Sadiq Shaban

The biggest sporting extravaganza ishere. The 2014 FIFAWorld Cup willbe played in Brazil from June 12 toJuly 13, 2014. Some of the world’s

top names in football from 31 countrieswill compete in 64 matches played in 12cities across Brazil. For the first time everin the history of World Cup Finals, high-tech technology like goal-line will beemployed.

With the entire world’s attention fo-cused on the sporting event in Brazil, ex-perts say that the 2014 FIFA World Cupcould see record-breaking digital and socialmedia activity. FIFA has already sold over3.3 million tickets (the highest ever). Withticket prices for the final to be played inEstadio Maracana pegged at around $990,

football’s governing body is likely to makeits coffers richer by a whopping $4 billionfrom the event.

Brazil is fully geared up for the megaevent, which is returning to the country af-ter six decades. In the run up to the WorldCup, a reported $3.47 billion has been spenton stadium projects and related infrastruc-ture. Sao Paulo’s main football stadium is

set to welcome 65,000 spectators to theJune 12 World Cup opening match, whichpits hosts and five-time champion Brazilagainst Croatia.

Greatestshowonearth

Players to watch out for:Neymar (Brazil)Javier HerNaNdez (mexico)marco reus (GermaNy)Wilfried zaHa (eNGlaNd)KeviN strootmaN (NetHerlaNds)KeviN de BruyNe (BelGium)lioNel messi (arGeNtiNa)cristiaNo roNaldo (PortuGal)stePHaN el-sHaaraWy (italy)cHristiaN eriKseN (deNmarK)isco (sPaiN)James rodríGuez (colomBia)

EDITORIALExecutive EditorPatrickMichaelSupplements EditorSuchitra Steven Samuel

Sub-EditorSadiq ShabanReportersFarhanaChowdhurySuneeti Ahuja-Kohli

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The world’sbiggest sport. Theworld’s best partydestination. Itdoesn't get anybetter than theFIFAWorld Cup

4 KT SpEcIAL REpORT JuNE 11, 2014

Neymar

pRODUcTIONDesignersMohammadEjaz KhanSidharthanimagingVenugopal Prabhu

ADVERTISINGDirector advertisingHaroonQureshiSenior advertising Manager (Supplements)Philip Smith

FIFAWORLDCUP2014

Fast Facts:Fuleco is the official •

mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Fuleco is a portmanteau

of the words Futebol (Football) and Ecologia (Ecology).This will be the second time Brazil • will host the competition. The last time was in 1950The number of tourists to Brazil is • expected to cross six million The prize money for winners is • $35 million and $25 million for runners-up

Goal-line technoloGy

Also called Goal Decision Sys-tem, it uses electronic devices to conclude if the ball has completely crossed the goal line. It has been hailed as a technological marvel that compliments the role of the officials and helps them in decision-making.

Most experts and pundits say that Brazil may emerge as a hot favourite to win the tournament with Argentina and Germany being the other strong contenders. If Bra-zil wins this World Cup, it will be its sixth win with most number of FIFA World Cup

titles. Not surprisingly many eyes would be on Brazilian national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari who guided his side to vic-tory in last summer’s Confederations Cup, when the team forward Neymar impressed on the way to a 3-0 final win over defend-ing World Cup winners Spain.

With his countless goals for Barcelona, six La Liga titles and three Champions League winners’ medals to his name, Lio-nel Messi will be one of the most closely watched football stars in this edition of the World Cup along with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugese footballer has dominated Spanish and European football for the last four seasons. Other top names like Stephan El-Shaarawy, Christian Eriksen, Isco and James Rodríguez are expected to add star power to the high-adrenaline event.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup final is esti-mated to be watched by a live television audience of over a billion people, making it one of the world’s most-watched televi-sion events in history. Social media is going to be another key component. FIFA’s Face-book pages have reached over 280 million users. The World Cup page currently has

more than 18 million fans, with more than seven million FIFA followers on Twitter, who are likely to keep the buzz going in the online medium. The official World Cup app for smartphones makes it easy to follow all the action from the FIFA World Cup in Bra-zil, along with the latest headlines, photos and videos streamed live. The fun, as they say, is on.

—sadiq@khaleejtimes.com

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Algeria3Appearances; 0TitlesFIFARankingposition: 25

Key players: Madjid Bougherra is a keyfigure at the back, and he scored theall-important winner in the second legagainst Burkina Faso. Sofiane Feghouliis an exciting attacking midfielder, whileMedhi Lacen holds things down in frontof the defence. Islam Slimani emerged asthe most prolific option in attack during

qualifying.Coach:Vahid Halilhodzic

Argentina15Appearances; 2 TitlesFIFARanking position: 7

Keyplayers:Lionel Messi in the undisput-ed leader of the Argentina national teamand a multiple-trophy winner with Barce-lona. Breaking all kinds of goal-records, LaPulga is now looking to achieve greatness

after failing, surprisingly, to find the backof the net at South Africa 2010. Supportinghim will be an all-star cast featuring Car-los Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Angel DiMaria.

Coach:Alejandro Sabella

Australia3Appearances;0TitlesFIFARanking position: 59

Key players: Tim Cahill remains the

EmbracetheexcitementEmbrace the excitementAs the biggest tournament on the planet kicks in, we bring you aprofile of the teams who will be fighting for the ultimate acclaim

Argentina'sforward LionelMessi (left)vies for the ballwith Slovenia'sdefenderMiso Breckoat a friendlyfootball match.Photo: AFP

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8 KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 2014

FIFAWORLDCUP2014

team’s undoubted star and talisman witha stunning goal ratio from midfield andremarkable heading ability despite hismodest stature. Long-serving skipperand central defender Lucas Neill remainsa bedrock of the team and has never lethis country down. A two-goal showingat South Africa 2010 has seen Brett Hol-man’s profile and importance in the teamtook a sharp upward trajectory with themidfielder displaying versatility.

Coach: Ange Postecoglou

Belgium11 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFARanking position: 12

Key players: On paper, Belgium can callupon an armada of stars, all plying theirtrade in Europe's most prestigious cham-pionships. The depth of their talent poolis striking, with Nacer Chadli threateningto eclipse crowd favourite Eden Hazard.Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne, Thi-baut Courtois and Toby Alderweireld are

the latest stars to emerge, while the likesof Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermael-en, Axel Witsel, Marouane Fellaini andSteven Defour have already establishedthemselves as senior figures.

Coach: Marc Wilmots

Bosnia andHerzegovina0Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFARanking position: 25

Key players: Bosnia-Herzegovina have acore of talented players capable of chang-ing games in an instant, ranging from thelikes of Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevicup front, through midfielders MiralemPjanic and Zvjezdan Misimovic, all theway back to defensive rock Emir Spahicand goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Coach: Safet Susic

Brazil19 Appearances; 5 TitlesFIFARanking position: 4

Key players: Striker Neymar is already be-

ing hailed as a man capable of playing akey role for the five-time world champi-ons come Brazil 2014. Currently amongthe supporting cast in attack is the young-ster’s former Santos team-mate Robinho,while Barcelona’s Dani Alves is a lung-bursting presence on the flank. Betweenthe sticks, veteran goalkeeper Julio Cesarexudes confidence and security to therest of the backline.

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Cameroon6Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition: 50

Key players: Samuel Eto’o remains theworld-class threat up front, although thecharismatic figure, who still serves as cap-tain, has gone in and out of the team. Buteven without the Chelsea veteran, the sideis loaded with experience and high-leveltalent. Nicolas N’Koulou, Benoit Assou-

Continued on page 12

England defender Phil Jones fightsfor the ball with Ecuador forwardFelipe Caicedo during a friendlymatch between England andEcuador. Photo: AFP

10 KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 2014

FixturesDAY TIME* TEAMS TIME* TEAMS TIME* TEAMS TIME* TEAMS

12 June Thursday 17:00 Brazil v. Croatia

13 June Friday 13:00 Mexico v. Cameroon 16:00 Spain v. Netherlands 18:00 Chile v. Australia

14 June Saturday 13:00 Colombia v. Greece 16:00 Uruguay v. Costa Rica 18:00 England v. Italy 22:00 Côte d'Ivoire v. Japan

15 June Sunday 13:00 Switzerland v. Ecuador 16:00 France v. Honduras 19:00 Argentina v. Bosnia and Herzegovina

16 June Monday 13:00 Germany v. Portugal 16:00 Iran v. Nigeria 19:00 Ghana v. USA

17 June Tuesday 13:00 Belgium v. Algeria 16:00 Brazil v. Mexico 18:00 Russia v. Korea Republic

18 June Wednesday 13:00 Australia v. Netherlands 16:00 Spain v. Chile 18:00 Cameroon v. Croatia

19 June Thursday 13:00 Colombia v. Côte d'Ivoire 16:00 Uruguay v. England 19:00 Japan v. Greece

20 June Friday 13:00 Italy v. Costa Rica 16:00 Switzerland v. France 19:00 Honduras v. Ecuador

21 June Saturday 13:00 Argentina v. Iran 16:00 Germany v. Ghana 18:00 Nigeria v. Bosnia and Herzegovina

22 June Sunday 13:00 Belgium v. Russia 16:00 Korea Republic v. Algeria 18:00 USA v. Portugal

23 June Monday 13:00 Australia v. Spain 13:00 Netherlands v. Chile 17:00 Cameroon v. Brazil 17:00 Croatia v. Mexico

24 June Tuesday 13:00 Costa Rica v. England 13:00 Italy v. Uruguay 16:00 Japan v. Colombia 17:00 Greece v. Côte d'Ivoire

25 June Wednesday 13:00 Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Iran 13:00 Nigeria v. Argentina 16:00 Honduras v. Switzerland 21:00 Ecuador v. France

26 June Thursday 13:00 Portugal v. Ghana 13:00 USA v. Germany 17:00 Algeria v. Russia 17:00 Korea Republic v. Belgium

28 June Saturday 13:00 Group A Winner v. Group B Second Place 17:00 Group C Winner v. Group D Second Place

29 June Sunday 13:00 Group B Winner v. Group A Second Place 17:00 Group D Winner v. Group C Second Place

30 June Monday 13:00 Group E Winner v. Group F Second Place 17:00 Group G Winner v. Group H Second Place

1 July Tuesday 13:00 Group F Winner v. Group E Second Place 17:00 Group H Winner v. Group G Second Place

4 July Friday 13:00 Quarter-Finalist 5 v. Quarter-Finalist 6 17:00 Quarter-Finalist 1 v. Quarter-Finalist 2

5 July Saturday 13:00 Quarter-Finalist 7 v. Quarter-Finalist 8 17:00 Quarter-Finalist 3 v. Quarter-Finalist 4

8 July Tuesday 17:00 Winner Quarter-Final 1 v. Winner Quarter-Final 2

9 July Wednesday 17:00 Winner Quarter-Final 3 v. Winner Quarter-Final 4

12 July Saturday 17:00 Semi-Final 1 Loser v. Semi-Final 2 Loser

13 July Sunday 16:00 FINALS

GROUP A GROUP EGROUP B GROUP FGROUP C GROUP GGROUP D GROUP H

Brazil

Croatia

Mexico

Cameroon

June 12, 13, 17, 18, 23 June 13, 18, 23 June 14, 19, 24 June 14, 19, 20, 24 June 14, 15, 20, 25 June 15, 16, 21, 25 June 16, 21, 22, 26 June 17, 22, 26

Switzerland

Ecuador

France

Honduras

Spain

Netherlands

Chile

Australia

Argentina

Bosnia-Hertz

Iran

Nigeria

Colombia

Greece

Cote d'ivoire

Japan

Germany

Portugal

Ghana

USA

Uruguay

Costa Rica

England

Italy

Belgium

Algeria

Russia

Korea Rep.

10*Note: The match timings are in Brazil Local Time. The UAE is seven hours ahead.

FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

12 KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 201412

Ekotto and Aurelien Chedjou remain vital at the back, while the midfield is even more loaded with Alex Song, Jean Makoun and Stephane Mbia at the heart of the team.

Coach: Volker Finke

Chile 8 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 13

Key players: Forwards Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas, as well as attacking mid-fielders Matias Fernandez and Arturo Vidal, are the leading men in a squad packed with talent and boasting viable alternatives in each position. Nor must we forget experi-enced performers such as Claudio Bravo, Gary Medel and Jorge Valdivia, or exciting rising stars like Jean Beausejour and Mar-celo Diaz.

Coach: Jorge Sampaoli

Colombia 4 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 5

Key players: With his sparkling form at Monaco, the prolific Falcao is now gener-ally regarded as Colombia's main attacking threat. The 25-year-old predator came to prominence at River Plate, first in the youth team and then with the senior side, before moving to Europe in 2009 where he won two Leagues, two Cups, three Super Cups and the UEFA Europa League with Porto, and added another UEFA Europa League and European Super Cup with Atletico Ma-

drid. The Colombians can also count on the experience of defensive duo Mario Yepes and Luis Perea at the back, as well as the creativity of attacking midfielder James Ro-driguez and the goalscoring instinct of Teo Gutierrez.

Coach: Jose Pekerman

Costa Rica 3 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 34

Key players: Costa Rica’s fortunes lie at the skilful feet of one Bryan Ruiz. Called “a truly special player” by former coach Rodrigo Kenton, Ruiz established himself at club side Twente in the Netherlands be-fore moving on to Fulham in England. Now back in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven, he ranks among the best playmakers in the North, Central American and Caribbean zone. Alongside Ruiz are a number of tried-and-trusted performers like Alvaro Saborio, Cristian Bolanos and outstanding goalkeep-er Keilor Navas.

Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto

Côte d’Ivoire 2 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 21

Key players: Côte d'Ivoire boasts some of the greatest individual talents in Africa. Forwards Drogba and Salomon Kalou are a formidable front pair, while midfield duo Didier Zokora and Yaya Toure perform key ball-winning duties in the middle of the park. Explosive winger Gervinho supplies service from both flanks, with Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure providing a wealth of

experience at the back.Coach: Sabri Lamouchi

Croatia 3 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 20

Key players: Experienced captain Darijo Srna is a born leader, and playmakers Luka Mo-dric and Niko Kranjcar can always be relied upon for moments of inspiration. Kovac pre-sides over a wealth of international-class at-tacking talent including Eduardo, Ivica Olic, Nikita Jelavic and Mario Mandzukic.

Coach: Niko Kovac

Ecuador 2 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 28

Key players: Wingers Antonio Valencia and Christian Noboa, as well as forwards Felipe Caicedo and Jefferson Montero, represent an exciting new wave for Ecuadorian football, but they are also ably assisted by a handful of evergreen stalwarts with European expe-rience, such as Edison Mendez, Walter Ayovi and Segundo Castillo.

Coach: Reinaldo Rueda

England 13 Appearances; 1 TitleFIFA Ranking position: 11

Key players: Wayne Rooney remains Eng-land’s greatest talent and his seven goals in six World Cup qualifying starts underlined his importance to Roy Hodgson’s side. In midfield, Gerrard and Frank Lampard pro-vide experience and creativity while young guns Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamber-lain and Andros Townsend highlight the Three Lions’ attacking flair for the future. Danny Welbeck came into his own during qualification, scoring four goals on the way to the finals, while Daniel Sturridge’s emer-gence as one of the English Premier League’s top forwards can only bolster attacking op-tions for Brazil.

Coach: Roy Hodgson

France 13 Appearances; 1 TitleFIFA Ranking position: 16

Key players: France boasts solidity and strength in depth at the back, with a pair of top-drawer goalkeepers in Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda and a rearguard bolstered by the European experience of Eric Abidal, Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane. Fur-ther forward, Franck Ribery can produce moments of magic, while Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud both possess a keen eye for goal.

Coach: Didier Deschamps

FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

Continued from page 8

Italy's forward Ciro Immobile (right) vies with Fluminense's defender Ailton. Photo: AFP

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14 KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 2014

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14

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Germany17Appearances;3TitlesFIFARankingposition:2

Keyplayers:Keeper Manuel Neuer is the un-disputed number one;many experts believehe is the real deal, and will develop into oneof the best. The next generation appears im-mensely promising too. Former Real MadridstarletMesutOzil,whonowlaceshisbootsatArsenal, was just 21 when he thrilled crowdsat the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is a giftedcreative player with passing ability to matchthe best in the world. Thomas Muller wonthe adidas Golden Boot andwas namedBestYoung Player at the 2010 finals; youngstersMarco Reus, Andre Schurrle, Toni Kroos andMario Gotze keep getting better and better.

Coach: Joachim Low

Ghana2Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition:38

Keyplayers:There are no better midfields intheworld thanGhana’s as theBlackStars cancall on veterans Michael Essien and SulleyMuntari aswell as players hitting their primelike Andre Ayew, Kwadwo Asamoah andKevin-Prince Boateng. Up front, the athleticAsamoah Gyanwill be a vital focal point.

Coach:Kwesi Appiah

Greece2Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition: 10

Key players: Captain and seasoned midfieldgeneral Giorgos Karagounis remains thedominant figure in the Greek line-up butforwards Dimitrios Salpingidis and Mitro-glou will certainly provide Santos with avariety of attacking options. He can also callon the experience of the likes of TheofanisGekas and Giorgos Samaras, which will bekey when the tournament begins. Inciden-tally though, despite their array of attackingtalent, it was Greece’s defence that stole theshow in qualifying.

Coach: Fernando Santos

Honduras2Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition:30

Key players: Left-back Emilio Izaguirre wasthe find of the 2010/11 season for Celtic —namedScottishPremierLeaguePlayerof theYear — and is a key force within Honduras’srespectablebackline.He ishelpedbycaptainandgoalkeeperNoelValladareswho, despitea shy off-the-field personality, played an in-strumental role in Honduras’s qualificationfor South Africa 2010 and their deep run atthe latest instalmentof theGoldCup.WilsonPalacios, one of the more recognisable faces

of Honduran football playing for Stoke City,is also a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Currentcoach: Luis Fernando Suarez

Iran3Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition:37

Key players: Filling the void left by Mahda-vikia is captain Javad Nekounam, who hasquickly established his place as the team’stalisman. Aside from providing leadership,the skipper provides creativity alongsideformer Osasuna team-mate Masoud Sho-jaei. Belgium-based striker Reza Ghoochan-nejhad stands out among the emerging gen-eration, while Fulhamman Ashkan Dejagahshores up the midfield alongside AndranikTeymourian.

Coach: Carlos Queiroz

Italy17Appearances;4TitlesFIFARankingposition:9

Key players: Captain and goalkeeper Gian-

luigi Buffon is the only survivor from their2006 triumph in Germany along with An-drea Pirlo, while a host of youngsters havebroken into the team, such as central de-fender Andrea Ranocchia and midfielderMarco Verratti. The transition from old tonew has been dramatic thanks to the emer-gence of Stephan El Shaarawy and GiuseppeRossi’s return to the fore. The maverick duoof Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo alsohave a vital role to play.

Coach: Cesare Prandelli

Japan4Appearances;0TitlesFIFARankingposition:47

Keyplayers: Having excelled during the lastFIFA World Cup and the recent AFC AsianCup,CSKAMoscowmidfielderKeisukeHon-da has established his place as the team’snew leader. Spearheading the attacking-lineare Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki, whofinished the continental finals as the team’stop-scorer with three goals. Driving the cen-

Brazil's ThiagoSilva heads theball over Serbia'sAleksandarMitrovic.Photo: AFP

15KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 2014

tral field alongside Honda is set-piece spe-cialist Yasuhito Endo, while Atsuto Uchida is the key man at the rearguard.

Coach: Alberto Zaccheroni

Korea Republic 8 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 55

Key players: The squad’s make-up kept changing during the qualifying and under new coach Hong Myungbo a new-look team has taken shape. A series of emerging stars, notably German-based Son Heungmin and Koo Jacheol have graduated into the team’s backbone force. Bolton Wanderers’ Lee Chungyong is wearing the captain’s arm-band and home-based Kim Shinwook and Lee Keunho are proven goal-scorers.

Coach: Hong Myungbo

Mexico 14 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 19

Key players: After an agonising qualify-ing competition full of setbacks, coaching changes and tactical reshuffles, predicting how the Mexicans will fare at Brazil 2014 is no easy task. While El Tri can count on a band of high-profile overseas-based players, spearheaded by Javier Chicharito Hernan-dez, Andres Guardado and Giovani dos San-tos, the last few months have shown that the latest wave of young players also have much

to offer; chief players include Oribe Peralta, Raul Jimenez and Carlos Pena.

Coach: Miguel Herrera

Netherlands 9 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 15

Key players: Robin van Persie’s blossoming into one of the finest strikers in the world has been a huge boon to the Dutch, with the Manchester United marksman topping the goal-scoring charts with 11 goals. He was able assisted in that department though by the likes of Jermaine Lens — who has pro-gressed into a key part of the Oranje outfit — and Rafael van der Vaart. Arjen Robben continues to be a menace on the wing, while Kevin Strootman and Daryl Janmaat are now key components of the side.

Coach: Louis Van Gaal

Nigeria 4 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 44

Key players: Coach Stephen Keshi has earned a reputation as a no-nonsense boss who is not afraid to choose in-form domestic play-ers at the expense of more well-known stars, and that policy paid handsome dividends as Nigeria won the 2013 edition of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Keshi has kept a rela-tively stable spine of the team since then, with Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel leaving his

mixed past with the Eagles behind to be-come the lynchpin of the side. In goal, Vin-cent Enyeama is an important veteran, while Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Emman-uel Emenike are key parts of a deep attack. Coach: Stephen Keshi

Portugal 5 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 3

Key players: As he showed in the play-off against Sweden, Cristiano Ronaldo is still very much Portugal’s go-to man, though the peerless Real Madrid star is supported by a very able cast. The central-defensive pairing of Pepe and Bruno Alves is the cornerstone of a very solid rearguard that also features flying full-backs Joao Pereira and Fabio Co-entrao. Joao Moutinho is the heartbeat of a creative midfield unit, while Nani can also be relied upon to shine alongside Ronaldo.

Coach: Paulo Bento

Russia 9 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 18

Key players: This latest Russian side is built on solid defensive foundations. Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev did not miss a single minute of the qualifying competition and conceded just five goals during the course of it, while Sergey Ignashevich marshalled the defence with aplomb. Yet Fabio Capello’s most

Players (left to right) Rafael Burgos (9-El Salvador), Xabi Alonso (14-Spain), Richard Menjivar (6-El Salvador), Cesc Fabregas (10-Spain), Darwin Ceren (7-El Salvador), and Sergio Ramos (15-Spain), all look towards the ball during a friendly match at FedEx Field on June 7 in Landover, Maryland. Spain defeated El Salvador 2-0. Photo: AFP

FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

16 KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 2014

prized assets are Roman Shirokov and Vic-tor Fayzulin, who scored six goals between them in the qualifiers.

Coach: Fabio Capello

Spain 13 Appearances; 1 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 1

Key players: Though there is no doubt that Spain's embarrassment of midfield riches,

featuring the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso, has been integral to their major trophy triumphs, La Selección are strong across the board. The men in red have a phalanx of very reliable keepers to call on, headed by Iker Casillas, while Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique have consolidated their positions as the leaders of a defence. Ramos and Jordi Alba are also a threat in the oppos-ing box. With David Villa and Fernando Tor-res struggling to find their touch, Pedro has distinguished himself as an attacking spear-head, ably supported by Cesc Fabregas.

Coach: Vicente del Bosque

Switzerland 9 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 8

Key players: There is undoubted qual-ity throughout the side, starting with keeper Diego Benaglio, a German championship winner in 2009 with VfL Wolfsburg. The combination of experienced players such as Tranquillo Barnetta, Gokhan Inler and Philippe Senderos, with highly-talented youngsters Xherdan Shaqiri, Fabian Schar, Granit Xhaka and Valentin Stocker, has borne fruit and the side are more than capable of making their mark at Brazil 2014.

Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld

Uruguay 11 Appearances; 2 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 6

Key players: Strikers Luis Suarez and Ed-inson Cavani have become the standard bearers for Uruguayan football and the national team over the last few years. The Liverpool man ended the South American preliminaries as the leading scorer with 11 goals, and was the second most-used play-er by coach Oscar Tabarez. The deadly duo have plenty of ballast behind them, with the vastly experienced Diego Lugano di-recting rearguard operations with aplomb, and Fernando Muslera providing a safe pair of hands between the posts.

Coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez

USA 9 Appearances; 0 TitlesFIFA Ranking position: 14

Key players: Jozy Altidore of English Pre-mier League outfit Sunderland emerged as the complete package during the final qualifying competition. Klinsmann is re-considered to be a part of the team by his burly striker, who scored goals for fun and was the perfect partner for Clint Dempsey in attack. Landon Donovan has made a return to football after a self-imposed months-long sabbatical and linked up beautifully with the sturdy central mid-field presence of Roma's Michael Bradley. Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

— Compiled from FIFA's official website

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Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Road (Ample basement parking available) • Dubai Mall, Level 2, Electronics Zone • Ibn Battuta Mall, China Court • Deira City Centre, Level 2, West Court • Union Coop, Al Wasl • Union Coop, Al Barsha Mall • Safeer Mall,Dubai - Sharjah Highway, Sharjah • Mega Mall, Level 2, Sharjah • Abu Dhabi Mall, Level 2 • Mushrif Mall, Level 2 • Dalma Mall, Level 2, Abu Dhabi • Abu Dhabi Duty Free, Terminals 3 & 2 ,1 • Al Ain Mall, Level 1, Al Ain • Century Mall, Level 1, Fujairah

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FIFAWORLDCUP2014

KT Special RepoRT JUNE 11, 201418

In the spirit of the game,Max launches a bright andsporty collection in an array of colours, tones andshapes portraying aworld of nations comingtogether for the love of the game. Consisting ofplaying gear similar towhat the soccer starswouldbewearing in your favourite teamcolours.Fashionable jogger shape track pants andhoodiesfor the young and trendy. Classic polo shirts for theman that just likes to keep it simple. Sublimationt-shirts,motifs and illustrations all to showyoursupport for your team.not forgetting the ladies,Max offers an array ofsport-inspired t-shirts, shorts and track suits to getthe ladies in the soccer spirit. the young ones alsohave options including teen boys' soccer gear,memorabilia, accessories, soccer boots, sneakers,tees, shorts and polo shirts at unbeatable value.

WearthespiritMax's Soccer Collection2014 will have you cheeringlouder than ever

The nikon D610 offers an effectivepixel count of 24.3-million pixelswith the superior renderingcapability of the nikon FX format,

as well as the mobility of high-speedcontinuous shooting at approximately6 fps. Despite its compact size andlightweight, it is capable of the richexpression of tones, broad dynamicrange, and low noise characteristics withshooting at high sensitivities expected

of an FX-format camera. Italso offers the beautiful blurcharacteristics, and superiorimage quality and renderingperformance that challengesthat of top end models likethe D4, D800, and D800e. Itscompact and lightweight bodyis loaded with a number of featuresthat give it excellent basic performance,including an optical viewfinder withframe coverage of approximately 100 percent, double SD memory card slots, topand rear covers made of magnesium alloy,and a function for recording time-lapsemovies. the camera is also equipped witha new quiet continuous release modethat supports continuous shooting atapproximately 3 fps.

Its 39-point AF system supports certainacquisition and tracking of the intendedsubject, and the nine most frequentlyused focus points at the centre of the

frameutilise cross-typesensors for greater accu-

racy. the D610 is also equippedwith a built-in flash that covers the angleof view of a wide-angle 24mm lens. theWireless Mobile Adapter enables simplesharing of full-size images exhibiting thesuperior image quality of the D610 with asmart device.

As a compact system that is easy tomanage and use, the D610 is a nikon FX-format model that a broad range of users,not just professional or advanced amateurphotographers, will enjoy. nikon range ofcameras and nikkor lenses are distributedin the UAe by Grand Stores LLC and avail-able at all leading retailers.

BringphotostolifeNikon D610 iscompact,lightweight, offers arich expression oftones and a broaddynamic range