MANAUS // It is October 17, 2013, a hot and sticky afternoon, and we are at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Brazil are playing Slovakia in the opening match of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup and, midway through the first half, Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez unexpectedly blew his whistle. The spattering of perspiring spectators looked bemused as the two teams headed to the sidelines where they spent several minutes gulping down isotonic drinks and crushable cartons of water. Two weeks earlier, during a Fifa executive committee meeting, football’s world governing body had passed a rule stating that if temperatures exceeded 32°C, a two-minute rehydration period could be enforced in the 30th and 75th minutes of a match. In Abu Dhabi, Rodriguez put that rule into practice for the first time. To continue reading, click here |
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Gary MeenaghanSports scribbler. Pedant with prose. Alliteration addict. Omnivore. Archives
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