The World Cup in Brazil is sneaking up rapidly – only 17 months until the country goes bananas for the Selecao, and 18 until they riot when someone else wins it all. Today, they released the official poster and logo, which is a design spaced such that it creates a white Brazil in the center.

Sadly, no photo of Neymar, as personally requested by Pele.

The inevitable has happened: Raymond Domenech’s written a book. It’s called All Alone (Tout Seul) and it appears to have a heavy focus, if it’s not entirely centered upon, the French World Cup 2010 fiasco. And in typical Domenech fashion, it’s been done with drama, controversy and throwing absolutely everyone in the vicinity underneath the bus. Which might not make for a great football coach, but it damn sure aids in selling books. A few excerpts of name-calling, yelling and weeping from Ray’s autobiography(ish) reveals his true feelings, and that he thinks Franck Ribery is a bit of an ass. Though who doesn’t.

On the abyss:

On the day of the strike hundreds of locals from the town of Knysna gave the French players a rousing reception when they stepped off the team bus. After quickly shaking hands and signing autographs, they all returned to their bus. “The France team had just crucified itself, in public, live on television,” Domenech said. “Maybe the players realised it, maybe they didn’t. Anyway, it was too late. The infernal machine had started up and was dragging all of Les Bleus to the abyss.”

Pretty versus not so pretty:

“Ribéry doesn’t like Gourcuff, that’s for sure. Before the Uruguay match I told Gourcuff: ‘You have the keys to the match, it’s down to you,’” Domenech says. “The worst thing was Ribéry’s look. Maybe I’m exaggerating but in his eyes I saw hatred, contempt or jealousy.

“He’s the same as Anelka and Henry, everything revolves around their belly buttons. When things go wrong, they’re the first to jump ship. A senior player warned me about Ribéry in 2008; and me, I gave him the keys [to the team]. What a moron I am.”

And of course, Ray’s deepest emotions:

“I’m out of here. I couldn’t give a damn about this bunch of imbeciles,” he says in his book, written largely in diary form. “I have no energy left. I don’t like them any more. I’ve had enough of their tantrums,” Domenech wrote before the 2-0 defeat by Mexico. “This team is completely incapable of transcending itself and I’m certainly to blame for something. I got it all wrong. I feel humiliated to have got it so wrong.”

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While much of the world is partaking in meaningless friendlies, some World Cup Qualifiers are happening, such as the one between Oman and Japan. This shot of some “spectators” atop the stadium in Muscat makes it all worth it.

Interesting footage to come out of Spain today: that big Olivier Giroud goal which saw Les Bleus net a colossal draw against the Milky Way Champeens? Almost didn’t happen. With three minutes of added time, it appeared the referee was getting ready to bring the whistle to his mouth to call an end to proceedings, granting the three points to Spain. But then Juanfran decided to play one off a French knee instead of into space, and Les Bleus were granted one more attack.

The cruelest footage is always zoomed.

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The biggest game of the evening, arguably the biggest of all European World Cup qualifying, was Spain versus France. The European World Champions of the Milky Way, Spain, were hosting, thus a victory seemed a solid bet. At 1-0 in the 88th, Karim Benzema came off for Olivier Giroud. And with mere seconds on the clock, drama happened.

If only that damn Sweden side hadn’t stolen his thunder, Olivier would be the day’s hero.

At…some point in the game, that photo happened. The two political big wigs of Germany and Sweden respectively – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister of Sweden, John Fredrik Reinfeldt – give an accurate description of what was happening: a 4-0 German lead. And then Zlatan happened in the 62nd minute

And then everyone else joined in the party for the comeback of all comebacks – and in Berlin, too.

The potential names for the Official Armadillo of World Cup 2014 have been announced. Unless you speak Portuguese, you’ll be voting on which one is the most fun to say – clearly it’s Amujibi. And so it shall be. Though Brazilians seem rather unhappy with their pu pu platter of potential monikers.

FIFA says the three names – Amujibi, Fuleco and Zuzeco – come from a mix of Brazilian words that represent friendliness, joy and ecology.

Despite the public demand for change, the local organizing committee said Thursday the names ”will not be revised.”

Why didn’t they just give people what they really want and name Ronaldo mascot.

Why.

And it’s stalking Ronaldo. (No, it’s not Ronaldo.) It’s an armadillo: FIFA said the mascot, unveiled by former Brazil striker Ronaldo during a television programme late on Sunday, represented the three-banded armadillo, an endangered species indigenous to Brazil.

No need for commentary on FIFA choosing an armored animal as mascot. Nope.

This is way late to the party, what with Euro 2012 being over near two months and all, but better late than never and all that nonsense. Some wonderful illustrations from “Lee” on the inevitability of any major tournament, compiled into one poster. A few examples of the individual countries tumbling can be seen here.

In a move of ingenious foresight, adidas has handed over the task of naming the ball for the 2014 World Cup to the fans, so that when everyone complains that its flight is dictated by voodoo, they can just say, “Well you chose it.” Even if they only chose the name. And then everyone will stand around in silence because the company is just plain crazy. (It’s a theory. It has some holes.)

The names in question:

The three names are Portuguese words and all are feminine, conforming to the Brazilian stereotype of the ball as a woman, to be caressed and cared for. One of the finalists is Carnavalesca, a word describing someone who plans or participates in the country’s raucous carnival celebrations. Another is Bossa Nova, a reference to the famous samba-jazz music genre popularised in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s and 1960s. Finally Brazuca, which is a playful slang word for native Brazilians that Adidas said summed up the country’s irreverence.

Voting link.