World Cup 2014 Brasil Qualifiers

Not sure where else to post this...

Supersize seats for over-sized fans: Special 'obesity section' at Brazil World Cup... but you'll pay twice the price of normal ticket

Supersize seats have constructed to hold obese football fans during next year's World Cup.

The reinforced seats will be able to hold supporters that weigh up to 40 stone at Brazil 2014.

But the double-width seats will cost larger fans twice the standard ticket price at the matches in Fortaleza's Castelao stadium.

They are priced at £38 - while the cheapest standard seats, which hold fans up to 20 stone, are £19, reported The SunScum.

The 120 seats are blue instead of the standard white and have been installed in the 64,000 capacity venue.

The seats are obligatory under Brazilian disability laws - one per cent of Brazil’s stadium seating is set aside for the disabled, including obese people.

Special tickets for obese fans have gone on sale for June’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

Four of the six stadiums to be used for the Confederations Cup, are still not finished.

Only Fortaleza's Castelao and Belo Horizonte's Mineirao have so far re-opened.

Last week Maracana stadium workers put down their tools and threatened to strike, putting more pressure on World Cup organisers who face a race against the clock to get the arena finished on time.

The workers, who are demanding a wage increase, meal vouchers and private health insurance for their families, staged a one-day stoppage and threatened a full-blown strike from next week.

The famous arena, which staged the final matches in the 1950 World Cup, is being refurbished for this year's Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup at a cost of £295 million.

It is due to re-open for a friendly between Brazil and England on June 2 and stage its first competitive match, the Confederations Cup tie between Mexico and Italy, on June 16.

Work has already overshot the original deadline of December 31 and has been progressing almost non-stop, with three daily shifts, as the deadline looms.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke warned three weeks ago that there would be no further extension beyond the new deadline of April 15.

'We cannot go beyond this date. There cannot be any further delays. All the stadiums must be ready by then,' he said.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2286535/Fat-seats-2014-World-Cup-youll-pay-double-price.html

This can't be real!

It would make sense, nobody wants to be pushed and barged by an over excited obese person do they 

 Montenegro Vs England  - 26th, March 2013. That will be the real test for England.   

Anyone see the US v Costa Rica game last night? Epic weather for a match. US got the 3 points which is huge for us because I honestly fear we may not qualify this time around.  I think we have some good young players but whether Klinsmann can put together a group that actually plays like a team is yet to be seen.

Dempsey looked good, Guzan played well spelling Howard and Altidore looked really strong for a change. Maybe we'll get something going. Travel to Mexico City this week I believe for a very important match.

^^^ Cant believe that game went ahead 

^^^ Cant believe that game went ahead 

Costa Rica is now protesting even though their players agreed to keep playing last night when the game was stopped around the 55th minute.

I don't see what the problem is, the ref asked the players and they all seemed to agree to go on. It affected both teams equally, it's not like the US had an advantage due to the weather. Little bit of sour grapes on Costa Rica's part if you ask me.

Any Sweedish fans on here?

Could not believe how poor they were at home to us on Friday. Were fairly poo but looked good against Sweeden who offered nothing

Costa Rica is now protesting even though their players agreed to keep playing last night when the game was stopped around the 55th minute.

I don't see what the problem is, the ref asked the players and they all seemed to agree to go on. It affected both teams equally, it's not like the US had an advantage due to the weather. Little bit of sour grapes on Costa Rica's part if you ask me.

According to the news in Costa Rica the players dint´t want to continue playing the game. Supposedly  the game was going to be suspended and the commissary was the one who decided to continue with the game.

Now well, there's nothing that can be done about it. Maybe in good weather we would have lost the game too, but it was dangerous to play that game in those conditions it should have been played the next day.

Anyway, I hope the US beat Mexico next Tuesday, and hopefully we'll bet Jamaica.

USA vs Mexico is a big game, not least because of the rivalry. That said, had a laugh earlier today at this:

@AlexiLalas: Huge @ESPN crew heading down to Mexico City to bring you #MEXvUSA on Tuesday. Greatest international soccer rivalry in the world.

Think the English and Germans, plus Brazilians and Argies, would have something to say about that.

Germany and England Semple? That's not really a rivalry.

Germany and England Semple? That's not really a rivalry.

Maybe not a 'rivalry' but there is always bad blood when they play. If not, Germany and Holland may be more  accurate.

Scotland-England is a rivalry. The support is immense at the games. They will play for the first time in 14 years in August.

Maybe not a 'rivalry' but there is always bad blood when they play. If not, Germany and Holland may be more  accurate.

Yeah, bad blood from the English, Germans don't really care though. Germany and Holland is a more intense rivalry from both sides yeah, although it's fading. Not as hateful as it used to be.

Not to be argumentative Semple but have you ever seen a Mexico-USA game? It's not pretty, in fact it's gotten downright nasty in the last few years. Fans and teams basically hate each other (not that I condone it) but it goes far beyond mere "soccer" and gets into the socio-political aspects of us as neighbors. I watch a lot of international games and I don't know if I've seen a matchup that gets quite as heated. I could be wrong though.

According to the news in Costa Rica the players dint´t want to continue playing the game. Supposedly  the game was going to be suspended and the commissary was the one who decided to continue with the game.

Now well, there's nothing that can be done about it. Maybe in good weather we would have lost the game too, but it was dangerous to play that game in those conditions it should have been played the next day.

Anyway, I hope the US beat Mexico next Tuesday, and hopefully we'll bet Jamaica.

Don't know if you got to watch the match but the head official stopped the game and it appeared both sides of players convinced him to allow the game to go on. I would be leary of any news outlet (Costa Rican or American) reporting on this issue. Probably some misinformation on both sides. Just watching it, I didn't really think the conditions were dangerous...in fact to me it appeared the play was safer if anything. Mostly because it slowed down play dramatically.

Not to be argumentative Semple but have you ever seen a Mexico-USA game? It's not pretty, in fact it's gotten downright nasty in the last few years. Fans and teams basically hate each other (not that I condone it) but it goes far beyond mere "soccer" and gets into the socio-political aspects of us as neighbors. I watch a lot of international games and I don't know if I've seen a matchup that gets quite as heated. I could be wrong though.

Most big rivalries have more to them than just football. The Netherlands-Germany rivalry stems from the 2nd world war. Then we played the Germans for the first time since that war in 1974 in the World Cup final, and lost. That fired it up even more. Then for the first time after that we beat them when we won Euro 1988. Even the players hated each other, think most people will remember Rijkaard spitting at Voller.

Most big rivalries have more to them than just football. The Netherlands-Germany rivalry stems from the 2nd world war. Then we played the Germans for the first time since that war in 1974 in the World Cup final, and lost. That fired it up even more. Then for the first time after that we beat them when we won Euro 1988. Even the players hated each other, think most people will remember Rijkaard spitting at Voller.

It's unfortunate.....would be nice if sport could ease tensions instead of making them worse.

It's unfortunate.....would be nice if sport could ease tensions instead of making them worse.

I wouldn't want it any different though, this rivalry has been part of a healing proces after the war too. And I think it's produced some great memories for my country and international football in general.

USA vs Mexico might be a great rivalry, but the greatest one, haha, give me a break.

I can't think of any way this could possibly be considered the greatest rivalry. If we're talking about stuff off the pitch, then look at Croatia vs Serbia, a game that happened this week - so much hatred and fresh memories of war.

If we're talking about greatness in terms of football history, then Brazil vs Argentina plus a few others between traditional international sides are easily above USA and Mexico, a game that hardly draws much attention outside North America.

Lalas' remark seems to be nothing but American prepotence. But I can excuse him for that, he was pretty damn cool player on his day

Germany and England Semple? That's not really a rivalry.

I'm not the biggest England fan, but it is a rivalry, maybe more from the English side, but it's definitely a rivalry, again something that grew from the Second World War.

And agree with what Diego said about Serbia and Croatia, now that is bad blood.

Don't know if you got to watch the match but the head official stopped the game and it appeared both sides of players convinced him to allow the game to go on. I would be leary of any news outlet (Costa Rican or American) reporting on this issue. Probably some misinformation on both sides. Just watching it, I didn't really think the conditions were dangerous...in fact to me it appeared the play was safer if anything. Mostly because it slowed down play dramatically.

I got to watch it, when the referee stopped the game Klinsmann was the one arguing with the referee and trying to convince him to continue with the game, at least that's what I thought when I was watching the game.

Anyway, the game was played and USA won, and even with better weather conditions the result probably would have been the same. It's going to be an exiting qualification in Concacaf (for us at least), all the teams have a similar level, even Mexico who is usually one step above the rest seems to have a very average squad at the moment.

Funny to have 2 games in the same confederation with weather conditions so different, the Mexico v Honduras game was played at 38°C (and almost 100% humidity) just a couple of hours earlier than the USA v CR game. 

That US-Costa Rica match was cray! I had such a hard time following the ball. But how about Jermaine Jones' Sno Fro?!



As far as the protest bit goes: The United States has to put up with A LOT of sh*t in CONCACAF. Sh*t conditions, terrible pitches, playing in Central America in the middle of the day, disturbances at the hotel, etc. They just carry on with it and play.