In the latest round of ticket sales for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, only 7 of the 64 matches still have tickets for sale. All in all, there have been 2.5 million tickets sold of the 3.3 million available. The majority of the matches sold out after the first wave of tickets began on March 12. After this most recent phase, the next time to purchase will be on April 15. The Greece-Ivory Coast match is the lowest selling match by far. The Nigeria-Bosnia and Russia-South Korea also have tickets available. “In this sales stage, tickets were available on a first-come, first-served basis. More than two-thirds of the matches sold out in less than three hours. Tickets for all Brazil matches were gone in about an hour, as were all of the quarterfinals and nearly all second-round matchups in the June 12-July 13 tournament”  This World Cup is certainly a popular one and will generate massive revenue for Brazil and FIFA.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1766851/all-7-world-cup-matches-sold-brazil?cc=5901

Mexican League team Puebla has stirred up a bit of controversy with Jurgen Klinsmann and the USMNT for refusing to release Americans DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco for this Wednesday’s USA v. Mexico friendly match in Phoenix. Klinsmann is upset because both the MLS and the majority of clubs in Liga MX honored the idea that both national teams would have access to their domestic-based players for this prestigious friendly match. He is especially irked because Puebla isn’t even competing in the CONCACAF semifinals; several USA and Mexico internationals are competing in these semifinals this Tuesday, and did not receive call-ups for the national game. According to regulations, Puebla is allowed to withhold the players because the game does not fall on an international calendar date. The USMNT will compete with a 20-man roster in the match.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1770053/puebla-refuses-release-damarcus-beasley-michael-orozco-us-mexico-friendly?cc=5901

Cameroon and Chelsea Football Club of England’s striker, Samuel Eto’o was named the richest footballer from the African continent. Eto’o’s earning is estimated at €85m (£70m), the highest among African stars. The Cameroonian is at number three in the world’s top earners in football behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who occupied the first and second positions respectively. Eto’o was able to man the enviable position, thanks largely to the millions he earned at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala before heading for Chelsea last summer. Not only is he the richest football player in the African continent but he is the 3rd highest paid footballer in soccer according to Goal’s experts. Could he possibly earn more or move up the ladder within the next few years if he continues to score well?

http://allafrica.com/stories/201403111354.html?aa_source=slideout

Yet another worker in Brazil preparing for this summer’s World Cup, Fabio Hamilton da Cruz, passed away while working on the construction of the country’s new stadiums.  Da Cruz’s death brings the total to seven, bringing international outcry and interest into Brazil’s preparation, with open questioning if they will be ready in time and if they are speeding up production at the risk of dangerous working conditions.  The new Corinthians stadium he was working on was supposed to be finished in December, but was delayed because of other workers’ deaths.  With even the FIFA General Secretary saying the situation is not ideal brings to question the readiness of Brazil as the world turns its attention onto them.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2010690-world-cup-worker-dies-in-sao-paulo-stadium-accident

“UEFA members have voted to approve the new “Nations League” tournament, which will replace most international friendlies from September 2018.” The vote to create this competition was a unanimous one amongst the 54 member countries of European football. This tournament will allow teams to qualify for the 2020 European championship and ultimately, the 2022 World Cup. This “Nations League” was created to improve the overall quality of international football because of ongoing concerns that international friendlies are insufficient. The tournament featuring 54 teams will be divided into 4 divisions with the teams being ranked accordingly. This a monumental ruling because this new league may replace international friendlies come 2018.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1765595/uefa-approves-nations-league-tournament?cc=5901

Manchester United is suffering an extreme downfall from grace as their season hit an all time low as they lose 3-0 to hometown rivals Manchester City. This was their sixth loss at home this season and the club is on pace to have their lowest point total in over twenty years. During this time last season, Manchester United had 26 more points than they do right now. Many decisions need to be made in the off season as to why this atrocious of a showing occurred.  Even with the highest paid player in football on their club, Wayne Rooney, Man U is still struggling.

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/manchesterunited/id/4640?cc=5901

Today Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga in record time, by wrapping up the league title with seven games left in the domestic season. What team’s record did they break? Their own, set just a season ago when the club wrapped up the title with just six games to spare at the end of their campaign. While the Champions League final last year between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund made the Bundesliga seem close, the final score being 2-1 in favor of Bayern, the results of the domestic league the last two years seems to show otherwise on some stages. Bayern is currently 25 points ahead, with nothing but the opportunity to increase their margin of victory. When looking at this, it is easy to see in Bayern’s case that money does help to improve teams, this last season’s case being the acquisition of former Dortmund player Mario Götze. Bayern has benefited from the monetary system that keeps the major soccer leagues in Europe a part of UEFA, and continues to flex its muscles in attempts to gain more.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1763695/bayern-munich-win-earliest-bundesliga-title?cc=5901

After learning about the dangers of soccer fixtures across the Balkans, this particular article piqued my interest.  To bolster the fan base, the management will verbally assault the press, promoting a view of the team written about’s tough and harsh nature.  Also, to promote the image, the manager will vilify opposing teams, creating an enemy mentality.  As tensions rise for upcoming rival fixtures, safety concerns arise due to the intense fan base that exists across the Balkan countries for various teams.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2000869-hajduk-vs-dinamo-croatias-eternal-derby-is-europes-fiercest-grudge-match

FIFA President Sepp Blatter refused to comment on allegations linking Qatar’s winning 2022 World Cup bid to payments received by voters. Blatter said at a news conference on Friday “I have not even the right” to discuss claims published this week by the Daily Telegraph. And he insisted he will not comment “until they have finished their work.” Refusing to comment seems to be a popularity among FIFA officials such as Jack Warner who is being investigated for accepting Bin Hammam’s bribery, as he also refused to comment since his resignation in 2011. Now, that the bribery claims is officially going under investigation what is going to happen to the Qatar world cup in 2022? Will there be another bidding or will the World Cup still be held in Qatar? If not, how are football officials and the ethic committees going to monitor the next bidding?

http://skift.com/2014/03/22/fifa-boss-wont-address-evidence-of-bribery-claims-in-qatar-world-cup-bid/

The Brazilian Football Team may not have been kind to the South African team, but they were extremely welcoming to a young fan of the opposing team. Following a 5-0 beating of S. Africa, a young South African supporter made his way onto the field and approached the Brazilian players. Instead of calling for security, the Brazilian players, led by superstar Neymar, hoisted the boy on their shoulders and paraded him around the field. Neymar even went as far as to post a picture of himself and the young boy on his private Instagram account following the game.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2574147/Brazil-stars-lift-young-South-African-pitch-invader-heartwarming-scenes-win.html