World Cup 2014: From the New Maracana, Fresh Images of Brazil's Reworked Stadium

For a friendly, Brazil's recent match with England at the new Maracana had a fair amount of intrigue.

As reported by The Sporting News: 

 "About 66,000 fans were in the Maracana, which has undergone renovations worth an estimated $1 billion to turn it into a 79,000-seat venue."

That is the happy spin. The less favorable news is found in the next paragraph of the same report:

"The game was thrown into doubt last week when a judge ruled the stadium was unsafe, but the order was overturned."

So which is it? Feel-good story of football superpower readying itself to host the 2014 World Cup, or banana republic taking a siesta on fixing its stadium as a globally relevant tournament ekes closer?

As always, the real truth is somewhere in the space between truth and lie.

On the one hand, you have a picture like this:

That looks dreamy, to watch World Cup football or even a friendly between world-class sides in a setting like that.

Except, as you walked in, it was apparent that the stadium was not as ready as anyone thought it would be. Is there really supposed to be protective fencing outside the stadium this close to the World Cup? Should you really need a hard hat to safely proceed into the new Maracana?

You know things are bad when international soccer pundits are having a laugh or two about the conditions of Brazil's pre-eminent football venue:

And again, the truth is in the middle, since you can just as easily change your vantage point and see this:

Or, you know, this:

Barring any further judicial intrigue or interference, the new Maracana projects to be a fitting venue for a World Cup. Certainly, Brazil's bona fides in this tournament are well past reproach.

Still, with the festering and looming controversy over the decision to play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where daily summer temperatures "can reach easily 40°C or more," according to Weather Online, FIFA hardly needs a stadium controversy next year.

Hopefully, the new Maracana will be sound and safe when the first ball is put into play at the 2014 World Cup.

Rest assured, though, that you will know if conditions are substandard.

With the events of the past week clouding the new Maracana's future, the world is already on notice.