Brazil 2014: 3 Days to go

Cameroon’s squad departed for the World Cup 12 hours later than scheduled after refusing to board the plane to Brazil on Sunday in a dispute over bonuses. This has now been settled according to the football federation (Fecafoot) said. They have settled a dispute with the government and Fecafoot. Fecafoot spokesman Laurence Fotso told Reuters :-

Everything is ok now. We will embark tonight

That money is given [by Fifa] three months after the end of the competition. So Fecafoot borrowed money as a private loan to satisfy the players.

Pop superstar Jennifer Lopez has pulled out of the World Cup opening ceremony in Brazil, Fifa said on Sunday, four days before the tournament kicks off.

Group D side England have started training at their facilities at Urca, in Rio.

Sunday’s results
Trinidad and Tobago 0-2 Iran
France 8-0 Jamaica

Fixtures

Tuesday 10th June 2014

Ghana V South Korea 00:00

Wednesday 11th June 2014
R. of Ireland V Portugal 00:45

France went on a goal scoring spree in their friendly with Jamaica. The scorers for the Group E side were Cabaye 17′ Matuidi 20′, 66′ Benzema 37′, 63′ Giroud 53′ Griezmann 77′, 89′.

Italy finally managed a win in their World Cup warm-ups. They played Exeter City’s opponents next month, the Brazilian club side Fluminense. Not much will have been gleaned by Italy’s Group D rivals England.  The 5-3 win for Italy was played at the Estádio General Raulino de Oliveira

World champions, Spain. arrived on Sunday evening in Brazil. Will the defending champions win their fourth major title in a row, after winning the EURO, in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010?

It happens every tournament! The French newspaper Le Figaro reports problems within the Netherlands camp  as a video emerges of Arjen Robben and Bruno Martins Indi taking a few swipes at each other during training. See that video here