BRAZIL BEAT: For Chile, Dutch fans, fearing Brazil
BELO HORIZONTE (AP) Rarely before at the World Cup has a coach revealed his team in public the day before a match. With nothing to play for, England coach Roy Hodgson did just that Monday for the Group D finale against Costa Rica.
England will fly home after Tuesday's game, eliminated by losses to Italy and Uruguay.
Hodgson wants to use the Costa Rica game to ensure all the members of the 23-man squad other than the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain get on the pitch. So only Gary Cahill and Daniel Sturridge will have started all three games in Brazil. Frank Lampard comes in as captain as Steven Gerrard drops to the bench.
The full team is: Ben Foster; Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw; James Milner, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere; Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge.
- By Rob Harris - www.twitter.com/RobHarris
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DUTCH CELEBRATE
AMSTERDAM (AP) - The streets of central Amsterdam were abandoned and nearly silent during the first 69 minutes of the Netherlands' game against Chile on Monday.
Fans huddled around television sets at home and in cafes. Around 20,000 people, nearly all in orange, watched on giant screens in Amsterdam's Museum Square.
But a deafening roar echoed around the city when Leroy Fer scored the first goal, and horns and cheering continued through the rest of the 2-0 victory that clinched first place in Group B. After that, partygoers spilled out onto streets and canals, some shouting, others dancing.
An estimated half of the country's 17 million population watched the match, and that percentage is expected to increase as the team progresses further.
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FOOTBALL & FAITH
SAO PAULO (AP) - Hours before Brazil's match Monday, several men set up on either side of enormous Avenida Paulista to pass out their booklets.
''Vitoria 2014,'' written in 13 languages, reminds everyone their Christian beliefs are not about football victories at all.
The pamphlet quoted Bible verses and referenced the Olympics in ancient Greece.
- By Janie McCauley - www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP
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CATCHING ATTENTION
FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) - On Brazil's waterfront, getting people's attention at the World Cup is hard work.
Fans visiting Fortaleza have to work their way past cotton candy sellers, nearly life-sized cut-out figures of football stars, inline skaters, outdoor projectors set up by evangelical Christian groups, even children's parties on rolling trains with dancers dressed as Spider-Man and Peppa Pig.
But a circus performing in the city may have figured out a way to top them all: It's using a small airplane, fitted with loudspeakers to tout ''tonight's grand spectacle.''
The circus puts on nightly performances, featuring clowns, acrobats, high-wire acts, and antics with performers in two-man zebra costumes.
Locals pay little notice to the blue promotion plane that buzzes the beach every afternoon, blaring out music and its message in Portuguese - in a city that appears to have a fairly lax attitude to air transport.
Police helicopters hover low over Fortaleza's Arena Castelao on match days, and some of the upscale high-rise buildings on the seafront have helipads to dodge the occasional heavy traffic.
- By Derek Gatopoulos - www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos
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AVOIDING BRAZIL
SAO PAULO (AP) - Fans sporting Chile's red and the Netherlands' orange streamed into Itaquerao Stadium on Monday. But it was another color they had on their minds: yellow.
With both teams having already comfortably advanced to the next round, even the most loyal fans were less interested in the opponent of the day but rather who they would face next. The consensus? Avoid host Brazil at any cost.
Even though Brazil has not impressed thus far, its vast experience and home field advantage is something to fear, said Jeroen Klink, a 51-year-old Dutch fan wearing the No. 10 jersey of star midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
''Brazil would be really tough. They are still growing into the tournament,'' he said. ''There is lots of pressure to avoid Brazil.''
The second-place team will meet the winner of Group A - probably the host nation, depending on its result against Cameroon - with the group winner likely facing an easier time against either Croatia or Mexico. A smoother path to the later stages of the tournament looms as well.
While a draw would be enough for the Dutch, Chile has to win to finish on top. Its fans are feeling even more pressure.
''We don't want to play Brazil,'' said Enrique Lanzerini, 35, from Santiago. ''Chile always loses to Brazil. Anyone else Chile can beat, but not Brazil. It's psychological.''
Amid the sea of red and orange, a spattering of yellow jerseys could also be seen in the stands - hometown fans on hand to enjoy the showdown and scope out their next opponent.
Lais Romao, a 61-year-old Brazilians from Americana, said he figured most of the locals would be pulling for the orange.
''Holland is better than Chile, but in football anything can happen,'' he said. ''Holland has eliminated us before, so I prefer Chile - they are afraid to play us.''
- By Aron Heller - www.twitter.com/aronhellerap
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Associated Press reporters will be filing dispatches about happenings in and around Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. Follow AP journalists covering the World Cup on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-Sports/world-cup-2014
