MOVING ON ... BRAZIL IS GEARING UP FOR THE 2014 WORLD CUP.
THE SOCCER TOURNAMENT, HELD EVERY FOUR YEARS, IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SPORTING EVENTS.
TEAMS FROM
32 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BRAZIL, WILL TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION, WHICH IS
COMING UP IN JUNE.
VOA'S SONNY YOUNG SAT DOWN WITH ON ASSIGNMENT'S PHILIP ALEXIOU TO TALK ABOUT THE WORLD CUP
AND ITS STARS.
FOR THAT, THEY MADE USE OF VOA'S SPECIAL "PENALTY BOX" WORLD CUP
STUDIO.
CHECK IT OUT.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PREPARATIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S CUP.
WELL PHIL THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS IN THE PREPARATIONS.
LAST MINUTE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STADIUMS.
ONE OF THE MORE TRAGIC STORIES IN THE BUILDUP TO BRAZIL 2014 WAS THE
DEATH OF A COUPLE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
THE BRAZILIANS ARE TELLING EVERYONE THAT IT WILL BE READY WHEN THE OPENING MATCH TAKES
PLACE ON JUNE 12TH BETWEEN BRAZIL AND
CROATIA.
WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS WHETHER IT'S WITH THE OLYMPICS AND OF COURSE WITH
THE WORLD CUP, I GUESS SOUTH AFRICA HAD ITS ISSUES AND GOT THINGS GOING, BUT
THEY'VE HAD SEVEN YEARS TO GET THIS THING UNDERWAY AND I GUESS THE PRESIDENT OF FIFA
ANYWAY, SEPP BLATTER, HAS BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT AS WELL.
YES.
SEPP BLATTER HAS MADE SOME COMMENTS THAT BRAZILIANS NEED TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER.
IF WE COMPARE WHERE BRAZIL IS AT NOW WITH SOUTH AFRICA FOUR YEARS AGO PHIL, THE
SOUTH AFRICANS HAD ALL THEIR STADIUMS COMPLETED AT THIS POINT.
SO OKAY, SO LET'S JUST ASSUME THE WORLD CUP'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE JUNE 12TH AND EVERYTHING
IS UP AND RUNNING -- WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BRAZIL IN GENERAL, HAVING THE WORLD CUP
HERE -- TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT WORLD CUP PHIL.
THE BRAZILIAN FANS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR PASSION, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE DANCING IN THE STANDS,
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SINGING AND
THE SAMBA BOYS ARE LIKE A RELIGION IN BRAZIL AND THE FANS ARE GOING TO BE TERRIFIC.
I GUESS IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE THE MARDI GRAS WORLD CUP 2014 IF YOU'RE DOWN THERE IN BRAZIL,
THAT'S GOING TO BE A BLAST.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT.
MARDIS GRAS, MARDIS GRAS FOOTBALL.
OKAY, NOW LET'S GET TO THE GAMES, I MEAN WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TEAMS WE WANT TO LOOK OUT
FOR?
YOU GOTTA START WITH BRAZIL PHIL AND I WANT TO POINT TO THIS GUY OVER HERE, NEYMAR.
NEYMAR, OKAY.
SOME ARE CALLING HIM THE POSTER BOY OF THE 2014 WORLD CUP.
HE PLAYS FOR BARCELONA, A TERRIFIC STRIKER.
AND YOU GOTTA COUNT THE BRAZILIANS AS ONE OF THE FAVORITES.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING FOR THEIR RECORD 6TH WORLD CUP TITLE.
ANOTHER FAVORITE, ARGENTINA.
AND I'M GOING TO POINT TO THIS GUY RIGHT HERE, LIONEL MESSI, WHO BY THE WAY,
IS NEYMAR'S TEAMMATE ON BARCELONA...
IS THAT RIGHT, OKAY.
...NEIGHBOR OF BRAZIL AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY UNTIL MESSI LIFTS THE WORLD CUP TROPHY
HE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER OF HIS ERA.
BUT, ARGENTINA HAS TO BE
CONSIDERED A FAVORITE AND A, YEAH, THOSE ARE TWO ANYWAYS.
I WAS READING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT URUGUAY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN KIND OF HOT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THEY WON, WHAT, THE COPA AMERICANA AND SOMETHING BACK IN 2011, BUT THEY HAVE
CAPABILITIES.
THEY DO.
THEY MADE IT TO THE SEMIFINALS FOUR YEARS AGO IN SOUTH AFRICA.
THEY HAVE A STRIKER BY THE NAME OF LUIS SUAREZ.
HE'S A VOLATILE PLAYER, TEMPESTUOUS, BUT HE IS A
TERRIFIC STRIKER.
AS WE TALK PHIL HE IS LEADING THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE IN GOALS. 28 GOALS THIS SEASON,
HE'S THERE BEST PLAYER AND HE COULD BE ONE OF THE MARQUEE
PLAYERS AT THE WORLD CUP.
OKAY AND ONE OF THE MARQUEE PEOPLE AT THE WORLD CUP IS GOING TO BE, I GUESS PELE, I
GUESS, I PRESUME.
WHAT IS GOING TO BE HIS ROLE, WELL THERE HE IS, HEY, YOU'VE GOT HIM,
GOOD FOR YOU, ALL RIGHT.
PELE IN MANY WAYS SINCE HE RETIRED FROM THE GAME PHIL HE'S BEEN SORT OF THIS UNOFFICIAL
AMBASSADOR OF THE GAME OF SOCCER OR FOOTBALL AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE AN AWFUL
LOT OF HIM IN BRAZIL JUST BASICALLY SORT OF GLAD HANDING PEOPLE, WELCOMING THEM TO BRAZIL,
BUT YEAH, HE'LL BE AN AMBASSADOR DURING THE WORLD CUP.
CERTAINLY BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE IN THE PENALTY BOX BECAUSE YOU CLUBBED SOMEBODY EARLIER TODAY AND HE
DRAGS ME IN HERE, BUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, IT'S KIND
OF A NEW THING.
AMISH IS OUR CAMERA OP, BUT HE CREATED THE WHOLE DEAL SO WE MIGHT AS WELL INCLUDE HIM,
HEY AMISH AND THERE HE IS, BUT WHAT'S THE DEAL HERE.
YOU'RE GOING
TO BE HERE A LOT.
LET'S GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO AMISH, THIS IS HIS BRAINCHILD, HIS CREATION.
A GREAT WORLD CUP STUDIO HERE AND BASICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE A NEW VIDEO SERIES BEING
LAUNCHED BY
THE VOICE OF AMERICA IN APRIL AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK WITH VARIOUS VOICE OF AMERICA PERSONNEL
THROUGHOUT OUR BUILDING AND AS YOU WELL KNOW PHIL, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD WORK HERE AT THE VOICE OF AMERICA.
IT'S BEEN CALLED THE UNITED NATIONS OF BROADCASTING, SO WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER ROOTING
FOR THEIR FAVORITE TEAM IN BRAZIL
AND YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF NATIONAL FLAG WAVING BUT IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT, THE PENALTY BOX
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A NEW WORLD CUP VIDEO SERIES.
WELL IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FUN AND SO BUT BEFORE WE SEND IT BACK TO THE GUYS IN
THE STUDIO, WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE A LOT OF AT THE WORLD CUP?
GOAL!!!!!
ALRIGHT, THEY ARE CERTAINLY READY FOR JUNE.
VOA'S SONNY YOUNG AND PHILIP ALEXIOU....
GETTING US PUMPED FOR THE WORLD CUP.
I CAN STILL HEAR THEM.
THEY ARE READY.
AMAZING