June 17 – Food fiasco as reporters faced to splash the cash; Germans swap their towels for sofas and settle in for World Cup duration; Ronnie’s World Cup gets Messi
Rumbled: press smugglers caught with pockets stuffed
World Cup organisers have denied that refusing reporters the right to take their own food and drink into stadiums is a cynical ploy to make more money. Security officials scanning equipment at media entrances are confiscating everything from sandwiches to bananas, forcing the media to buy from designated eating areas inside media centres. Some journalists are devising ways of beating the system by stuffing material into trouser pockets but invariably they are getting found out. An organising committee spokesman insisted the no-food rule was simply complying with Brazil’s strict health and safety laws rather than any deliberate attempt to add to the tournament’s coffers. AW
Sofar so good for Germans
12,000 German fans sprawled on 850 sofas watched their team open their World Cup campaign at Union Berlin’s stadium with a decisive 4-0 win over Portugal.
Things get a bit Messi for Ronnie
He may at last have trumped Lionel Messi as world footballer of the year but there is little doubt which of the two global superstars is the happier so far at the World Cup. While Messi’s spectactular effort earned Argentine an opening win against newcomers Bosnia and Herzogivina, Ronaldo could only manage a couple of freekicks for Portugal as they, like Iberian neighbours Spain, were trounced in their opening game. Portugal have two eminently winnable fixtures to come after their 4-0 dismantling by Germany but a World Cup knockout stage without Ronaldo is already a distinct possibility.