Klinsmann & Cuomo want you to take a few hours off from work to support team USA

Here's a look at Jurgen Klinsmann's tweet asking employers to allow their staff to watch & support team USA. Below that you'll see NY state Governer Anrew Cuomo's response; giving all NY state employees a 2 hour lunch break so they can support #USMNT. I Love NY! :)

Here is what the Round of 16 looks like after today's matches. Soon we find out if Belgium & Algeria can hold on to their top spots in Group H

Brazil v Chile

Colombia v Uruguay

France v Nigeria

Netherlands v Mexico

Costa Rica v Greece

Argentina v Switzerland

United States v Germany

Let's get ready to rumble!!!

The US is trying to secure its place in the round of 16 but it needs to go through Germany first. The NY Times wants you to know that there are over 900 ways the US could advance but simply put; a win or a draw with DE would see them going through as long as Portugal doesnt win their game against Ghana by a huge margin, which is up in the air, now that 2 of Ghana's best players were sent home for bad conduct (they allegedly assaulted an official). Here's the Upshots take on US vs DE

Where the teams stand & how can they move on? Groups E & F

So what's your opinion of yesterday's games? They were definitely jam-packed with thrills, chills & Italian blood spills. People, the entire tournament just got turned on its head!

Groups A-D look like this:
Group A & B: BR vs CHI and MEX vs HOL
Done deal! Brazil (A1) & Mexico (A2) advance to face Holland (B1) & Chile (B2)
(Mexico's match against Croatia was so entertaining!)

Italian for dinner?
Group C & D: CR(D1) v Greece (C2) and COL (C1) vs URU (D2)
WOW WOW WOW! Just as the Italian team started to unravel & begin their infamous collection of yellow & red cards for their extreme violence on the pitch, none other than Luis 'GNAWS' Suarez tilts the balance of reality & common sense by biting an Italian player. He wasn't caught by any ref and this un-checked act subsequently caused ITA to stumble around in shock, leaving room for URU to score a few seconds later, sending the dumbfounded & dejected Italian squad home.

It's all greek to me!
GRE vs CdI: Another upset! CdI was starting to get too comfy in their 2nd place spot when out of nowhere, BOOM! Greece receives the luck of the gods & scores a late penalty goal thus turning the game upside down! Greece made history by scoring their first goals (ever) at a final & it's their first time going through to the R16. Hellas indeed!

Let's look at what the other groups have in store for us today!

Group E & F: FRA vs (F2) and (F1 ARG or NIG) vs (E2 ECU or SWI)

- Group E: France is in stellar form & took the top Group E spot in just 2 games. 2nd place in group E is still a bit open so for Ecuador to make it through they have to score more goals than the Swiss do in the Swiss match against an eliminated Honduras

- Group F: Argentina is definitely through to the R16. A draw against Nigeria will see them win the group and NIG would qualify for second place. If the Africans win, NIG will win the group.
Iran MUST beat Bosnia, and hope Argentina win so that Iran's goal difference beats Nigeria's

How argentine fans welcome their national team on to the pitch!

Where the teams stand & how can they move on? Groups A through D

The Round of 16 is coming together in a surprising way. Some of the top contenders have either been embarrassingly eliminated or are currently hanging on by a thread, while the biggest under-dogs are topping their groups. Let's see where each team in Groups A through D stand and how each team can advance

Group A & B:
BR vs CH and MEX vs HOL
Done deal! Brazil (A1) & Mexico (A2) advance to face Holland (B1) & Chile (B2)

Group C & D:
CR(D1) v (most likely) CDI and COL (C1) vs the winner of today's ITA/URU match
Colombia (C1) & Ivory Coast(C2) move on to face Costa Rica (D1). Colombia will face the winner of the ITA/URU game. Thanks to goal differential, Italy only needs a draw but Uruguay need to win in order to move forward. Interesting note: Italy & Uruguay have played each other nine times with URU leading by three wins to two but URU has never won against Italy at a WC. CR will most likely play CDI because so far CDI are coming in 2nd in Group C but they need to win in order to secure their slot. What can affect this outcome? If Japan wins their game, Greece would need to win by 3 EXTRA goals in order to move forward. Greece can also move forward if they win & Japan looses. The tricky part? Greece has never scored at a world cup final & Japan is about to play Colombia.

Japanese fans realize their team is about to play Colombia!

World Cup Cheat-Sheet: Ladies Edition (Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia & South Korea)

The group stage has become a welcome reality for some & a horrific ending for others. Here we see how Group H stacks up:

Belgium :
Forget their chocolate, forget their yummy Destrooper galettes. This team is like a young Paul Newman circa Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; young, intense & ready to conquer

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: The Red Devils." The name given to them by a journalist who called the Belgian squad "The Red Devils" after three "devilish" wins in 1906
- Playing style: fluid and surprising (as seen in yesterday's win over Russia), this is Belgium's golden era thanks to Chelsea FC's influence (several have/do play for the EPL Chelsea team)
- Players to watch: Hazard, Origi & De Bruyne
- How far can they go: They are tagged as one of the big teams to watch this year & they are at the top of their group, securing them a place in the R16. Time to see what's in store for this young squad
- Lastly, here are 2 of Belgium's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Smooth operator Eden Hazard & Jan Vertonghen's adorable pout

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Algeria :
This is the North African nation's 4th time at the Big Show & they have just made history by being the first African nation to score 4 goals at a WC (their first win in 32 years)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: "Les Fennecs," which is a small fox native to Algeria
- Playing style: Ambitious and hungry but not much of a defense nor offense, the task of play-making will land on the shoulders of the midfielders
- Players to watch: Sofiane Feghouli, Islam Slimani
- How far can they go: Vahid Halilhodzic was fired from the Cote D'Ivoire/Ivory Coast squad just before the last WC so he's out to prove he can lead an African squad to the R16
- Lastly, here is one of Algeria's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

The perfectly chiseled Medhi Lacen

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Russia :
The 2018 hosts of the World Cup somehow, coincidentally of course!, were put in a very easy group but are having problems getting things in order for this WC.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: "Sbornaya" means "National Team" in Russian
- Playing style: Russia has a good defense but the counter-attack is lacking & the team is essentially a work-in-progress
- Players to watch: Igor Akinfeev, Alan Dzagoev & Aleksandr Kerzhakov
- How far can they go: Italian coach Fabio Capello is trying to get them to the R16 but every other team they are playing against, seems to have other plans for Mother Russia.
- Lastly, here is one of Russia's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Alexander Kerzhakov

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South Korea :
South Korea has been to more World Cups (9) than any other Asian nation, including the 2002 WC they hosted with Japan.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: "Taegeuk" refers to the symbol on South Korea's flag, which represents a spiritual balance, similar to the yin and yang symbol. Another nickname for this squad is "The Reds/Red Devils" derived from the team's uniforms
- Playing style: Quick & have finesse at the front but the goal box is basically empty
- Players to watch: Son Heung-min
- How far can they go: South Korea is on a painful vacation
- Lastly, here is one of Korea's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Koo Ja-cheol loves you

World Cup Cheat-Sheet: Ladies Edition (Group G: Germany, USA,Portugal & Ghana)

Here's the scoreboard as of this morning. Germany demolished Ronaldo's Portugal thanks in part to Portugal's true bad boy; Pepe. USA showed good face by beating out a stunned Ghana 2:1 & in between it all, Iran & Nigeria drew zero.

Now let's take a VERY slow & longing look at the pretty boys & the rough necks of Group G: Germany, USA, Portugal & Ghana

Germany :
Schwartz, Rot Gold! That just rolls off the tongue doesn't it? It means 'Black, Red, Gold', for the colors of the German flag. I have visited DE several times but when I was in Berlin for the 2006 World Cup match featuring DE vs ARG it was electrifying! I had never seen so many German flags out in the open. It was as if the Germans finally got their groove back. Today, people don't think twice about wearing the tricot & that's nice to see but what's nicer to see is the actual players in & out of their blacks, their reds, and their.. well, you decide from there. All I know is, some of these boys deserve gold stars for showmanship. They make me want to sing 'I love German boys!'.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Die Mannschaft, means "The Team". German efficiency at its best because just two germanic words can often shock anyone who's listening
- Playing style: As Gary Lineker said during WC'90, "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." That was the Germany of old, today's squad add flair, style & as always precision to their plays.
- Players to watch: Marco "Rolls-Reus" Reus, Klose, Mueller & the sexiest coach at the WC, Joachim 'Jogi" Löw. His hair has a shampoo contract!
- How far can they go: With the best midfielding team Germany has ever seen, they can definitely get to the final if they can patch up their injured players in time & get Schweinsteiger back in tip-top form. The germans are tired of being #3 but no EU team has ever won the WC on LatAm soil, so can the Germans be the first?
- Lastly, behold the German squad & their mesmerizing coach ;)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tagged this on FB as: "Dont hate the Playa', Hillary!"

Mesut Özil's "V" & abs want to send you their new selfie

Bastian has been bad, very bad!

The Squad, ready for after hours

Mario Gomez knows how to tease

Coach Löw and his oh-so-intense stare

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Portugal :
Portugal! Often undervalued & underestimated but most Portuguese don't mind it that way, since it means they get to keep more of that beautiful country to themselves. The same can be said of their football team. Yes they have one of the best players in the world but that's also the problem. Portugal has a talented squad which seems to be dwarfed by CR's ego & hype which in turn puts more pressure on CR & the squad. They are the dark, sexy, mediterranean... oh, sorry! right, they are one of the dark horses of the WC ;)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Selecção das Quinas; "The team of the Shields," refers to the 5 shields ("quinas") & the 5 dots in each shield (bezants) on the flag
- Playing style: Big on passing... the ball to CR9 so he can do as he pleases :(
- Players to watch: João Moutinho can pass well & Captain CR9 is touted as the single person who can carry Portugal to victory. Yeah, no pressure!
- How far can they go: Well after being ROCKED by DE they need to rock every other team in order to keep 2nd place. If they can do that, they'll bow out at the R16
- Lastly, here are 2 of Portugal's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Helder Postiga + CR

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USA :
No, the US squad didn't make a wrong turn at the baseball field, they are back to prove they can do better than last time & that they can lift that darn-tooten WC trophy with the foreign words on it!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: There's no official nickname but fans call them Stars & Stripes or the Yanks
- Playing style: Do-or-die mentality with a good defense & decent counter attacks but even with former german star player/coach Klinsmann as their coach, they still need a lil' extra something to help then beat the likes of DE & IT
- Players to watch: Bradley & german bad boy Jermaine Jones
- How far can they go: The US is in the true Group of Death & might make it out of the group alive if Portugal doesn't get its act together.
- Lastly, here is one of USA's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

LL Cool Oguchi Onyewu needs love

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Ghana:
The Ghanaian team feel robbed thanks to Uruguay's tactics at the last WC QF so they are back for revenge!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Black Stars in reference to the black star on Ghana's flag
- Playing style: progressive, versatile with a bit of flair
- Players to watch: Bad boy Kevin Prince-Boateng, Afriyie Acquah & Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's all-time top scorer
- How far can they go: It's the group of death but Ghana is going to fight tooth and nail to get through to the Semis in order to meet Uruguay again
- Lastly, here is one of Ghana's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Kevin Prince Boateng showing us some of his skills

World Cup Cheat-Sheet: Ladies Edition (Group F: Argentina, Bosnia &Herzegovina, Iran & Nigeria)

The World Cup scoreboard as of this morning:

So far, a few upsets, a few triumphs, some minor scandals and a few snoozes but one thing that will never put you to sleep is watching Argentina play.

Here's a look at Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-H., Iran & Nigeria

Argentina:
Argentina! land of long hair, short shorts & sexy goals (besides great wine & steak!)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Albiceleste
- Playing style: Attack, Attack & oh yeah, ATTACK! they're known for sometimes leaving a few minor holes in defense but there's no denying their quick, stylistic attacking prowess and Coach "Pachorra" (Calm) Sabella will try to keep his men in line, all the way to the final.
- Players to watch: Lionel Messi has been given the Captain's armband, a true symbol of the country's belief in "La Pulga" (the flea). Higuain (El Pipita) & Aguero (Kun) will also have a chance to strut their stuff
- How far can they go: ARG & FRA are the only 2 teams to win every major FIFA men's tourney but ARG has done it all with out the help of Platini & Blatter ;) And this time Argentina is in Brazil, the land of their biggest rival (before England & Germany). These 2 footballing nations treat futbol as a religion and Messi is Argentina's god. No matter how Argentines feel about his results for the national shirt, they all agree that Messi is one of, if not, THE greatest footballer in the world. If you look at the numbers, ARG has lost only 2 out of their 16 qualification games so Argentina is extrememly hungry for a championship on Brazilian soil & I truly believe the final will be ARG vs DE or ARG vs BRA, so if you're looking for a real clasico? This will be the Super-Uber clasico!
- Lastly, here is one of Argentina's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Higuain's develish smile   __________

Bosnia & Herzegovina :
Its's the country's first showing since the break up of Yugoslavia and they have a group of talented players trying to make history

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: B&H's nickname is "zmajevi" which means "dragons"
- Playing style: fun team to watch thanks to one of the best passers in the world; Pjanic
- Players to watch: Pjanic & Edin Dzeko
- How far can they go: Coach Susic scored a hat-trick as a player for the former Yugoslavia against Argentina in 1979 (& was named best-ever foreign player at PSG) so he's out to prove he can do it again, this time as Coach, but as you saw last night, Bosnia needs to regroup and try their best to keep their 2nd place hopes on track after the own-goal they scored at the 3rd minute.
- Lastly, here is one of BH's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Emir Spahic, the rock of the Bosnian team

__________

Iran:
Iran does well in regional competitions & now they hope Coach Quiroz can help them make the same kind of impression at the World Cup

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: "Team Melli" which means National Team
- Playing style: Tough, determined but lacking foresight & fluidity
- Players to watch: Reza (Gucci) G.
- How far can they go: Portuguese coach Queiroz, known for his stints at Real Madrid, Man U & the POR natl team, has led Iran & South Afirca to the world championships but with the likes of Bosnia & ARG, I dont think they'll make it out of the group
- Lastly, here are 2 of Iran's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Javad Nekounam + Alireza Jahan Bakhsh

__________

Nigeria:
The current African champions are looking to take home some international bling

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: "The Super Eagles"
- Playing style: Bold, blazing & bombastic
- Players to watch: Kenneth Omeruo & Vincent Enyeama
- How far can they go: Coach Keshi is only 1 of 2 men who have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both player & coach but can he infuse that type of discipline & proper strategy into this squad? If Bosnia doesn't get its act together, Nigeria just might have a chance at reaching the R16
- Lastly, here is one of Nigeria's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

You'll always be safe in Vincent Enyeama's hands

World Cup Cheat-Sheet: Ladies Edition (Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France & Honduras)

Wow what an opener! What did you think of the Brazil vs Croatia game? Think the Ref made the right calls? And by any chance, have you noticed any valuable players on.... or off screen? ;)

Remember: Every week I'll give you WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW which is a mash-up of 1) the team's playing style, 2) my opinion on their chances of moving forward at the World Cup, 3) some team stats, 4) top plays, 5) names of vital players, 6) stories from the frontline, and most importantly, I'll showcase each team's most "valuable" player(s). Please feel free to add to the conversation in the comments section

So with just a few hours left before the next match, we now move our gaze towards group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France & Honduras

Switzerland :

Chocolate, cheese, watches... what cant this tiny country do? ah yes, football! But wait! that's changing quite quickly. There's a new Swiss in town & they're ranked 6th.. in the world! And with half the squad eligible to play for other countries it says a lot about modern Swiss culture

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- Team nickname: La Nati, meaning The National Team

- Playing style: Today's squad is becoming quite good at a mix of defense and stellar counter attacks

- Players to watch: Granit Xhaka & Fabian Schar

- How far can they go: The Swiss have gotten so good that they ended Spain’s 11-match winning streak at the last WC & beat Brazil 1-0 recently, but a top scorer still eludes them so I think they'll be ousted at the QF once they meet DE or ESP

- Lastly, here is one of Switzerland's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Yann Sommer wants you to feel his guns

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Ecuador:

Ecuador isn't just home to the beautiful Galapagos islands (where Darwin began to study evolution), it's also home to one of the greatest densities of volcanoes in the world. Oh and many love to eat guinea Pig.... I hear it tastes like rabbit?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- The team's nickname: La Tri for the 3 colors of the Ecuadorian flag

- Playing style: a great attacking squad who often lack good defense & sharp organization

- Players to watch: Felipe Caicedo & Luis Valencia

- How far can they go: This team will be interesting to watch because their striker Christian Benítez passed away suddenly last year leaving a void in the team both physically & emotionally so this team is fighting to get to the top in honor of Benitez but even with the likes of Valencia I'm afraid they won't get passed the group stage due to their defense

- Lastly, here is one of Ecuador's most valuable players, for reference purposes ;)

Antonio Valencia wants to show you his new towel

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France :
I may be a bit biased but this is one of those countries where I can't help but wonder what's in the water. From Mulhouse to Bordeaux, from Paris to my beloved Marseille, France is a country full of romance, wonderment & intriguing rendezvous ;)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Les Blues (or for some, FIFA's pet)
- Players to watch: for this entry let's just stick to Giroud.. let's stick oh so very close to Giroud. Actually they've got several great players; Pogba, Valbuena & Lloris
- Playing style: Giroud's playing style.. oops, I meant France's playing style is being molded by former '98 champ & amazeballs coach Didier Deschamps who's tasked with making sure France plays pure french football; solid plays with a lot of flair, and it's working.
-How far will they go: France has always been FIFA's golden child and this grouping is no different. France should be able to make it out of the group but for their sake they'll have to come out 1st in the group because I doubt they'll make it past ARG in the R16 if they come out 2nd in their group.
- Lastly, here is one of France's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Olivier Giroud... All Day & All Night!

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Honduras

Third time is the charm? It's their 3rd time at the WC & although they aren't going up against Spain or Argentina, the term "group of death" is all relative so their main objective is to FINALLY win at least ONE game in their group.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: La Bicolor & Los Catrachos, which is the name for native Hondurans, derived from General Florencio Xatruch who fought an American insurrectionist's attempts to reintroduce slavery. Xatruch's men were called "xatruches," which then became "catruches,"
- Playing style: diamonds in the rough who, at times, create scattered but decent plays
- Players to watch: Carlo Costly & Emilio Izaguirre
- How far can they go: This team is in Brazil......on vacation :(

- Lastly, here is one of Honduras' most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Noel Valladares

thanks to headbandsandheartbreak.wordpress.com for some of the OG visuals

The 7 Laws of football & the infamous offside rule: Easy Peasy!

Clueless on the rules? Does it aggravate you when, after the millionth try, your loved ones still don't understand the off-side rule? Do you get frustrated trying to understand the basic rules of futbol? Hopefully this will help!

The laws of football:

Law 1: A match is played between two teams, with no more than 11 players (each) on the field at one time

Law 2: A match can not start if a team has less than 7 players.

Law 3: Matches normally consist of two 45 minute halves with a 15 minute half-time which can only be changed by the referee. Referees can add time to the clock (O/T)

Law 4: The Ball: The ball is out of play when:

- It has wholly crossed the goal line or touchline
- Play has been stopped by the referee.

The ball is in play at all other times:
-It rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flag and stays on the field.
-When it hits a referee or assistant referee when they are on the field.

Laws 5: Throw Ins, Goal Kicks, and Corner Kicks

When the ball goes out of play over the touchline, a throw-in will be taken by a player from the team who did not touch the ball last. When the whole of the ball goes over the goal line, a goal kick or corner is awarded, depending on which team touched the ball last. If the defending team touched it, a corner is awarded to the opposition. If the attacking team had the last touch, a goal kick is awarded.

Law 6: Free kicks are either direct or indirect, and the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken. The kicker must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player.

Law 7: The Offside

The offside rule was created in order to stop lazy players from simply waiting at the goal area for an easy goal. Cheeky buggers

- In short, if a flag is up, it's offside ;)

As per FIFA:
It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
•he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent
A player is not in an offside position if:
•he is in his own half of the field of play or
•he is level with the second-last opponent or
•he is level with the last two opponents

WHICH MEANS....
- There must be 2 opposition players between you and the goal at the moment you touch the ball or when the ball is played by one of your teammates
-Offside only applies at the time that the ball was last touched by an attacking player, not after the touch. Once a teammate passes a ball to the attacking player, the attacker can legally sprint past the last defender to receive the pass.
-you can be in an offside position, but as long as you don't participate in the play, you will not be called offside

Now for those of you who are like me, and understand everything better through shopping metaphors, here's a fun explanation I recently heard:

There’s this one pair of Christian Louboutin Very Prive at 80% off (that’s the goal line) but in front of you, stand other shoppers who are in the way of you & those gorgeous Loubies (they're the opposing team). Behind you is your best friend who is holding your credit card (that’s the ball). If you start running towards the shoes (the goal line) and your friend throws the credit card (the ball) to you after you’ve manage to barge past the last two shoppers, you’re off-side and lose the shoes

Again, you must always remember that until the card has "actually been thrown towards you", it would be plain wrong for you to be in front of the other shoppers and you would be OFFSIDE.

ONside

OFFside

Thanks to extremesoccerlover & watchandwhistle for the visuals

Where can I watch the world cup in NYC?!

Several friends have asked me where should they watch matches or where will I watch matches, so I thought I'd make it easy for folks to enjoy the beautiful game at a nice bar/restaurant or outdoor space where the screens aren't the size of an iPad, and where you won't feel intimidated or leave the place smelling like sawdust & stale beer. Yes you can probably watch a few games at home, solo, but where's the fun in that?! :) Feel free to add your favorite venues in the comments section & check back often as I'll update this growing list quite often


Outdoor Venues/unofficial fan zones
- Zum Schneider: Sylvester & the Deutscher gang are really kicking things up a notch by having a few viewing parties by the east river, in conjunction with their 2 locations in the E Village & Montauk
- Circo have opened up their patio so you can enjoy football during your lunch hour
-Cafe Centro's Beer Bar added several large outdoor screens. Bankers; rejoice!
- West 46th Street (Little Brazil) between 5th & 6th Aves will show Brazilian matches on a giant screen
- Iona & Berry Park in Brooklyn
- Studio Square & Bohemian Hall Beer Garden in Queens

Downtown Manhattan:
- Luca bar will show all the games & if youre lucky maybe you'll ge to see their sweet pup Bella
- The neutral downtown temple of football is still Nevada Smiths (newly renovated)
- Dublin6 for more neutrality
- Casa La Femme will add a big screen during the WC
- Pao! for the Portuguese
- Sweetwater Social where Ilaria & Michele will help the Italians kick it all off

Chelsea & Gramercy
- The neutral, central, temple of football is Smithfield Hall.
- There's also the chic & sexy Ainsworth
- La Nacional & Socarrat for tapas & tiki-taka at several locations
- OCabanon for the games & some proper pâté et rosé


Midtown East & West:
- Tonic has 2 huge locations, is home to the Dutch during the WC but still v neutral
- Connelly's sev locations
- Saki Bar Hagi for the Japanese fans
- BXL This Belgian connection has several locations
- Opia
- Manchester Pub
- Circo & Le Cirque Cafe  have created fun cocktails for the games, named after famous players

Upper West Side/ UES:
- Uptown Social  has a humongous screen

Brooklyn:
- Miss Favela is planning on adding an outdoor screen for your viewing pleasure
- Bar Tabac for the Frenchy in all of us
- Caffé Romeo is the epitome of old school AmerItaliano, where calcio is shown weekly
- Harfield Road  will help keep an Englander's spirits up

Queens:
- Casa Galicia  is a Spaniard staple
- El Pequeño Coffee Shop will have several flat screens on duty for the Ecuador fans
- Boca Junior Argentina Steakhouse - 'nuff said!
- La Gran Uruguaya Bakery will have a few decent sized screens
- Caffe Borbone where Algerians will huddle around 1 screen

Bronx:
- Papaye Restaurant has a decent sized screen but if you're Uruguayan, this Ghanaian spot might not be your best bet ;)

Staten Island: really? ;)
-Play sports bar

And if you're a fan of Cachaça, the sexy boys & girls at Avuá Cachaça have created a kool event calendar showing where you can enjoy their spirit, while showing yours ;)

World Cup Cheat-Sheet: Ladies Edition (Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England & Italia)

Welcome back! And thank you so much for your support, feedback & ideas (please keep them coming!). I started this blog with the hopes of making the world cup experience (and the world) smaller, so I hope these cheat-sheets are helping you ladies scout great talent via my favorite sport, fútbol!

As requested, in future posts, I'll discuss rules of the game, fun & quirky facts, obstacles facing some of the teams as well as a special spotlight on great players

So let's keep the party going by taking a look at the first 'Group of Death' or as I like to call them, the group of dead-gorgeous. Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England & Italia:

FYI: Every week I'll give you WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW which is a mash-up of 1) the team's playing style, 2) my opinion on their chances of moving forward at the World Cup, 3) some team stats, 4) top plays, 5) names of vital players, 6) stories from the frontline, and most importantly, I'll showcase each team's most "valuable" player(s). Please feel free to add to the conversation in the comments section

Uruguay :
A land of just over 3 million people who are known for their open mindedness & social equality, Uruguay was the first Latin country to legalize same-sex marriage, marijuana and offer laptops to all schoolchildren. All this from the 2nd smallest Latin country where cows outnumber people 3:1. But their best export (besides beef & wine) is futbol! They won the first world cup in 1930 & have been a mainstay of international futbol competitions ever since.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Team nickname: In Latin America not only does the team have a nickname but the players & the coach have their own as well. Uruguay is known as Los Charrúas (an extinct indigenous group) or La Celeste/celestial; an homage to the shirt color worn during a local match win & their first victory over Argentina in 1910
- Playing style: Lethal. Great defense, dangerous marking & counter-attacks
- Players to watch: Edison "El Matador", Egidio 'El Cacha', Luis Suarez 'El Pistolero' & Diego Lugano 'Tota' in his last hoorah
- How far can they go: One thing UY does not lack is 'garra' or fighting spirit nor are they lacking in front to back talent (pun intended!) but Suarez's injury + Lugano's aging (but glorious!) body is leaving Group D a bit more open than expected. Hopefully one of Coach Tabarez aka El Maestro's lucky ties will help them advance to the Semis once more
- Lastly, here are a few of Uruguay's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Dueling Diego's: Captain Diego 'Tota' Lugano (1 & 2) & Diego 'Cachavacha' Forlan (3). Who wins in your book?

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Costa Rica :
PURA VIDA! is Costa Rica's catch phrase and it's what they'll need to get to the R16 again.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Ticos
- Playing style: Very defensive
- Players to watch: Captain Bryan "La Comadreja" Ruiz & Celso Borges
- How far can they go: The Ticos are known for their defense but with Bryan Oviedo's injury keeping him out of the WC, CR's chances have just gotten tougher. Their goal is the R16 but it'll be almost impossible to make it out of the group stage against Italy, England & Uruguay
- Lastly, here's one of Costa Rica's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

Someone left Bryan Ruiz & his abs, out in the rain

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England :
London calling!! England! Land of royal intrigue, fatastic 80's music & footie! Oi!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: The Three Lions (or Engerlund!)
- Playing style: Defensive, physical with long passes but with so many Liverpool players on this squad we might see a new style emerge.
- Players to watch: Raheem, Ross & Rooney
- How far can they go: Eternal optimists, every four years since their 1966 win, England always speaks of their amazing chances at winning every world cup only to be sent home during the R16 or QF but this year they've got great young, ambitious talent. The 2nd youngest squad at the WC definitely have the hunger but will they have the steel nerves needed to get passed Italy & Uruguay? PS: they've never won against UR in a WC & Andrea Pirlo's Italy knocked them out of Euro'12. If they can get out of this group, the R16 will be a tough go against Colombia, on LatAm soil
- Lastly, here is the England squad, at YOUR service ;)

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Italia:
4 time WC champions, they are the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup behind Brazil. They are 1 of the oldest squads yet they play like 25 year olds which causes me to affectionately call them the sexy vampires because these guys NEVER seem to grow old!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The team's nickname: Gli Azzurri/ The Blues, in hommage to the Savoy blue hue, a color traditionally linked to the royal house that unified Italy in 1861
- Playing style: Some call it "fantasia & furbizia" (imagination & cleverness) or "fantasisti" but I call it "Pescecani" Shark style. A 'let's wait & see where they make an error and then successfully exploit it to our advantage', making it quite a sight to see.
- Players to watch: Andrea Pirlo! he might be going through a highly publicized divorce but he's l'Architetto! (the architect) & he's a professional so I'm sure we'll see his matrix moves at play against England. Mario "red card" Balotelli
- How far can they go: They have a very solid record against UR/ENG & with Suarez injured, the sharks will be circling their prey in hopes of an easy kill/road to the final but I think they'll be stopped by Brazil or Spain in the Semis
- Lastly, here are a few of Italy's most 'valuable' players for reference purposes ;)

The naughty & nice sides of Italy's bad boy, Dani Osvaldo. Ciro Immobile calming the crowd. Claudio Marchisio, Domenico Criscito... heck, the entire Italian team obviously doesn't like to wear pants!
Grazie Italia!