Sports Updates

101 sports: Brazil 2014: And the World Cup's best advert is...

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Turn on any tv set in any country and
it won't be long before you are being bombarded by a inexorable stream of World
Cup commercials as manufacturers seek to funds in on football's greatest
sporting event, which is held every years.</div>
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"There appears to be a brand
spanking new every day, it is inexorable," M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment
CEO Steve Martin told CNN, reflecting on the promotion drive.</div>
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"It seems every time you turn on
the TV there is a World Cup commercial," added Martin. "It's called
the World Cup for a reason and it tends to cut across all countries and all
markets.</div>
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"The danger for lots of brands
leaping on the bandwagon is they are not part of it, but I think there is a
savvy audience now that knows who is leaping on the bandwagon and who is not."</div>
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ten. Adidas' $84 million commercial
replicates a Hollywood film trailer with the likes of Argentina's Lionel Messi and Uruguay's Luis
Suarez filmed in a range of locations from the Copacabana beach to a Spanish
forest.</div>
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9. British broadcaster BBC's
inspiration derives from Toy Story, with its short film showing footy figures --
voiced by England great Gary Lineker -- escaping from a toy box and trying to
reach the World Cup in Brazil.</div>
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8. The sizable majority of promotion
campaigns look to as plenty of people as feasible with the aim of convincing
them that their brand is the be-all and end-all.</div>
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7. Supporters adore their players and
the players themselves have a mutual love for their fans -- or so they are led
to think.</div>
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6. Conjured up on a similarly-grand
scale to the Adidas offering, Nike treats us to a game of footy played out by a
bunch of excellent players. Sound familiar?</div>
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five. The pretty thing about the
pretty game is that it can be played by somebody, anywhere, as long of work, you
have a ball.</div>
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four. Nike and Adidas may battle it
out each year for the title of who can produce the largest footy commercial on
the grandest of scales, but they now have a brand spanking new challenger -- Beats
by Dre.</div>
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three. Chilean beer Cristal goes for
the horror style in its promotion campaign.</div>
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With Chile
up against it in Brazil 2014's "Group of Death" -- also featuring Germany, Netherlands
and Australia
-- Cristal tries to offer the nation a helping hand.</div>
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two. Mobile phone company Movistar
goes step further than ING Belgium in trying to break down that barrier between
players and supporters.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">one. The miners of the 2010 Copiapo mining accident
are Banco de Chile's inspiration for its offering as "Los 32" -- a
member of the original "Los 33" was actually Bolivian -- rally the
troops ahead of the World Cup</span></div>

101 sports: Brazil 2014: And the World Cup's best advert is...

Turn on any tv set in any country and it won't be long before you are being bombarded by a inexorable stream of World Cup commerci...

England v Sri Lanka: Alastair Cook shrugs off criticism of captaincy

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First Test: England v Sri Lanka</h2>
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Coverage: Ball-by-ball Check Match Special commentary
on BBC Radio five live sports additional, BBC Radio four Long Wave and by BBC
Sport web-site, BBC Sport app & BBC iPlayer Radio app; live text commentary
on BBC Sport web-site & mobiles</div>
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England
skipper Alastair Cook is not concerned about criticism of his captaincy, and
says they is proud to continue leading the team. </div>
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The 29-year-old endured a hard winter as England lost 5-0 in Australia. </div>
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But Cook told BBC Sport they does not feel as though
they is on trial ahead of the first Check against Sri Lanka at Lord's, which starts
on Thursday. </div>
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"I am concentrating on doing the job the best I
can," they said. "If people need to criticise, they criticise." </div>
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Cook is at the forefront of a new period in English
cricket, with Peter Moores preparing for the first Check match of his second
stint as coach. </div>
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Moores,
51, replaced Andy Flower following the Ashes whitewash, after which there were
some calls for Cook to resign as captain. </div>
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The Essex batsman said
criticism was "the nature of the beast" of being a professional
sportsman. </div>
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They added: "I am very privileged to be England
captain. I am liking doing it but if it no longer happens, then that is the way
it is. </div>
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"But I will be very proud to stay England
captain. I am liking doing it and all I try and do every day is my best." </div>
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Cook will open the batting alongside debutant Sam
Robson at Lord's, with Gary Ballance at, Ian Bell at, Joe Root at and Moeen Ali
- another player making his Check debut - at six. </div>
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"We are very impressed with Gary. They has got an wonderful game,"
said Cook. </div>
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"He bats lower for Yorkshire
but, the way they bats, they looks like they has a process where they can bat
anywhere. </div>
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"It's a hard position but he is over able to
fitting in there. When they gets in, they goes giant, and for top-order players
that is vital." </div>
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Cook said any fall-out from Jos Buttler's controversial
run-out in the final one-day international between the teams would not spill
over in to the Check series. </div>
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Lancashire's Buttler
was run out by bowler Sachithra Senanayake as they backed up at the
non-striker's finish. </div>
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"I would not read much in to it," said Cook. </div>
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"We need to play hard cricket, but they would like
to do it in the right way. They are responsible for our behaviour." </div>
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Sri
  Lanka counterpart Angelo Mathews remained
unrepentant about Buttler's dismissal at Edgbaston, in a six-wicket victory
that won the tourists the series. </div>
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They said: "We played within the rules and stuck
to the spirit of cricket."</div>
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England v Sri Lanka: Alastair Cook shrugs off criticism of captaincy

First Test: England v Sri Lanka Coverage: Ball-by-ball Check Match Special commentary on BBC Radio five live sports additional, BBC ...

World Cup 2014: Brazil set to kick-off tournament

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<h2>
2014 Fifa World Cup: Brazil
v Croatia</h2>
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Thursday's opening game will be held at the Arena de
Sao Paulo </div>
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Thousands of additional police and soldiers will be
deployed to make sure the matches get under way smoothly. </div>
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England
open their World Cup campaign against France on Saturday, 14 June - a
game you can see live on the BBC. </div>
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Roy Hodgson's team will also play Uruguay and Costa Rica in their Group D
fixtures. </div>
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Hosts Brazil start as favourites to win the World Cup
for a sixth time, while holders France are aiming to win a fourth major match
in a row after winning the European Championships years ago. </div>
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The other seeded teams are Colombia,
Uruguay, Switzerland, Argentina,
France and Belgium. </div>
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Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker believes
there's teams with a realistic chance of winning the match. </div>
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"I have a feeling it will come down to countries,
although regrettably I do not think of them will be England,"
said former England
striker Lineker. </div>
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"I'm going for France, France,
Argentina or Brazil but I
feel that the pressure may well be a small much for the host nation."</div>
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Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport net
site, live commentary on BBC Radio five live; live on ITV</div>
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The 2014 Fifa World Cup begins on Thursday as hosts Brazil open the match against Croatia. </div>
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The month-long match sees 32 nations compete for a
place in the final in Rio on Sunday, 13 July. </div>
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The opening match will be preceded by a ceremony in Sao Paulo that pays
tribute to nature, people and footy. </div>
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"Let me tell you the time has arrived. They are
going together. This is our World Cup," said Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari on
Wednesday. </div>
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Last year over a million people took to the streets of
major Brazilian cities to protest against what they see as excessive spending
on the World Cup. </div>
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The host country's government is keen to prevent a
repeat of a number of the violence seen at those protests, and Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff has said they won't permit violent demonstrations to
spoil the World Cup.</div>
</div>

World Cup 2014: Brazil set to kick-off tournament

2014 Fifa World Cup: Brazil v Croatia Thursday's opening game will be held at the Arena de Sao Paulo Thousands of additional p...

101 Sports: World Cup 2014: Wayne Rooney 'witch-hunt' annoys Phil Neville

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Calls for Wayne Rooney to be dropped by England at the World Cup have turned in to a "witch-hunt", according to his Manchester United coach Phil Neville. <br />
The 28-year-old striker's place in Roy Hodgson's side has been questioned ahead of Saturday's game against Germany. <br />
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But Neville told BBC Sport: "I think it is a witch-hunt they don't require. <br />
"Everything has been going so well with the team's preparation that people are looking for a negative now. But there is not a negative with Wayne." <br />
In the coursework of England's preparations for the World Cup, Rooney and Neville's former United team-mate Paul Scholes suggested the forward may be past his peak. <br />
"There is a side of the English mentality to say 'let's look for a scapegoat and somebody to criticise'," said Neville. "But Wayne is our best player and that is a fact." <br />
Rooney has not scored in eight World Cup appearances, but netted times at the European Championship in 2004. <br />
"I'm definite he will require to deliver in this match like he did at Euro 2004," said Neville. <br />
"He looks fit and lean and I do not understand why people require him out. <br />
"Hopefully this criticism will be Wayne's motivation. I get angered by it all and it sounds like Roy Hodgson is getting angered by it all ." <br />
Rooney's goals at Euro 2004<br />
Hodgson said last week it was "a bit sad" that England is "so Wayne Rooney-obsessed". <br />
Neville, who is part of the BBC punditry team in Brazil for the World Cup, feels Rooney is being targeted unfairly. <br />
"People query Wayne's attitude as well as his fitness but I worked with him every day last season and can tell you he is driven to perform at this World Cup," said, whose sister Gary is part of the England coaching set up.</div>

101 Sports: World Cup 2014: Wayne Rooney 'witch-hunt' annoys Phil Neville

Calls for Wayne Rooney to be dropped by England at the World Cup have turned in to a "witch-hunt", according to his Manchester Un...

101 sports: England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Test spinner

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</h1>
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Venue: Lord's</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Date: 12-16 June</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Start time: 11:00
BST</div>
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England v
Sri Lanka:
Moeen Ali backs himself as Check spinner</div>
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First Check: England
v Sri Lanka</div>
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Worcestershire batsman Moeen Ali hopes to surprise people
with the quality of his off-spin bowling in the coursework of his England Check
debut against Sri Lanka
this week.</div>
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Coverage: Ball-by-ball Check Match Special commentary on BBC
Radio five live sports additional, BBC Radio four Long Wave and by BBC Sport
web-site, BBC Sport app & BBC iPlayer Radio app; live text commentary on
BBC Sport web-site & mobiles</div>
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Ex-England spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed does not think
Moeen is prepared to become a frontline Check spinner.</div>
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But the Worcestershire batsman is feeling
"confident" and may try to fool batsmen with a doosra they has
developed.</div>
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Moeen, Middlesex batsman Sam Robson and Sussex quick bowler Chris Jordan are all
expected to make their Check debuts in the first of matches against Sri Lanka,
beginning at Lord's on Thursday.</div>
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"A lot of people haven't seen me bowl in the longer
format so hopefully I can surprise a few people," they said.</div>
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Yorkshire paceman Liam Plunkett is also likely to play Check
cricket for the first time in seven years in England's
first five-day outing since the 5-0 Ashes whitewash by Australia down
under.</div>
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Following the retirement of Graeme Swann, England
have selected not to pick a frontline spinner, with Moeen expected to share
slow-bowling duties with Joe Root, another specialist batsman and part-time
off-spinner.</div>
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Moeen has a first-class bowling record of 139 wickets at an
average of 40, but historically seasons with Worcestershire they has taken 61
wickets at 30.</div>
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"I'm pretty confident with my bowling," Moeen added. "I feel like
 I've been doing it at Worcester for the past two or three years," 
<br />
"I'll bowl as tight as I can and hopefully pick up a few wickets from there. 
<br />
"I'm not looking to fill Swann's boots. He has been a 
fantastic bowler. I'm just looking to bowl how I bowl. If I try to be 
someone else I won't be as good."
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Moeen has recently been working with Worcestershire's 
overseas player, Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, to help develop a doosra.
<br />
Ajmal is a specialist in the delivery, that looks like an off-break but actually turns in the opposite direction.
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101 sports: England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Test spinner

Venue: Lord's Date: 12-16 June Start time: 11:00 BST England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Check spinner...

Switzerland and Colombia start preparation on Brazilian soil for their success

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101 News Updates: With the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil fast
approaching, the arrival of the participating teams is increasing. Early on
Saturday, Switzerland and Colombia landed at Guarulhos airport in São Paulo to
start preparing on Brazilian soil. The Swiss will be staying in Porto Seguro,
Bahia, while the Colombians will head to the city of Cotia, in the greater São
Paulo.</div>
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Brazil 2014 marks the tenth participation in a World Cup for
Switzerland, who open their campaign on 15 June against Ecuador in Group E.</div>
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"We are happy to be here in Brazil and we’re looking
forward to the tournament starting. We've had good preparations so far and we
will continue in this rhythm in the upcoming days," said coach Ottmar
Hitzfeld.</div>
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Colombia, returning to competition after the team’s last
appearance at France 1998, will face their first challenge against Greece on 14
June in Group C.</div>
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"From now on we will put into practice all we have been
preparing. Colombia comes with a great wish to perform well,” said Argentinian
coach Jose Pekerman.</div>
</div>

Switzerland and Colombia start preparation on Brazilian soil for their success

101 News Updates: With the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil fast approaching, the arrival of the participating teams is increasing. Early on...