World Cup 2014: TV Schedule, Live Stream Info and Preview for Brazil Tournament
The past four years have all been building to this. Stars will become legends, and one team will etch its name forever into the very fabric of the game itself. Such is the impact of the World Cup.
Most fans have grown accustomed to tuning out in the group stage of knockout tournaments. There aren't many surprises, and the teams that everybody expects to advance do just that.
Where's the drama?
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This year, though, features one of the deepest fields in the last decade. Even the reigning champions might not make it out of the group stage.
Below is the full schedule of fixtures to come in the group stage, followed by four of the most intriguing matches over the next few weeks.
| June 12 | Brazil vs. Croatia | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV 1 | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 13 | Mexico vs. Cameroon | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV 1 | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 17 | Brazil vs. Mexico | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 18 | Cameroon vs. Croatia | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 23 | Croatia vs. Mexico | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 23 | Cameroon vs. Brazil | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 13 | Spain vs. Netherlands | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 13 | Chile vs. Australia | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 18 | Australia vs. Netherlands | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 18 | Spain vs. Chile | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 23 | Australia vs. Spain | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 23 | Netherlands vs. Chile | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 14 | Colombia vs. Greece | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ABC/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 14 | Cote d'Ivoire vs. Japan | 9 p.m. ET/2 a.m. BST (June 15) | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 19 | Colombia vs. Cote d'Ivoire | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 19 | Japan vs. Greece | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 24 | Japan vs. Colombia | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 24 | Greece vs. Cote d'Ivoire | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN2/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 14 | Uruguay vs. Costa Rica | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ABC/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 14 | England vs. Italy | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 19 | Uruguay vs. England | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 20 | Italy vs. Costa Rica | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 24 | Italy vs. Uruguay | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 24 | Costa Rica vs. England | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 15 | Switzerland vs. Ecuador | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ABC/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 15 | France vs. Honduras | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ABC/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 20 | Switzerland vs. France | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 20 | Honduras vs. Ecuador | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 25 | Honduras vs. Switzerland | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN2/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 25 | Ecuador vs. France | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 15 | Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 16 | Iran vs. Nigeria | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 21 | Argentina vs. Iran | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 21 | Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 25 | Nigeria vs. Argentina | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 25 | Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 16 | Germany vs. Portugal | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 16 | Ghana vs. United States | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 21 | Germany vs. Ghana | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 22 | United States vs. Portugal | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 26 | United States vs. Germany | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 26 | Portugal vs. Ghana | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN2/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 17 | Belgium vs. Algeria | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 17 | Russia vs. Korea Republic | 6 p.m. ET/11 p.m. BST | ESPN/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 22 | Belgium vs. Russia | 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST | ABC/BBC | Watch ESPN/BBC iPlayer |
| June 22 | Korea Republic vs. Algeria | 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST | ABC/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 26 | Korea Republic vs. Belgium | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
| June 26 | Algeria vs. Russia | 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST | ESPN2/ITV | Watch ESPN/ITV Player |
Group Stage Matches to Watch
Spain vs. Netherlands
Admittedly, this match is losing some luster with all of the injuries to the Dutch midfield. First came Kevin Strootman's torn ACL. Then one of his potential replacements, Rafael van der Vaart, injured his calf:
Louis van Gaal has tried to bring something resembling Total Football back to the Netherlands national team, but between the inexperienced back line and undermanned midfield, he may have to be more pragmatic against Spain.
Plenty of questions surround Spain. Can they possibly win another major international tournament? How much will Diego Costa's injury affect the attack? Will Vicente del Bosque make enough changes to a style that's becoming outmoded?
As we saw in the 2010 World Cup final, a matchup between Spain and the Netherlands might not be pretty to watch, but it will be one of the most dramatic matches of the group stage.
England vs. Italy
It feels like Italy aren't getting the amount of credit they deserve. The Azzurri have to be considered one of the favorites to win. They were runners-up at Euro 2012 and have experience playing in the Brazilian heat from the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Italy have a great early test in the group stage against England. While the Three Lions have little chance of lifting the World Cup trophy, they are a talented squad who could finish top of the group.
One of the storylines to watch with England is how Roy Hodgson fits both Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney into the attack. Sturridge is on the better run of form and deserves a place in the starting lineup, but that could clash with Rooney, who's sometimes struggled when paired with another striker.
Although the Manchester United forward has long been a sacred cow for the national team, Hodgson intimated that he wouldn't be afraid to drop Rooney if it would help the team.
"I'd like to think that, as someone who has been a manager for a long time, I have the capacity to make the decisions that are necessary," he said, per Dominic Fifield of The Guardian.
While Italy and England's match at Euro 2012 was a drab affair, their rematch at the World Cup should be an intriguing tactical battle.
Germany vs. Portugal
Can one man triumph against the strength of the whole?
It would be far too reductive to call Portugal a one-man team, but their fate does rest heavily on the performance of Cristiano Ronaldo. He's their talisman, and given their lack of a consistent No. 9, he'll likely be the primary goalscorer.
Germany, on the other hand, are one of the most balanced teams in the competition. Joachim Low has an abundance of stars from which to choose, but Die Mannschaft's hopes don't depend much on any one player above the others.
Between injuries and Bayern Munich's lackluster finish to the end of the season, though, Germany have some problems that may wreck their World Cup.
This match will serve as a nice barometer for where both teams stand. We'll see whether Ronaldo will get the support necessary for Portugal to make a deep run and if Germany have taken the next step toward becoming a great team rather than a very good one.
Belgium vs. Russia
Few teams have been more hyped up over the last few months than Belgium. They've gone from trendy dark horse to a team expected to make a semifinal run.
The Red Devils' toughest game of the group stage will come against Russia on June 22.
While the Russians were an attack-minded side under Guus Hiddink, and still were for the most part under Dick Advocaat, Fabio Capello has brought a far more pragmatic approach. As a result, Russia will be a very hard team to break down.
Capello spoke about how he thinks all of the talk about Belgium has left the Russians overlooked, per Sport Express (via FIFA.com):
"Everybody is saying that Belgium are the favourites in our group, but I feel that it's Russia who are the true favourites.
I'm pleased with the draw. But I'm pleased even more with the fact that we will play in Cuiaba, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro. We were lucky from the logistics point of view as we have avoided playing in the northeast of Brazil where the weather is so hot and humid in summer.
"
Belgium have the players necessary to make a deep run, but their inexperience at international tournaments may prove a major problem.
If Belgium can get three points against Russia, it bodes well for their chances in the knockout stages.
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