体坛英语新闻：Valcke: Brazil World Cup venue "running against time"

SAO PAULO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Construction workers at Brazil's Itaquerao World Cup stadium "cannot waste a minute" if the venue is to be ready in time for the World Cup, football's governing body FIFA has warned.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said Tuesday there would be time for just one official test event at the stadium before it hosts the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia on June 12.

"There is not a single minute we can waste, because there is still a lot of work to do to," Valcke said after inspecting the 68,000-seat venue.

"We are running against time, but yes, the stadium will host the opening game and, yes, we will organize the opening game and all the other games in this stadium."

The Itaquerao, which will host six World Cup matches, is one of three stadiums yet to be ready for the June 12-July 13 event.

Valcke is due to visit the other unfinished venues - Curitiba's Arena da Baixada and Cuaiba's Arena Pantanal - on Wednesday.

Work at the stadium was delayed last November after two workers died when a crane collapsed. Construction was also halted in March after a worker fell to his death while installing temporary seats.

The only FIFA-endorsed test event at the venue will be the Brazilian Serie A match between Corinthians and Figueirense on May 17 or 18.