The World Cup

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5 Croatian players to watch at World Cup in Brazil

Associated Press

Scolari savoring chance of winning home World Cup

By TALES AZZONI - Associated Press

Croatia looking to spring a surprise at World Cup

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC - Associated Press

Croatia coach Kovac: Little experience, high hopes

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC - Associated Press

Ronaldo says he’s ‘appalled’ at WCup preparations

By STEPHEN WADE - Associated Press

Nigeria's Reuben Gabriel, left, competes for the ball with Scotland's Ikechi Anya during the international friendly soccer match between Nigeria and Scotland at Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Nigeria will be in Group F in the upcoming World Cup in Brazil. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Nigeria solves midfielder Mba’s travel problems

Associated Press

Israel's Rami Gershon, right, battles for the ball with Mexico's Oribe Peralta, during a friendly soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, May 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico beats Israel 3-0 in friendly

By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ - Associated Press

FILE - In this June 7, 2013, file photo, Costa Rica's Alvaro Saborio, right, and Honduras' Victor Bernardez vie for the ball during a World Cup qualifying soccer match in San Jose, Costa Rica. Saborio will miss the World Cup after a breaking a bone in his right foot. Ticos coach Jorge Luis Pinto told a news conference that Saborio was injured during a training session Thursday, May 29, 2014. Team physician Dr. Alejandro Ramirez says the 32-year-old Real Salt Lake forward has a broken metatarsal and will need to keep his foot immobile for at least a month. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)

Costa Rica’s Alvaro Saborio to miss World Cup

Associated Press

United States' Mix Diskerud, bottom, celebrates his goal with teammate Aron Johannsson, left, during the second half of an international friendly soccer match against Azerbaijan on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, in San Francisco. United States won 2-0. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Diskerud delivers for US on international stage

By JANIE McCAULEY - Associated Press

Brazil's soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, top left, watches his players, including Neymar, left, practice at the Granja Comary training center in Teresopolis, Brazil, Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Brazil will host the World Cup soccer tournament that starts in June. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Official: Brazil to ‘surprise’ with successful Cup

By STEPHEN WADE - Associated Press

Dutch midfielder Van der Vaart out of World Cup

Associated Press

FILE _ This is a file photo of Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, center, as he holds up the World Cup trophy with team members as they celebrate their victory at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between the Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa. Winning the soccer World Cup can bring instant rewards to that country’s stock market investors. But they better be quick as the post-victory rally doesn’t last long. That’s the conclusion of investment bank Goldman Sachs, which published a wide-ranging report late Tuesday May 27, 2014 on the World Cup and its economic impact. Goldman Sachs analysts found “a clear pattern of out performance by the wining team in the weeks after the World Cup final.” On average, the investment bank’s portfolio strategy team the victor outperforms the global market by 3.5 percent in the first month. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

Lifting World Cup can boost country’s stock market

By PAN PYLAS - Associated Press

British Professor Stephen Hawking unveils a new scientific formula to predict the chances of England succeeding in the World Cup, in Cambridge, England, Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Stephen Hawking has turned his brilliant mind toward perhaps his toughest challenge yet _ helping England win the World Cup. Britain’s most famous scientist, known for his theories on physics and the universe, has been commissioned by a betting company to analyze data from every World Cup England has qualified for since winning the tournament in 1966 in the hopes of coming up with a winning formula. (AP Photo/David Parry/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT PHOTOGRAPH CAN NOT BE STORED OR USED FOR MORE THAN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION

Stephen Hawking helps England with WCup chances

Associated Press

In this May 21, 2014 photo, a painting of soccer stars decorate a tap-tap passenger bus at a garage where buses are built in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From left to right are Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina's Lionel Messi, Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Brazil's Neymar. The brightly painted Haitian minibuses known as tap-taps are getting a bit more colorful in the lead up to the World Cup. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

AP PHOTOS: Soccer stars decorate Haiti’s minibuses

Associated Press

Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, left, speaks during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential headquarters on the first day of his regional tour to Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, May 26, 2014. During an earlier press conference in Jordan Blatter said that his visit to Ramallah and Israel was to defend football in Palestine and also to defend football in Israel. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

FIFA hopes Israel-Palestinian football spat ends

Associated Press

Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar answers questions during a news conference at the Granja Comary training center in Teresopolis, Brazil, Tuesday, May 27, 2014. Brazil is hosting the World Cup soccer tournament which starts in June. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Julio Cesar: I’m more prepared for this World Cup

By TALES AZZONI - Associated Press

In this May 13, 2014, photo,This aerial view shot through an airplane window shows the Maracana stadium behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As opening day for the World Cup approaches, people continue to stage protests, some about the billions of dollars spent on the World Cup at a time of social hardship, but soccer is still a unifying force. The international soccer tournament will be the first in the South American nation since 1950. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

Brazil prosecutors try to halt government WCup ads

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON - Associated Press

South Africa's Senzo Robert Meyiwa makes a diving save against Australia during their friendly soccer match in Sydney, Monday, May 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

World Cup-bound Australia held 1-1 by South Africa

Associated Press

Uruguay’s Luis Suarez recovering ahead of WCup

By LEONARDO HABERKORN - Associated Press

Croatia’s Kranjcar to miss World Cup

Associated Press