Germans' complex irks locals

SANTO ANDRE, Brazil -- Heavy security around the German camp on the Atlantic coast is causing some friction among the local population.

The Germans are based in a specially built complex next to the village of Santo Andre, near Porto Seguro. The base is being protected by Brazilian military police, along with personnel brought from Germany. When the German team travels by bus to its fully equipped training ground -- built on a nature protected area -- police close the main road and security officers in cars and on motorcycles follow the convoy.

Fences and security barriers are disrupting normal life and closing down streets in the village of 800. Residents have protested, and German team officials say they are in contact with local authorities to ease the situation.

German team manager Oliver Bierhoff, who is responsible for logistics, says security decisions are made by local organizers, not by the German team.

"It's not our responsibility, but we are in contact with security forces," Bierhoff said. "As far as we know, not everything is optimal,"

The German ambassador to Brazil, Wilfried Grolig, who visited the team this week, said he would meet with the mayor of Santo Andre to discuss the situation.

Wishes from space

The six-member crew on the International Space Station may be busy conducting scientific experiments out there on the final frontier. Even astronauts will be taking some downtime to watch the action in Brazil.

In a video message from orbit, German crew member Alexander Gerst wished all teams and fans in Brazil "peaceful games."

"Have fun, play hard, and we'll be watching on the International Space Station," his American colleague Reid Wiseman added.

Gerst, Wiseman and station commander Steve Swanson of NASA also showed off their football skills in low gravity, displaying some impressive feats in the video that players down on Earth might be envious of.

Along with the German and two Americans, there are three Russians on the space station right now: All their countries are represented at the World Cup.

A bit closer to Earth, at least three airlines will be offering travelers the chance to get live in-flight updates from the World Cup to their mobile devices.

Emirates, Japan's ANA and Philippine Airlines will give passengers free access to a Wi-Fi service that provides text updates of every match direct to laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Protesters fans too

Altino Prazeres leads the union that has recently presented the strongest challenge to a smooth World Cup.

That doesn't mean he's not a football fan.

"Yes, I plan to watch it on TV," he said Wednesday.

After hundreds of subway workers voted not to go on strike, Prazeres, the union's president, told reporters he never meant to disrupt the game. He and fellow members actually love the sport.

Prazeres said he wants to show that unionized workers are critical of how much the government has spent on stadiums when the country is still in dire need of improvements in public services. They will demonstrate along with other unions in a working-class neighborhood away from the stadium.

"We want to participate in peaceful protests so people who come to Brazil can see there aren't only people watching the games, there are people fighting for their rights," he said.

In separate protests Thursday, more than 300 demonstrators gathered along a main highway leading to the stadium in Sao Paulo where the opener was played. Some in the crowd tried to block traffic, but police repeatedly pushed them back, firing canisters of tear gas and using stun grenades.

Lining up

More than five hours before the World Cup kicked off, hundreds of fans were already lining up outside the Fan Fest space on Rio De Janeiro's Copacabana beach.

The line of mostly yellow and green, the colors of the Brazilian flag, snaked up the white sands of Copacabana midday Thursday before making a U-turn onto the beach's black and white stone mosaic sidewalk.

Soldiers armed with automatic weapons patrolled the beach, not far from vendors hawking Brazil jerseys, noisemakers and green and yellow Afro wigs that were doing a brisk business.

Sports on 06/13/2014