World Cup 2014 - time to get serious

Cultural Sports Complex in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

I was minding my own business, watching Anacondas: Trail of Blood, and during a poorly produced "jungle" scene it hit me that I should check in on schedule and ticketing information for next year's World Cup in Brazil.  Good thing, because it turns out that we're getting to a point where interest in attending needs to translate into action.

Game tickets go on sale on Tuesday, August 20.  Prices haven't been announced yet.  Round trip tickets to Rio de Janeiro for next June tend to be in the $2k price range.  It won't be the cheapest vacation possible, but I hope it's one a few of us get to take.

If the idea intrigues you, I recommend figuring out which city / cities in Brazil you'd like to visit.  A match schedule for the 2014 games has finally been released.  I've superimposed those dates onto a map (qualifying play is still going on this summer, though, so actual matchups aren't determined yet¹).

Next, make sure you brush up on the rules and cultural significance of soccer with my informative book published four years ago.

Obtaining a travel visa² takes some time; it would be wise to allow two months or so to go through that process.

Let's get this all sorted out together.  A Blogger, Idiot plans to be criss-crossing the country next summer.  It ought to be an unforgettable adventure.

¹ The U.S. national team is in first place in its qualifying group, and is looking like a lock to make it to Brazil (the top three teams advance).
² There are a number of organizations set up to help with visa applications. Here's one.