Brazil vows to be ready for WCup
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, June 14, 2013
Brazil is a year from the World Cup, admitting to mistakes in its preparations but promising to be ready in time.
After facing difficulties getting its stadiums ready for the Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament that begins in Brasilia tomorrow, Brazil is promising that things will be different ahead of the World Cup.
FIFA said it won't accept it any other way, and Brazilian authorities and local organizers say the delays that plagued construction work before the Confederations Cup won't be an issue next year.
A clock displaying the countdown to the World Cup was unveiled on Wednesday at Copacabana Beach in the presence of FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, World Cup ambassador Pele and local organizers.
"This is another memorable milestone in our preparations for Brazil 2014," said local World Cup organizing committee president Jose Maria Marin. "It's a reminder that the big event is just round the corner. In 12 months' time we'll be staging a football festival involving teams from 32 countries and fans from the four corners of the globe."
Brazil just barely got six stadiums ready for the Confederations Cup. Only two of them were completed by the original deadline in December, and in some cases there was time for only one test event before the venues hosted official matches in the tournament for continental champions.
That was what happened in Brasilia and in Rio de Janeiro, home of the final at the renovated Maracana Stadium on June 30.
"I do believe we could have delivered them sooner to allow for the realization of more test events, which could have anticipated some of the problems that arose during those test events," Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said. "Apart from that, I believe that all requirements were executed in accordance with expectations and that we will have a Confederations Cup that will be held as expected."
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