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Sunday 10 December 2023 Dublin: 7°C

# Letter from Brazil

All time
Football brings hope, but not much more in favelas of Rio
Mikey Stafford tours a north Rio favela with a Corkman trying to make a difference.
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8.6k
Jul 11th 2014, 9:21 AM
Letter from Brazil: National nightmare tough to swallow for a country not interested in excuses
Mikey Stafford watched Brazil’s nightmare in a north Rio favela where the reaction was “muted to the point of non-existent.”
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12.8k
Jul 9th 2014, 10:16 AM
Kerrymen at the Copacabana -- Ireland are surely the best-supported nation not at this World Cup
With not a single green-clad team left in Brazil, Mikey Stafford gives you the pros and cons of rowing in behind each of the final four.
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15.0k
Jul 8th 2014, 2:01 PM
'F**k FIFA' - Brazilians protest at World Cup costs as Silva awaits redemption
Mikey Stafford reports from Rio, where the real fans cannot afford to attend matches in the flesh.
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13.9k
Jul 7th 2014, 2:07 PM
Letter from Brazil: A little romance goes a long way as Clare and the Netherlands survive
Neymar and James Rodriguez’s departures from the World Cup left us needing to be cheered up.
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17.0k
Jul 6th 2014, 10:02 AM
'Anyone who tells you the party died with Neymar's injury was in the wrong part of town'
Brazil has been shaken by the loss of its biggest star – but Mikey Stafford found that there was no stopping the party in Rio.
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11.4k
Jul 5th 2014, 2:41 PM
Life inside the Maracanã media centre, questions through a translator and rejoining the pack
Our man at the World Cup Mikey Stafford has arrived in Rio ahead of the first quarter-final tie this evening.
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5.0k
Jul 4th 2014, 2:41 PM
'In the early stages of the World Cup it was okay to wear an Argentina jersey in the street...'
Our man in Brazil is braced for a not-so-smooth landing.
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13.5k
Jul 3rd 2014, 1:38 PM
World Cup party moves on from Recife leaving calm after the storm
Mikey Stafford checks in from the northern Brazilian city, where the action is now finished.
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10.6k
Jul 2nd 2014, 3:00 PM
Goalkeepers showing their worth in tournament of struggling stars
The last lines of defence are making their case to be the MVP.
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3.3k
Jun 30th 2014, 4:36 PM
The beautiful game: Brazilian progress spreads joy across the nation
‘Football’s biggest party needs its hosts almost as much as Brazil needs the World Cup,’ writes Mikey Stafford.
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3.2k
Jun 29th 2014, 2:08 PM
He drives me crazy but Suárez is no fine young cannibal
What the Uruguayan did was wrong but it wasn’t pre-meditated or life-threatening writes Mikey Stafford.
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14.3k
Jun 28th 2014, 2:03 PM
'This is Brazil' shrug locals as football fans endure epic journey through floods
Frogs, rafts made of mattresses and the kindness of strangers; this is the World Cup as much as goals and games, writes Mikey Stafford.
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17.0k
Jun 27th 2014, 5:00 PM
Klinsmann living the American Dream as he prepares to face homeland
Mikey Stafford reports from Recife as the USMNT boss talks football in German with a US accent.
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4.8k
Jun 26th 2014, 12:00 PM
Bags packed with ice cubes and beer cans as Colombia's convenient invasion keeps going strong
Mikey Stafford was in a fan fest in Recife, pondering the ramifications of an All-Ireland final on Good Friday.
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14.0k
Jun 25th 2014, 12:00 PM
'Fast forward 350 years and the Europeans are back in Brazil hunting for fame and fortune'
Louis van Gaal’s Dutch side are laying the foundations for a new Oranje Empire but our man Mikey Stafford has acquired a soft spot for the all-action Mexicans.
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7.1k
Jun 24th 2014, 2:59 PM
Brazil seeking spirit of 'Little Bird' Garrincha to seal Last 16 spot
Not even a 13-hour bus journey can dampen Mikey Stafford’s lust for historical reveries.
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2.8k
Jun 23rd 2014, 7:15 AM
'Sitting on the promenade I allowed myself to think, "this could be us" - except it's not'
As Ireland’s conquerors Germany prepare for their second Group G game, Mikey Stafford pens a requiem for a Midwinter Night’s Dream.
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11.2k
Jun 21st 2014, 2:03 PM
Brilliance of Suarez brings only bitter memories for Ghana ahead of Germany clash
The Black Stars are again carrying African hopes in this World Cup, and tomorrow they must shine.
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2.6k
Jun 20th 2014, 2:32 PM
Discontent in Brazil media eased by the 'safe haven' of Seleção defence
Following a disappointing stalemate with Mexico, the host nation are taking solace that only Marcelo has been able to put the ball past Julio Cesar so far.
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3.1k
Jun 19th 2014, 6:17 PM
'In the company of one waiter and three excitable customers, we watched the demise of tiki-taka'
Thousands of journalists are in Brazil to watch the World Cup – but it can be a harder task than you’d think, writes Mikey Stafford.
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3.1k
Jun 19th 2014, 2:11 PM
Zombie-like Brazil emerge with hope intact after near-shock in Fortaleza
Mikey Stafford reports on the aftermath of yesterday’s 0-0 Group A draw with Mexico.
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7.4k
Jun 18th 2014, 3:00 PM
'You're Irish?' asked the smiling apparatchik with the golden tickets. 'What's the craic?'
Mikey Stafford checks in from Fortaleza where getting into Brazil’s press conference was almost as hard as getting a ticket.
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15.1k
Jun 17th 2014, 2:29 PM
Letter from Brazil: Football-daft Mexicans ready to serve their hosts some 'spicy chilli'
Tomorrow’s clash will be one of the loudest and most colourful spectacles of World Cup 2014, writes our man in Brazil.
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2.9k
Jun 16th 2014, 1:44 PM
Letter from Brazil: Netherlands' big orange bus rumbles on as Spain fall hard
Our man in Brazil reports on the fall out from the stunning clash in Salvador last night.
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9.8k
Jun 14th 2014, 1:45 PM
Letter from Brazil: I'll buy FIFA-branded water but not locals' World Cup conspiracy theories
The tournament isn’t going to paper over the cracks, writes our man in Brazil, Mikey Stafford.
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Jun 13th 2014, 2:21 PM
Brazil makes a mad dash for final preparations - but the people are ready to start the party
From Salvador, Mikey Stafford writes that World Cup fever is starting to take hold ahead of tomorrow’s big kick-off.
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Jun 11th 2014, 12:31 PM
'Francois's eyes glitter like his merchandise as he gives his prediction: Switzerland and Brazil'
Swtizerland’s squad — comprised largely of the children of immigrants and refugees — stands poised to give its reputation a great boost, writes our man in Brazil.
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Jun 10th 2014, 3:45 PM