The Arena Pernambuco in Recife is about to host its final match of this World Cup. On the giant screen, American rapper Pitbull, pouting on a beach in Miami, which is supposed to pass off as Rio de Janeiro, is crooning, ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’.

Behind the stands, the steward in charge of maintaining peace at the beer-stands, calls for calm. Then she has everyone in splits by saying this: “The bald guy has just started to sing. There’s still plenty of time to go.” There sure is, for somewhere in the backdrop, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte have joined ‘the bald guy’ in his chorus of ‘Ole Ole Ole Ola’.

Pitbull, though, never did manage to have Brazil at ‘ola’.

“Has there been a more random World Cup song than this one?” asks Leoninho, a local ticket-holder at the game. “I can understand English thanks to my time spent in London. And even I can’t understand what that man is rapping. Imagine what the Brasileiro feels.” Oblivion, then, is bliss in this case. Or let’s put it this way, better lyrics have been penned for World Cup songs in the past.

“When the going gets tough the tough get going; One love, one life, one world, one fight, whole world, one night, one place,” chants Pitbull in stanza three, aptly described by one critic as ‘a big pile of cliches’. But Junior Francisco, a Samba artist in Rio de Janeiro, is far less forgiving.

“They give cliches a bad name,” he says. “Take the girls in the video pretending to pass off as Samba dancers for example. They’re shaking their stomachs, not their hips. That’s belly-dancing, not Samba-dancing. They’re gringos, not Brasileiros.”

Very generic

The most common criticism by the Brasileiro on the street is that the song is generic in nature and that neither the music nor the words resonate with the local culture. Yes, one of the three artistes, Leitte, is Brazilian, but she too mouths what Francisco calls ‘utter nonsense’. “Não importa o resultado, vamos extravasar,” Leitte grooves when its her turn to shake her belly to the camera, which loosely translates as: “No matter the result, we’ll party.”

“Rubbish. If Brasil lose the party stops, simple as that. What we don’t have is something like the official song from the 2010 World Cup by K’naan. That gave you a sense of Africa. This gives you a sense of Miami,” adds Francisco.

Although it wasn’t the official song (Shakira’s Waka Waka was), K’naan’s meaningful number called Wavin’ Flag was about Somalia’s freedom struggle, which was then adapted for the World Cup by one of its main sponsors, Coca Cola.

Humming the tune with glee, Francisco sighs and says: “If only Coke came here to true Samba streets to find a true Brazilian artist, we would have lit up this World Cup in true Brasileiro style.”

They did. And it has lit up this World Cup in true Brasileiro style. Only, it wasn’t Coke but a beer brand called Skol. In the mid-80s, as Brazil’s military rule came to an end, an ad agency employed by Skol decided to ride the patriotic wave by coming up with the simplest of jingles. It consisted of just nine words and went like this.

Eu sou Brasileiro

Com muito orgulho

Com muito amor

When translated, the lyrics mean: “I am Brazilian, I say it with pride, I say it with love”. Repeated in a loop with a catchy tune, the simplicity of it all stormed a nation. Skol, of course, became the best selling brewery in the country, while the song still continues to echo about its every nook and corner — sung by the fan before, during and after he slurps a mouthful of the golden liquid.

At this World Cup, you hear it everywhere. Right through the course of Brazil’s games and even when they aren’t playing, like at the extremely popular and incredibly loud fan-fests.

At the Arena Pernambuco, Leoninho and a vast number of others are chanting it tirelessly to pep up the dull Costa Rica-Greece game. “You just cannot get bored of it. That’s what makes a song great. When you can’t get it out of your head,” says Leoninho.

He’s got a point. It’s hard to get ‘I am Brazilian’ out of a nation’s collective conscience mainly because its fun. Fun to chant, lip or simply stuff your eardrums with. Here, in the estadios or outside drinking holes or besides the fan-fests by the beachfronts, ‘I am Brazilian’ is a lot more than just the official song that never was. It’s the unofficial football anthem that always will be.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari admits that a lack of experience is hurting Brazil’s young squad at the World Cup. The coach is also blaming some of the team’s struggles, which include a disappointing performance that nearly led to its elimination by Chile in the second round, on the pressure of needing to succeed in front of the home fans.

Brazil has only six players with experience of past World Cups. Some of its top stars, including Neymar, are playing on football’s biggest stage for the first time. “Of course it’s a concern, we have a young team,” Scolari said after Brazil’s win over Chile in a penalty shootout.

“Even the most experienced players will feel the pressure of a World Cup. Everybody feels it. If you say that you don’t feel it, you are lying. It’s a different situation emotionally, it’s never simple. We have a lot of young players, and little by little they will gain more of this experience.”

The veteran coach used the example of young midfielder Willian, who is one of the team’s best penalty takers in training but sent his shot wide in Saturday’s shootout against Chile in Belo Horizonte.

“We will be gaining more experience in each match we play,” Scolari said. “Hopefully, in the next matches we will be making fewer mistakes because of this lack of experience. We can’t lose anymore.”

Brazil will play South American rival Colombia in the quarterfinals Friday in the northeastern city of Fortaleza. Scolari said Brazil’s disappointing second-half performance against Chile can be blamed on the pressure felt by the players, who started feeling more and more anxious as the match neared its end and elimination became a possibility.

Several Brazilian players were crying after the match was over, including Neymar and captain Thiago Silva. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who made two penalty saves, had watery eyes even before the shootout started. Only five players from this year’s team were in the 2010 World Cup — Cesar, Silva, Dani Alves, Maicon and Ramires. Fred didn’t make it to South Africa but was in the squad for the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Scolari brought a group of psychologists to work with the players when the team began its World Cup preparations more than a month ago, with each player undergoing individual sessions. “We’ve been getting prepared emotionally since we got here,” Brazil defensive midfielder Fernandinho said.

Experienced players

“The talks we had with the psychologists were very good, but I think that now it’s up to the players. We can talk among ourselves to try to change this. Everybody knows what we need to do.” Scolari had previously said he didn’t think his squad lacked the experience needed for the World Cup. When he announced his squad, he said that despite their young age, most had been playing in some of the world’s top leagues for a long time.

Most also participated in last year’s Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament which Brazil won at home. Scolari has always said that anything but the title will be considered a failure for Brazil, and has maintained since the start that his team will win the World Cup. “People are demanding it from us, because we said we would win,” he said.

By: AP & Reuters

Cameroon football federation said it will investigate allegations of match-fixing by its team at the World Cup and the possible existence of “seven bad apples” in the squad.

Fecafoot said in a statement late on Monday it had instructed its own ethics committee to open an investigation, although it added it had not yet been contacted by FIFA, the sport’’ global governing body.

Cameroon was eliminated after losing all three of its group-stage matches at the World Cup: 0-1 to Mexico, 0-4 to Croatia and 1-4 to host Brazil.

“Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon’’ three 2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary games, especially Cameroon vs. Croatia, as well as the ‘existence of seven bad apples (in our national team)’’do not reflect the values and principles promoted by our administration in line with the FIFA Code of Conduct and the ethics of our nation,” Fecafoot said in the statement.

“We wish to inform the general public that, though not contacted by FIFA in regards to this affair, our administration has already instructed its ethics committee to further investigate these accusations.”

FIFA refused to confirm that any investigation was ongoing by its security department, which should take the lead in any probe of a World Cup match.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said the governing body would not comment on details “so as to not compromise any investigations.”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, met by reporters at his hotel in Rio, said: “Yes I have been told about this but let them do their work on this investigation.”

The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), which works closely with FIFA and police on match-fixing and related security issues, said there were no suspicious betting patterns. “The advice we have received from the legal or so-called ‘regulated’ sport betting industry is that there was no observable suspicious betting on this match,” the ICSS said.

The match-fixing allegations stemmed from comments convicted match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal allegedly made in a Facebook conversation with German magazine Der Spiegel before the Cameroon-Croatia match in Manaus on June 18. The magazine said Perumal, a Singaporean with ties to Asian and Eastern European gambling syndicates, had accurately predicted the result of the Croatia match and that Cameroon would have a player sent off in the first half. Cameroon midfielder Alex Song, who plays for Barcelona, was sent off before halftime for striking Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic in the back.

Perumal did not give a source for his allegations. In the chat, he also referred to there being “seven bad apples” on the Cameroon team, Der Spiegel said.

That game was the low point of a disastrous World Cup for Cameroon, which conceded nine goals and scored just one in its three games.

The Croatia match was also marred by an argument between Cameroon teammates Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo that ended with Assou-Ekotto head-butting his teammate. Players had earlier threatened not to travel to Brazil because of a dispute over bonus payments. Fecafoot has already launched a disciplinary investigation into the behaviour of its players in the Croatia game.

“We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter,” the federation said of the investigation and the match-fixing allegations.

Pacers Tim Southee and Trent Boult bowled New Zealand to a 2-1 series victory with a tense 53-run win over West Indies late on the fifth and final day of the rain-hit third Test.

West Indies, set a target of 308 at Kensington Oval when New Zealand declared overnight on 331-7, was bowled out for 254 with 13.4 overs remaining yesterday. Southee took 3-28 and Boult 3-48.

Off-spinner Mark Craig was also impressive with 3-84. Neil Wagner contributed 1-50.

All-rounder Jason Holder top-scored for the West Indies with 52. Darren Bravo (40), Shane Shillingford (30 not out), captain Denesh Ramdin (29) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (25) also got starts without carrying on.

“We’re really thrilled with how we’ve managed to come out of this series with a win,” said New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum.

“This series is groundbreaking for this group. We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve and I can think of worse places than Barbados to be able to celebrate it.”

McCullum’s declaration set the hosts an enticing target of 308 in a possible 98 overs and his new ball pair of Boult and Southee gave him the best possible start.

Boult struck in his second over when Kraigg Brathwaite (6) played no stroke to a big inswinger and lost his off stump after the ball kissed his pad to make it 7-1. It was soon 23-2 when Boult got Kirk Edwards out to a low first slip catch by Ross Taylor.

Early struggle

Southee claimed the prize wicket of Chris Gayle soon afterward as the powerful left-hander was bowled off pad and bat as he aimed an expansive drive to leave the hosts in serious trouble at 31-3. But veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and fellow left-hander Darren Bravo added 50 either side of lunch to revive home hopes.

Craig finally ended the resistance of Chanderpaul when the veteran was stumped for the first time in his 156-test career. The left-hander hit two fours off 70 deliveries before falling at 81-4.

There was another defiant stand between Bravo and Ramdin and a short rain delay also threatened to stall New Zealand. But after putting on 41, both batsmen fell in quick succession.

Ramdin edged Southee to first slip where Ross Taylor clung onto his second fine catch. Southee also claimed Bravo as he sliced an expansive drive straight to gully. Bravo hit six fours off 98 balls.

Craig soon claimed Kemar Roach, on his 26th birthday, to a bat-pad catch to Tom Latham at short leg at 144-7.

Defiance from tail

But Holder and Shillingford put on a defiant 77 for the eighth wicket to raise flickering hopes of a miraculous win. Holder, on debut, hit three fours and a six off 79 balls for his maiden Test 50 before falling to Craig. Holder was bowled through his legs by one that kept low.

Wagner brought New Zealand closer when he claimed Sulieman Benn to a catch at extra cover by Southee at 232-9. Just after the start of the final hour, Boult provided the decisive blow when an inswinging yorker trapped Jerome Taylor plumb in front to give New Zealand the Test and series.

Brief scores: New Zealand 293 & 331/7 dec beat West Indies 317 & 254 all out in 82.2 overs (J Holder 52, D Bravo 40; T Boult 3/48, T Southee 3/28, M Craig 3/83) by 53 runs.

Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent has received a life ban from cricket after dramatically admitting on Tuesday to fixing matches in several countries. Vincent came clean by issuing a video statement which begins: “My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat.”

His admission pre-empted an announcement later in the day from the England and Wales Cricket Board, confirming Vincent had been banned for life following an investigation that crossed several countries.

He pleaded guilty to 18 match-fixing or spot-sixing charges involving matches he played for English counties Lancashire in 2008 and Durham in 2011. Eleven of the 18 offences carried life bans.

“I have abused my position as a professional sportsman on a number of occasions by choosing to accept money through fixing,” Vincent said. “I have shamed my country. I have shamed my sport. I have shamed those close to me. For that I am not proud.”

Widespread fixing

Vincent admitted involvement in fixing in 12 separate competitions across five countries, including in English county cricket, the Indian Cricket League and the 2012 Champions Trophy.

The 35-year-old said his actions had “rightly caused uproar and controversy in New Zealand and around the world.”

“I lost faith in myself and the game,” he said. “I abused the game I love. I had to put things right. Speaking out. Exposing the truth. Laying bare the things I have done wrong is the only way I can find to begin to put things right. The time has come for me to now face them like a man and accept the consequences, whatever they may be.”

By: Associated Press & Reuters

For the third year in a row, Rafael Nadal is making an early exit from Wimbledon after a stunning loss to a player ranked 100th or worse.

Nick Kyrgios, a 19-year-old wild card from Australia with a world ranking of 144, served 37 aces and used a fearless go-for-broke style to beat the No. 1-ranked Nadal 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals.

Playing in his first Wimbledon and second major, Kyrgios is the first player outside the top 100 to defeat a No. 1 at a Grand Slam since No. 193 Andrei Olhovskiy downed Jim Courier in the third round at Wimbledon in 1992.

Kyrgios served out the match at love, hitting an ace on match point. He’s the first man to get to the quarterfinals in his Wimbledon debut in 10 years.

Earlier, Roger Federer’s immaculate Wimbledon continued and Maria Sharapova’s ended prematurelyon Tuesday.

Federer was imperious as he glided serenely into the quarter-finals for the 12th time in his career, outclassing Spain’s Tommy Robredo 6-1 6-4 6-4. The 32-year-old, yet to drop a set in four rounds, dazzled the crowd with his artistry, making the game look ludicrously easy against the 22nd best player in the world.

Sharapova upset

Women’s fifth seed Sharapova, on the other hand, did not play well by her own high standards and her hopes of celebrating the 10th anniversary of her sole Wimbledon title with another one, were wiped away in a 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4 fourth-round defeat by Germany’s Angelique Kerber.

With her power game slightly off-key, French Open champion Sharapova trailed 5-2 in the decider but with her back to the wall she fought like a wounded tiger, saving six match points before finally succumbing.

“You need to play really 100 percent and you need to be ready for every single point,” Kerber, a semi-finalist in 2012, told reporters. “She plays until the last point. She is a great player that’s why she’s won so many grand slams.”

Lucie Safarova led a Czech charge into the semi-finals in the bottom half of the women’s draw, beating Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-1.

She will face a fellow Czech in the semis, either former champion Petra Kvitova or Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

A round back, last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki survived a shoulder injury scare to beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 3-6 6-4.

She will play Romania’s Simona Halep after the third seed raced to a 6-3 6-0 win over Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas. Halep reached the French Open final earlier this month and began the year with a quarter-final run at the Australian Open.

FLOWING GAME

All eyes have been on defending champion Andy Murray’s regal progress through the draw so far this year but Federer again issued a reminder that, when his game is flowing on a grass court there are few better sights in world sport.

Robredo never stood a chance as Federer avenged a humiliating U.S. Open defeat against the Spaniard last year.

“I feel physically in tip top shape,” Federer, who now faces an all-Swiss quarter-final against Davis Cup team mate Stanislas Wawrinka, told reporters.

While Federer is facing an unusually busy schedule at Wimbledon because of weather interruptions, Wawrinka will be playing a third match in three days on Wednesday. The fifth seed beat Feliciano Lopez 7-6(5) 7-6(7) 6-3 without any major alarms. Big-serving Milos Raonic celebrated Canada Day by becoming the first man from his country to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the professional era, beating Japan’s 10th seed Kei Nishikori 4-6 6-1 7-6(4) 6-3.

Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi did all they could but still failed to get past the pair of Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock in the rain-hit second round clash of the Wimbledon championships. The contest, spilling over to the second day, became lively after Bopanna and Qureshi won the fourth set to level the scores but ended up losing 7-6(3) 6-7(5) 3-6 6-4 5-7.

Results:

Men’s Singles Round4 : Nick Kyrgios def. Rafael Nadal 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Roger Federer def. Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; Stan Wawrinka (5) def. Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7), 6-3; Milos Raonic (8) def. Kei Nishikori 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Women’s Singles Quarterfinals: Lucie Safarova def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-1; Fourth Round: Simona Halep def. Zarina Diyas 6-3, 6-0; Angelique Kerber (9) Maria Sharapova (5) 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4; Sabine Lisicki def. Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Angel Di Maria scored in the 118th minute Tuesday to give Argentina a 1-0 win over Switzerland after extra time and a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals.

With a penalty shootout looming, Lionel Messi made a surging run toward the Swiss area and laid the ball off to Di Maria on the right, and the winger sent a left-foot shot past diving goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

Blerim Dzemaili nearly equalized right before the end but his header hit the post, and the rebound bounced off his knee and wide of the goal.

Argentina will play the winner of Belgium and the United States.

It was a dramatic ending to what had been a tight match, with Argentina struggling to break through Switzerland’s disciplined defense.

Though Argentina dominated possession from the start, it was Switzerland that had the best chances in the slow-paced first half. Xherdan Shaqiri cut in from the left in the 28th and found Granit Xhaka in the middle of the penalty area, but Sergio Romero stopped Xhaka’s shot with his left foot.

Alone with Romero, striker Josip Drmic wasted a chance to score 10 minutes later with a botched attempt to chip over the Argentina goalkeeper.

Argentina’s attack improved after the break when fullback Marcos Rojo launched raids down the left flank, feeding crosses to the Argentine attackers.

Just after the half-hour mark Gonzalo Higuian finally got an attempt on target as he connected with Rojo’s cross, forcing Benaglio to a fingertip save.

In the 78th, Messi tested Benaglio again as he dribbled into the area and struck a low shot that the Swiss goalkeeper stopped at his right post.

Benaglio kept Switzerland in the game when got a hand on Di Maria’s shot in 109th minute, but had no chance on the Argentina player’s winner.