World Cup Wednesday- The Basics!

If you haven't heard, the World Cup is finally here!  Well, almost here.  Officially, the games kick off on June 12 but football (yes, the REAL football) fans have been delighted with lots of international friendlies.  The friendlies feature teams in and out of the World Cup.  For instance, the United States vs. Azerbaijan.  USA in, Azerbaijan out.  The friendlies have been a good preview of certain teams as the players you see are likely the ones you'll see in the games.  To get you ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, here are some basics:

2014 location: Brasil
How many teams participate: 32
How are they split: Into groups of 4 for a total of 8 groups
When do the games begin: June 12, 2014
When is the championship: July 13, 2014
Which countries are in each group:  see below

Official Groups:
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Japan
Group D:  Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)

How do teams advance?
During the group stage, each team plays each other for a total of 4 games and a maximum of 12 points.  A win= 3 points, a draw (tie)= 1 point, and a loss=0 points.  The 2 teams with the most points will advance to the knock out stage, which decreases the pool to 16 teams.  If teams have the same amount of points, goal difference will be taken into account.  During the group stage, it is possible for both teams to have a scoreless draw (a 0-0 scoreline).

During the second stage (also known as the knockout stage), the 16 teams go head to head.  For example, the top team in Group A (1A) will play the second team in Group B (2B) and so forth.  Check out FIFA's website to see the pairings: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html    .  Obviously, the teams are TBD :-)

Where can I watch the games:  In the USA, you can watch on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.  You can also go to your local bar for some spirited banter, especially if there are other footy fans around!

What's your prediction?
Well...I'm only doing this for the group stage and there are ALWAYS surprise wins and disappointing play and suspense. However, you've gotta make predictions, so here are mine:

Group A: Brazil, Cameroon
- potential surprise team: Croatia over Cameroon (Cameroon has always been off-on in their World Cup appearances but I think they will advance, though Croatia has been looking strong)

Group B: Spain, Netherlands
-potential surprise team: Chile over Netherlands

Group C: Colombia, Japan
-potential surprise team: Cote D'Ivoire over Colombia (this is a toss up, both teams are loaded with talented superstars but Colombia is missing their biggest (and one of my favorites)--Radamel Falcao)

Group D:  England, Italy
-potential surprise team: Uruguay (Uruguay did make it to the quarterfinals in 2010)

Group E: France, Ecuador
-potential surprise team: Honduras over Ecuador (these teams are fairly similar, though I give the advantage to Ecuador)


Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- potential surprise: I don't think there will be any. I haven't seen Iran play yet, to be honest, but Nigeria did not impress in their friendly match against Greece yesterday (June 3, 2014).  Nigeria's 2010 showing was not good and while that's been 4 years ago, I have seen Bosnia play and they look good.  Argentina are the definite favorites and I don't see the second place team from this group advancing far.

Group G: Germany, Portugal
-potential surprise: It's a toss up between Portugal and Ghana, I think. Portugual's biggest asset is they have one of the top 5 footballers in  the world right now in Cristiano Ronaldo.  This group has been dubbed the Group of Death and this is a tough table.  Germany is heavily favored and Portugal likely is too.  I'd love to see Ghana advance and while national pride has me rooting for USA, their squad just doesn't look on par with a squad like Germany for instance. 

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)
-potential surprise: None.  I see Belgium sailing through along with Algeria.

If you want to learn more about the World Cup, check out FIFA's official website: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/

Tunes Tuesday: Strunz and Farah

Happy Tuesday!

Strunz & Farah

You know what that means right?  It's time for another installment of Tunes Tuesday!  I've been really feeling the travel bug lately, which is unsurprising because in the last 6 months, I've gone abroad twice (December and March).  This means I should be going again this month, right?!  If only! LOL

Since I can't do that, the next best things are cuisine, good beverages, and music.  Music fuels my soul!  It's been a hectic time at work and for my daily escape, I like to plug in and energize with Pandora.  I like a diverse set of music but for the moments requiring concentration and calm, I turn to my jazz stations.  Marc Antoine, Wayman Tisdale, Peter White are all staples and a few months back, I discovered an excellent jazz guitarist duo by the name of Strunz and Farah.  Now even though I'm years late in my discovery, Strunz and Farah have been making beautiful music for DECADES!  Jorge Strunz hails from Costa Rica and Ardeshir Farah hails from Iran. Latin America meets the Middle East.  A really diverse blend, right? Does that make me an instant fan? Yes and yes!  We, as listeners, definitely benefit from their backgrounds. Don't believe me?  Watch and listen to the musical majesty for yourself:

   

I absolutely adore this song! 

 

I would love to see these artists play live!  Where there is a will and a way, there lies success :-)  Until then, thank you to Strunz & Farah for the beautiful music and to the uploaders of YouTube for the videos!

Learn more about Strunz & Farah:

Official website: http://www.strunzandfarah.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/strunzandfarah 

It's About that Time...

June 1st.

Can you believe it?  This calendar year is truly moving so quickly.  Spring is winding down and giving way to summer, which gives way to so much. Additional travel *might* be in store. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will commence in  under 2 weeks!!!  If you couldn't tell by the multiple exclamations, I am excited.  I've already got my watching schedule and watching buddies lined up. Yes, it's that serious!  I've been watching as many international friendly matches as I can and boy, has it been awesome!  I'm even watching a match as I type.  It's Honduras v. Israel if you're curious.  :-)

Anyway, as I welcome all the new events and experiments for June and the next season, I reflect on the experiences of May.  The latter part of the month really tried my patience and perseverance.  I had to close some chapters (which ultimately will give way to new ones) and endure some inner strength tests (which I'm still working through).  All in all, the low points of the month have given me renewed energy to not only survive but thrive as I move forward with my life.   Every trial and tear has given me insight and the courage to keep rising.  Decisions to walk away from situations/people/etc can be tough but it's much tougher to remain in unhealthy and negative situations that stifle your growth and happiness.  It's important to remember that everything that's lost is not always a loss.  Turning the page and removing elements that you've outgrown or are negative can give way to the best moments of your life. Change can definitely be a good thing! I can't wait to share more as the journey unfolds. 

Blog posts that you can expect:

• World Cup musings (before and during the competition)
• Summer fun (ideas and event recaps)
• Life & Style
• Travel recap (I am soooo overdue but it's coming)

...and more. So stay tuned!

~Much love~