It’s time to break out the vuvuzelas and drums with the long-awaited arrival of FIFA World Cup 2014 following the usual four-year break between the biggest event in football (soccer for Americans). The first day of action on the Thursday World Cup schedule is fairly light but don’t worry; the World Cup matches will ramp up quickly heading into the weekend.
The world has changed in the past four years since the last World Cup played in South Africa. For one, this year’s World Cup in Brazil is taking place in a day and age where social media is much more prevalent than in years past. Expect Twitter records to fall all around the world, though probably not in the United States where the World Cup isn’t as big as in other countries.
Watching TV programming and sports over the Internet is also much, much bigger, and this year’s World Cup will be the first to officially offer online live free streaming for ESPN subscribers of all 64 games. That’s crucial considering many of the World Cup 2014 matches are taking place during the day, so you can bet workplaces will be streaming games in the corner of their computer screens.
The two big stories thus far heading into World Cup 2014 is whether Brazil’s security will keep the fans in check and the injuries that have plagued the favored German squad. Brazil has already suffered through some security lapses and construction accidents during World Cup preparation so the hope is that they’ve got their ducks in a row.
Germany lost their captain Philipp Lahm to an ankle injury though he’s scheduled to play in their first game Monday, though likely at a different position. Their star goaltender Manuel Neuer has just recently been cleared to play on Monday and considered the key to Germany’s stingy defense.
The first and only FIFA World Cup 2014 match scheduled for Thursday features host country Brazil. Action will pick up on Friday with three games scheduled. You can find all the details to watch World Cup 2014 Brazil vs Croatia free streaming live online or on TV using the information offered below.
Who is Playing: Brazil vs Croatia
Start Time: 4pm EST / 1pm PST
Where to Watch on TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN3, WatchESPN.com, WatchESPN App
