World Cup Schedule Released
Posted on September 28, 2012 10:29
FIFA has announced dates and times for the Brasil’14 match schedule. We’ll have a few games in the evening in this part of the world for the first time in a while. Well, at least not the middle of the night.
For a week. In the first round. Everything after that will be in the afternoon, or Western European prime time. Here’s the schedule.
Even in this day and age, FIFA still caters to the European markets. I guess it’s that whole 14 participating countries thing. No big surprise; they do still call us the New World, after all.
I am not too sure what the weather is like in Brazil in their winter, but I am going to guess that at an early afternoon local start in June is a little more comfortable in Fortaleza than it would be in Orlando. Or Qatar.
Come to think of it, World Cup games look better in natural light anyway.
Mark your calendars – It’s gets going on a Thursday this time – June 12, 2014. The Final will be played on Sunday, July 13.
My wife is from Fortaleza and trust me it can be pretty hot on a June afternoon.
So are they putting the games in the late afternoon for the same reason that they were in early afternoon in the United States in 1994, because European television wants them in prime time?
That would be my guess. They did the same in Mexico 86. Games at 12 and 4 locally.
Jerome Valcke: “TV interests? What TV interests?”
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/50e52fc91b2f40d79300c9ffa5b601b1/SOC–2014-WCup-Schedule
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1709606/index.html
[quote]
The FIFA Executive Committee convened on Thursday 27 September, at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, and approved the kick-off times for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
The Opening Match will take place on 12 June in Sao Paulo, with a kick-off time of 17.00.
Group-stage games will be played at 13.00, 15.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18:00, 19.00 and 21:00 local time, with knockout stage matches at 13.00 and 17.00 local time. The semi-finals will be played at 17.00 local time and the Final, on 13 July 2014 at the iconic Maracana stadium, at 16.00 local time.
All kick-offs are local time, with Cuiaba and Manaus being CET-6, all other venues CET -5. After USA 1994, it’s the first time that FIFA World Cup matches will be played in different time zones, with Manaus and Cuiaba one hour behind Brasilia Time.
When defining the kick-off times, the following criteria was taken into consideration:
• Equitable distribution across all teams
• Equitable rest periods for teams within same group
• Temperature in venues
• Global TV market considerations
• Fan travel logistics: flight times, accommodation
[/quote]
Some people are going to be a little suprised how chilly it can be in southern Brazil during June. Good for the games, but don’t pack only shorts ans t-shirts!
So it would be nice if all the afternoon games were being played in southern Brazilian cities, like Porto Alegre, which is at about the same distance from the equator as New Orleans or Houston. Too bad that nearly half of the tournament, including about 20 afternoon games, is being played more than 1,000 miles north of that.
No real reason to put the northern games in the evenings. I’ve been in northern Brazil since July and the weather is not a big issue, apart from the fact that it’s rainier during the southern hemisphere winter.
For the fans, the weather in northern Brazil will certainly be preferble to the weather in the south.
I surely can’t wait to see the South American Teams proving a point in this tournament. It might just be the greatest opportunity to regain their gone glory in this Tournament.
“Gone glory”? I had no idea that Brazil reaching three straight World Cup championship matches was so long ago. Argentina, on the other hand…
Whoever has seen the passionate-style of play Brazil displayed over the years must be yearning. No offense but Teams like Spain took on that kind of play and made them new conquerers in the football arena.
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