a process that normally takes a week or more into a few hours in order to keep the doodles fresh and relevant to the day's matches and football fever in general," said Ryan Germick, the Google Doodle Team Lead.

Through the tournament's initial two-plus weeks, Google had posted 36 doodles with "everything from vine-swinging referees; to egg-laying, score-keeping eagles; to a clairvoyant octopus from the great aquarium in the sky," Germick said.

Leading the efforts is doodler Matt Cruickshank. Cruickshank, Germick and fellow doodlers Sophie Diao and Leon Hong are working from a space they named the "inspiration room" in Google's Sao Paolo office. 

There are football collectibles, an artificial turf floor and a record player with a stack of Brazilian albums.

All of the doodles from the tournament can be viewed at http://www.google.com/doodles .

- By Janie McCauley - http://www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

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WARDROBE DILEMMA

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) - Neymar is having doubts about what to wear to his World Cup matches.

Brazil's star attracted some attention in the team's second-round match against Chile on Saturday after changing his cleats at halftime. Neymar played the first half with a golden boot made especially for him for the World Cup, but he came back from the dressing room wearing his regular orange cleats.

Neymar said he decided to make the change because he didn't feel comfortable with the newer model, which he had been using for only a couple of days before Saturday's match.

The golden boot was created by Nike in reference to the cleats Neymar used when he was a kid. He liked the color so much that he spray-painted them before matches.

Neymar's exclusive golden model, which has the drawing of a spray can on its sole, is expected to be sold for more than $500 in Brazilian stores.

- By Tales Azzoni - http://www.twitter.com/tazzoni

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HOWARD'S RECORD

SAO PAULO (AP) - Tim Howard never counts his caps.

Howard broke Kasey Keller's record for appearances by an American goalkeeper when he played his 103rd international match last Thursday, a 1-0 loss to Germany.

On Tuesday night, he will make it 104 when the Americans face Belgium in the World Cup's second round at Salvador.

The 35-year-old Howard spoke with Keller, now an ESPN analyst, in the leadup to the World Cup when the U.S. team played an exhibition game against Turkey in the New York area June 1.

"Milestones like that are important," said Howard, a top goalkeeper in England's Premier League with Everton. "And obviously Kasey's dear to me in terms of being a friend and a goalkeeping mentor. I never thought I'd get that close, let alone break it. It's a proud day."

- By Janie McCauley - http://www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

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MIDNIGHT CALL

SAO PAULO (AP) - Each time Alejandro Sabella was asked Monday about his lineup - and there were many attempts in different manners - he politely declined.

No hints whatsoever about Tuesday's second-round World Cup match with Switzerland, and no predictions about what style each team might play.

Sabella is preparing Lionel Messi and Argentina to attack a swarming Switzerland defense. The coach must decide whether to go with Ezequiel Lavezzi in a three-man front missing striker Sergio Aguero. An injured left thigh muscle forced him to leave in the first half of Argentina's 3-2 win over Nigeria last Wednesday.

The coach insists he might still be pondering his 11 players until midnight, and someone suggested he could announce the lineup then.

"I'm not going to say until the last minute. I think until this evening until around midnight I will think about the lineup," Sabella said before his team practiced at Itaquerao Stadium. "You can call me if you have my phone number, but I don't know if I will answer my phone at midnight."

US-Portugal game scores viewership goal

US-Portugal game scores viewership goal 

Allison DiFilippo, left, and Samantha Donat, both of New York, react to a last-minute goal that put Portugal even with United States at the end of their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match, while watching a large screen broadcast on Governor's Island in New York, Sunday, June 22, 2014.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The United States' 2-2 World Cup draw with Portugal is almost certainly the most-watched soccer game ever in the U.S., an emphatic confirmation of the sport's rising popularity in a country slower to embrace it than the rest of the world.

The Nielsen company said that Sunday's gripping game was seen by an average of 24.7 million viewers on ESPN and Univision. That matches it with the 24.7 million U.S. viewers who watched the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands.

ESPN said an additional 490,000 people streamed coverage of the game on their mobile devices through the company's app. Streaming numbers for 2010 weren't immediately available, but it's very unlikely they were that high because streaming apps were not as sophisticated then.

Many factors were in place to make it so popular: It was an exciting game, interest in the U.S. team was high because of the first-game victory against Ghana and World Cup viewing in general has been high. The Sunday evening time slot also meant many Americans were available to watch.

"It indicates that a large group in our audience is really following the story of the World Cup, which is really terrific," said Scott Guglielmino, ESPN senior vice president of programming.

Guglielmino said he's always amused to be asked when soccer will arrive as an attraction in the United States. He's not likely to be asked much anymore.

American players sense the support back home, as well as in stadiums in Brazil, and appreciate it. Viewing parties have pulled thousands of people into bars, public parks, movie theaters and other locations since the tournament began.

"When we get back to the hotel and we hear about Grant Park in Chicago having 10,000 fans out to watch the game and friends and family are sending pictures and videos of what's going on, it can't help but push you on because we want to make every person watching back home proud of us and proud to watch our team," said midfielder Michael Bradley.

The game has continued to grow steadily ever since the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994. "People know our players, people know what's going on, people get excited to watch the games and to support their team, their country," Bradley said. "I think as players we can't ask for anything more."

Alejandro Bedoya said he checks social media to see the attention the team is getting.

"It's awesome to see this and we are part of this movement I guess that is growing soccer in the States," said 

Bedoya, a midfielder. "It's really cool and I'm sure everybody feeds off this energy and it's really nice to see."

Through 32 matches, World Cup games averaged 4.3 million viewers on ESPN. That's up 50 percent from the nearly 2.9 million for matches in the 2010 World Cup. Sunday's match was the most-watch event ever on ESPN that did not involve American football.

Interest is also growing fast on the Spanish-language Univision, where soccer has long been the top sport. The 6.5 million people who watched the U.S.-Portugal match represented the biggest audience ever for a U.S match on the network. Overall, Univision said an average of 3.4 million watched the World Cup on the network through the first 32 matches, up from 2.3 million in 2010.

For many people with Latin-American roots used to following their home country's matches on Univision, the United States has become their second-favorite team, said Juan Carlos Ramirez, president of Univision Sports.

Both networks invested in driving up interest in the World Cup, since big ratings translates into big profits. ESPN spent time telecasting qualifying games for the tournament and has benefited from new attention paid to European soccer leagues. Univision started in a 24-hour sports network where soccer is the major topic of conversation.

The players have done their part, too. There have been plenty of well-played games with higher scoring than is often seen in conservatively-played, high-stakes matches, Rodriguez said.

"It's a combination of many good things," he said. "The planets are aligning."

Worldwide, several World Cup games have already qualified as the most-watched sporting events in their country this year. They include the 42.9 million people in Brazil who watched the home team against Croatia, the 34.1 million in Japan who saw Japan play Ivory Coast, and the 26.4 million in Germany who saw the home team beat Portugal, according to FIFA.

The social media site Facebook, through one week, has already seen more people having interactions about the tournament than it had for the Sochi Olympics, Super Bowl and Academy Awards combined.

Twitter hasn't released overall figures on World Cup activity, but said the two games that generated the most activity on its site involved Brazil. The game with Croatia resulted in 12.2 million tweets, and the match with Mexico made for 8.95 million.

The last-minute goal by Portugal Sunday may have disappointed U.S. fans, but not television executives. It means Thursday's U.S. match against Germany, instead of being relatively meaningless, is likely to decide whether the team advances. Because it will air during the daytime, it's not likely to match television ratings for the Portugal game, but ESPN is expecting big numbers for its mobile app.

Neymar leads Brazil; Mexico also through

Neymar leads Brazil; Mexico also through
 

Brazil's Neymar runs past Cameroon's goalkeeper Charles Itandje after scoring his side's first goal during the group A World Cup soccer match between Cameroon and Brazil at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, June 23, 2014.

 

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Brazil relied on its star Neymar for two early goals to beat Cameroon 4-1 Monday and reach the World Cup's knockout stage for a South American showdown against Chile, a 2-0 loser to the Netherlands.

Winning Group B with its third straight victory made sure that the Dutch avoided the host so early in the tournament. Instead, the Netherlands will face Mexico, which beat Croatia 3-1 to advance alongside Brazil from Group A.

Spain beat Australia 3-0 in an inconsequential game between already eliminated teams, a victory providing a little balm on the disappointing defense of its title.

With free-flowing games and buckets full of goals the rule in this outstanding tournament, it took until the final minutes of the Group A games for Brazil to make sure it advanced as group leader on goal difference over 

Mexico.

"We are progressing match after match and that's important," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.

Both finished with seven points, with Croatia eliminated with three points, while Cameroon finished with three losses. Brazil finished first because it had a better goal differential than Mexico, plus 5 to plus 3.

The Netherlands was the first perfect team to advance, finishing ahead of Chile in Group B. Spain had three points with Monday's win, and Australia had three losses.

Beyond the statistics, it again was Neymar who fully lived up to expectations of the 200 million football fans in Brazil with flair and lethal finishing, making the difference with first-half strikes against an African opponent that fought hard for one half before succumbing.

Neymar used an array of spin moves and delicate touches to get by players, delighting the crowd in Brasilia - including Britain's Prince Harry.

"I have the responsibility," said Neymar, and at 22, he is living up to it every single time he takes to the pitch. It seems half the Brazil jerseys from the beaches of Copacabana to gaucho towns in the interior carry his name, and with good reason.

Neymar has four goals from three games to lead the top scorer's standings, edging a group of five players with three goals.

Much like the opener, Neymar carried the weight for his team, scoring the first with a subtle inside-foot flick while adding a second with a darting run before wrong-footing the Cameroon goalie with a right-foot drive.

The oft-criticized Fred may have kept himself in the starting lineup with a header just after halftime. Substitute Fernandinho closed out the scoring for Brazil.

With everything to play for, Mexico came through with three goals in a 10-minute spurt of excitement late in the game against Croatia.

So often in this tournament, goals deep in the second half have made the difference, and Monday was no exception.

The Dutch scored twice in the last 13 minutes against Chile to finish the group stage with three straight wins. Quite a turnaround for a team thought to be on the wane with aging stars like Arjen Robben.

Yet the Dutch have scored 10 goals in three victories. Now, only the foolhardy would relish the prospect of facing the orange-clad team.

"We wanted to be first in the group. Now we will see what is coming at us," said Robben, who added an assist against Chile to the three goals he scored in earlier games.

Leroy Fer scored a minute after going on as a substitute to get the Netherlands ahead in the 77th minute. Then, when some other players had already gone down with cramps, Robben launched into another of his trademark sprints across the pitch and passed perfectly to Memphis Depay for the tap-in that put the game away.

While Robben is going strong after hitting his thirties, age caught up with the Spanish stars this tournament, particularly in their 5-1 opening loss to the Netherlands.

They regained a little pride Monday. In a game of goodbyes, David Villa marked his final appearance for Spain with a record 59th goal for the national team.

"It's sad because we would have liked to have spent more time here, but that's how it is," Villa said.

Fernando Torres, who set off Spain's rise by scoring the winner in the 2008 European championship final, also scored. Juan Mata added the third.

Spain also won the 2010 World Cup and repeated as European champs in 2012.

At least Spain avoided finishing last in its group.

Uruguay, the semifinalist of 2010, could be facing elimination on Tuesday, but after Luis Suarez returned from injury and scored both goals against England, there is no counting out the former champion.

Suarez shrugged off any lingering concerns about his surgically repaired left knee and said he was in "perfect shape" to face Italy.

 

Dennis Locantore: The Complete Burst Of A Bass Musician Package by Van Stone Frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (267) 293-9201.

Dennis Locantore:  The Complete Burst Of A Bass Musician Package by Van Stone Frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (267) 293-9201. 

  

During some recent performances in churches, studios, and on television in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Dennis Locantore electrified a crowd of over thousands with an incredible two-and-a-half hour, sometimes three hour 16-song set list that covered all corners of musical sounds. The performances ranged from Gospel and R & B Music to Caribbean and new Jazz Fusion.  Philadelphia Front Page News Magazine deemed Loncantore’s music as one of the best bass play heard in 2014, and if you weren't able to catch the sound live at a concert, now you can listen to the performance for yourself on POWER WVSR 1360.us Internet Radio. We caught up with Locantore to chat with him about his musician talents.

Q.   From what city are you originally, and where are some of the cities you’ve played?

A.  I am from Camden NJ.  I have played music throughout the US from NYC to Los Angeles, CA. I’ve played so many venues I probably can't remember them all. I have traveled to Paradise Island, Nassau, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Curacao.  I have done session work for Vincent Montana Jr. and the Salsoul Orchestra, and played all kinds of music in every genre.

Q. Describe your first instrument. And other instruments that you play.

 A.  My first instruments were really guitar and piano. I wanted to play in a particular band at age 10.  But the band had a guitarist, a functional keyboard player and a drummer, but they had no one to play bass. So I became a bass player in the main for years until I got involved as a writer and set myself up with a midi keyboard, some sound modules software, and a computer in the early 90's. Hence, I can play guitar, drums, keys and bass.

Q. What was/were the first tune(s) you learned?

A.  The first songs I learned were definitely BEATLES, Elvis's stuff and R&B hits from the early 60's. Since I am basically self-taught I started to study orchestrations and arranging music. Everything from film scores (another passion of mine) to jazz, classical and even experimental music and twelve tone composition and serial techniques.

Q. Do you continue to perform in public? Please describe those occasions? Have you performed in concerts, on radio, on TV?  

A.  Oh, yes.  And I have performed in public for audiences as large as 19,000 people in concerts, hotels, clubs, showrooms, private parties, churches, studios and on television.

Q. How can you be reached concerning your music today?

A. The best way to reach me is email as I constantly check it. And email is quicker than playing "phone tag."Here is my email address…soulhog5@comcast.net.  

Spain's World Cup reign ended by 2-0 loss to Chile

Spain's World Cup reign ended by 2-0 loss to Chile 

Chile's Eduardo Vargas, right, scores the opening goal during the group B World Cup soccer match between Spain and Chile at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, June 18, 2014.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Defending champion Spain, the dominant global football power for the past six years, was eliminated from World Cup contention Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Chile.

Spain's famed passing game failed against a high-tempo, tenacious Chile team, its era ending in the storied Maracana Stadium filled mostly with Chilean supporters.

Eduardo Vargas tricked goalkeeper Iker Casillas into diving the wrong way, then shot into an unguarded goal in the 20th minute. Charles Aranguiz scored in the 43rd when the ball landed at his feet after Casillas punched out a free kick.

Spain's second loss, after a 5-1 rout by the Netherlands, ended any hope of advancing. Chile and the Netherlands will both advance, regardless of who wins the game between them.

Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, in addition to the 2010 World Cup.

Spain came to Brazil with a very similar - but older - team than the one that won those titles. They added Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, but he failed to score a goal.

Their "tiki-taka" style of play - keeping the ball for long stretches with short passes, and only shooting when you had a clear opening - had not been working as well in recent years. Brazil defeated Spain 3-0 in last summer's Confederations Cup, a warm-up for the World Cup.

Spain became the third straight European defending World Cup champion to flop in the group stage. France in 2002 and Italy four years ago also failed to advance, or even win a match.

Badly needing a win, del Bosque stayed loyal to captain Casillas despite the veteran goalkeeper's errors against the Dutch.

Two pillars of Spain's title runs, Barcelona pair Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique with a combined 194 appearances, were left out.

Xabi Alonso probably should have joined them. His agonizing first half typified Spain's problems and his errors led to both goals.

And Alonso's selection left a younger version of his former self, Atletico Madrid's Koke, on the bench until the logical change was made at half time.

Alonso gave away the ball to Alexis Sanchez to start a move down Chile's right wing by Arturo Vidal and Aranguiz, leading to Vargas' score. Alonso trailed behind the play and put his hands to his head.

Alonso was booked in the 40th before conceding another foul, on Sanchez, three minutes later 22 yards (meters) out.

When Casillas punched away Sanchez's curling free-kick, Aranguiz trapped the ball then flicked a rising shot spinning away from the goalkeeper's reach.

Alonso had Spain's best early chance, a 15th-minute shot smothered by Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Often wayward in its passing, Spain missed two clear chances early in the second half.

Costa was slow on Andres Iniesta's threaded pass in the 49th, and Sergio Busquets was guilty of a glaring miss, volleying wide from five meters in the 53rd.

After Bravo pushed away shots by substitute Santi Cazorla and Iniesta, Chile's win was sealed.

Soccer Fans Eagerly Awaiting USA Opening World Cup Match

Soccer Fans Eagerly Awaiting USA Opening World Cup Match

 

Soccer fans watching World Cup games at Tir Na Nog in Center City.
 
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — World Cup soccer is underway and many fans will be watching Monday night when Team USA takes to the field for the first time in the tournament.

American soccer fans keeping up with the Wold Cup tournament are looking forward to watching the match between USA and Ghana with thoughts of payback.

“Ghana, we’ve played them in the last few tournaments in the knock out rounds and they’ve knocked us out. So there’s a little bit of bad blood between the two teams and we really have to win that game.”

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Pete Rose Returns For Day To Manage Minor League Team

Pete Rose takes part in the ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary
of his breaking the career hit record of 4,192 on September 11, 2010
at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was honored
before the start of the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the
Cincinnati Reds.
 
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Pete Rose is returning to manage a baseball team, but just for one day.
The 73-year-old Rose, who has the most career hits in major league history, is scheduled to skipper the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League on Monday.

Rose was managing the Cincinnati Reds in 1989 when he agreed to a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. He later admitted that he bet on Reds games while running the team.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Heat vs. Spurs final score, NBA Finals 2014 Game 5: San Antonio destroys Miami, 104-87, to secure title

Heat vs. Spurs final score, NBA Finals 2014 Game 5: San Antonio destroys Miami, 104-87, to secure title

  

After going down by 16 points early, the Spurs came roaring back and ran away with Game 5 to win the franchise's fifth NBA championship. 

 

The San Antonio Spurs have officially gotten their revenge on the Miami Heat, winning Game 5 of the NBA Finals, 104-87, after going down by 16 points early to secure the franchise's fifth NBA championship on Sunday night at the AT&T Center.

Kawhi Leonard put forth another magnificent performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds to lead San Antonio. Manu Ginobili had an excellent game off the bench, adding 19 points. Patty Mills was also dynamite off the bench, scoring 17 points and knocking down five threes. Four of those threes were in the third quarter when the Spurs opened up a 21-point lead.

San Antonio shot 12-of-26 from three-point land on the night. Thanks to Ginobili and Mills, the Spurs' reserves outscored the Heat's subs by 23 points. San Antonio also got it done with defense, holding Miami to just 40-percent shooting.

LeBron James had 31 points on 10-of-21 shooting to lead the Heat, but the four-time MVP got little help from his star teammates as the dream for a three-peat died. Chris Bosh had 13 points, while Dwyane Wade continued to show his age by scoring just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

On the brink of elimination, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed up his starting lineup, going with Ray Allen over the struggling Mario Chalmers. The move worked at first, as Miami scored the first eight points of the game, with James capping off the run with a put-back dunk:

 

With the crowd hyped up, San Antonio went up by as many as eight and took a seven-point lead into the break. Miami managed just 11 points in the second quarter, shooting 4-of-15 and turning the ball over four times.

Things didn't get much better in the third quarter for the Heat, as they only scored 18 points while the Spurs' offense continued to roll. With three-pointers raining down, San Antonio turned the seven-point halftime lead into a 19-point margin heading into the final frame.

Miami made a brief run at the outset of the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 14. But San Antonio had nothing to do with a comeback attempt, beating back the Heat and securing the title to erase the bad memories of the 2013 NBA Finals.

Brazil survives own goal to win World Cup opener; Croatia coach blasts referee over controversial call

Brazil survives own goal to win World Cup opener; Croatia coach blasts referee over controversial call

SAO PAULO – Among the many reasons Brazil is favored by many to win its sixth World Cup – such as unmatched offensive firepower – is the benefit of playing on home soil, where a crowd can lift emotions and referees tend to be influenced by the intense environment.

Thursday's World Cup opener offered examples of both, most notably in the 71st minute, when referee Yuichi Nishimura fell for a blatant, in-the-penalty-box dive by Brazilian forward Fred.

Rather than play on, Nishimura awarded Brazil a penalty kick that star forward Neymar delivered on moments later. It gave Brazil a 2-1 lead over the Croatians and changed the course of the game. Brazil added a third score late to take the 3-1 victory, leaving Croatia with little to do but vehemently complain about that call, among many.

"If that’s a penalty, then we can just stop playing football right now," said Croatian coach Niko Kovac, suggesting biased officiating could be a tournament long problem. "…It's ridiculous. If we continue in this way, we will have a circus. …If that’s how we start the World Cup, then we may as well give up and go home now."

The result satisfied the rowdy 68,000-plus fans, most clad in Brazilian yellow, who provided a charged atmosphere as the home team began a quest for a sixth World Cup while hosting the event for the first time since 1950. While street protests over government spending and FIFA demands raged in other parts of the city and fans inside Arena de Sao Paulo chanted vulgarities at Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, this was mostly a night to celebrate the game that this country is so passionate about.

Neymar's penalty kick, which Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa deflected but couldn't keep out of the net, set up Brazil for the come-from-behind victory.

"Put your hand up if you think it was a penalty," Kovac said during his postgame news conference. "Two billion people [watching on television] could see it was not a penalty."

Croatia struck first on a counter attack when Ivica Olic crossed the ball from the left side low into the box. The ball brushed off the leg of teammate Nikica Jelavic that deflected it into the path of Brazil's Marcelo, who knocked it past goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

The 11th-minute score shocked the crowd that was here to celebrate both the team and the game itself. The fans immediately rallied though, stomping and cheering and pleading their guys to continue their all out attacking style.

 

The Brazilians pressed, forcing Pletikosa to make a number of point-blank saves. Finally, after Cesar made a leaping save on a Croatian header and sent the ball up field, Brazil's top threat, Neymar, slipped a shot from outside the box off the right goalpost and in for the equalizer in the 29th minute.

The teams went into the break level after that well-played first half. Even as the pace of play slowed, perhaps because for Croatia a tie under these circumstances would have been nearly as good as a victory.

The penalty kick call, however, spoiled the back-and-forth action and will go down as infamous in Croatia. Fred fell in a heap after being grabbed just slightly on the shoulder.

With a 2-1 lead and Croatia pressing, Brazilian midfielder Oscar scored from about 20 yards on a nice individual effort that highlighted the power of this team.

To the surprise of no one, Brazil is to be reckoned with – here at home even more than ever.

Brazil ready to finally get World Cup underway

Brazil ready to finally get World Cup underway 
  

SAO PAULO (AP) -- It's almost time. The day Brazilians have been anxiously waiting for is finally arriving.

Brazil plays Croatia on Thursday to get the home World Cup underway, beginning its quest for a sixth world title almost seven years after the nation was picked as host.

After so much talk about delays, protests and problems, fans at last are getting a chance to cheer for the national team on home soil in football's showcase tournament.

If Brazil wins the opening game, the fact that the stadium in Sao Paulo isn't even fully finished yet will quickly be forgotten. A loss, quite simply, is unthinkable for a nation whose identity is so closely linked to its football team.

Brazil hasn't hosted the World Cup since 1950, when it endured a heartbreaking loss to Uruguay in the last title-deciding game. This time, everybody knows that only the title will be enough to please the home crowd.

"We are all eager to get started, we are just counting the days," Brazil midfielder Ramires said Tuesday. "We know that the fans have confidence in our team and they are behind us. We have to do everything possible to try to win this World Cup. We know everybody is expecting us to do it."

Boosted by the home crowd, Brazil is one of the main favorites to recapture the trophy won by Spain four years ago in South Africa. But the other usual World Cup contenders will be trying to spoil the party in the land of football, including Germany, Italy, Argentina and the Netherlands, runner-up in 2010.

Brazil is trying to become the first nation to win the World Cup at home since France did it in 1998. The Brazilians were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the last two tournaments, to France in 2006 and the Netherlands in 2010.

A festive World Cup atmosphere has taken over Brazil in the run-up to the tournament despite the country's preparation problems and the threats of protests. Brazilians had been slow to get into the World Cup mood, but now streets are being painted with the green and yellow colors and local flags are being displayed on windows of homes across the country.

The crowd support is one of the biggest reasons coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been saying loud and clear that Brazil is obligated to win the World Cup at home. Players also don't hide that they believe Brazil is the main title favorite.

"We know that we will have the fans behind us, and together I think we have a great chance of reaching our final goal, which is to win the World Cup," Brazil starting midfielder Luiz Gustavo said.

Brazilian fans had been questioning the national team before last year's Confederations Cup, but the title in the warm-up tournament was enough to bring the fans back on board. That tournament also helped show that Brazil has a team capable of competing against the top football nations today. The victory came in a final against world champion Spain.

"The Confederations Cup allowed us to regain our confidence," said Scolari, the coach when Brazil won its last world title in 2002. "Now we have to repeat that during the World Cup."

Brazil begins the tournament having won 15 of its last 16 matches, the only loss a 1-0 result at Switzerland in the first match after the Confederations Cup.

Brazil will start the World Cup with the same lineup that won the Confederations Cup, with 22-year-old Barcelona striker Neymar leading the team.

Croatia, led by Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric, will hope to pull off a monumental upset, but the team won't be at full strength against the hosts. Coach Niko Kovac won't have forward Mario Mandzukic, who was red-carded in the team's final qualifier, and experienced midfielder Niko Kranjcar, who had to be dropped from the squad because of a late hamstring injury. Novac was already without defender Josip Simunic, who was banned for 10 games by FIFA for leading fans in a pro-Nazi chant after a qualifying match.

The high-profile opening match will be played at the troubled Itaquerao, the construction of which was delayed so badly that the roof won't even be fully finished until after the tournament. A crowd of more than 61,000 people is expected at the Itaquerao, including many heads of states.

The other Group A match will be played between Mexico and Cameroon on Friday in the northeastern city of Natal.

Philadelphia Phillies RBI Youth Baseball League Season Begins by Rory Dillard mrmays22@yahoo.com

Philadelphia Phillies RBI Youth Baseball League Season Begins by Rory Dillard mrmays22@yahoo.com

RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner-cities) is a Phillies-sponsored program with leagues throughout the city or borough. Two All-Star teams represent Philadelphia, PA or Delaware County, PA in a national RBI tournament involving over 140 cities.And the nearby Darby Pennsylvania has the Philadelphia Phillies RBI in it's borough.

This week in Phillies RBI Youth Basball:

Darby vs. Southwest in RBI Youth Baseball League play last week.

Darby vs. Southwest in RBI Youth Baseball League play last week

Coach Dan and Vinny talk over strategy in last weeks youth baseball game in Darby Boro.

Coach Dan instructs a player during an RBI youth baseball game last week in Darby Boro.