SAO PAULO - World Cup organizers want to increase the number of workers at the delayed stadium in Curitiba which is at risk of being dropped. A FIFA consultant and a technical team from the local World Cup organizing committee made the assessment after a visit to Arena da Baixada on Thursday, an official in the southern city said. Reginaldo Cordeiro told The Associated Press the technical team was happy with the improvements made at the construction site, but advised local officials that the workforce must be increased soon to give the city a better chance of hosting its four scheduled matches in footballs showcase event that begins in less than five months. "It was a good visit because they saw that things progressed," Cordeiro, the citys urban planning secretary, said in a telephone interview. "But at the same time it wasnt that good because they asked for an increase in the workforce to speed up the construction." FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke visited Curitiba last month and told local officials they have until Feb. 18 to show the city will be able to finish the stadium in time for the World Cup. Charles Botta, who compiles regular reports to FIFAs top management after visiting the World Cup stadiums, was among those who said the addition of more workers would be ideal to make sure the venue can remain a host city, according to Cordeiro. State and city engineers also participated in Thursdays meeting and agreed. Dropping Curitiba as a host city would be an embarrassment to Brazil and a major headache for FIFA, which has already sold more than one million tickets for the tournament. Brazilian club Atletico Paranaense, which is building the stadium, said it can add workers only if it gets a federal loan, according to Cordeiro. A meeting is scheduled for Friday to try to guarantee the needed financing. Brazils Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo visited Curitiba this week and said everything would be done to try to guarantee the loan. "There is a need for more workers so there is a need for the loan," Cordeiro said. There were nearly 900 workers at the construction site when Valcke visited, he said, and since then the number has increased to about 1,100. With the loan, it could be possible to have nearly 1,400 on site in the next two weeks. Since Valckes visit, the pitch installation has been finalized and nearly 15,000 seats have been installed, Cordeiro said. The roof is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. The Arena da Baixada is scheduled to host Iran-Nigeria on June 16, Australia-Spain on June 23, Algeria-Russia on June 26, and Honduras-Ecuador on June 30. 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There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season.(SportsNetwork.com) - The top two teams in the Metropolitan Division will clash Wednesday evening in D.C. as the Washington Capitals welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins for a battle at the Verizon Center. You can watch the game on TSN2 at 8pm et/5pm pt. With 26 points on a 13-8-0 record, Pittsburgh is just one point ahead of the streaking Capitals for first place in the Metro, the newly-named division that makes up half of the realigned Eastern Conference. This is the first of four scheduled meetings between the Pens and Caps during the 2013-14 regular season. Pittsburgh enters Wednesday on a four-game winning streak in this series and also has taken three of the past five meetings in the nations capital. Washington, however, is coming off its third straight victory and can match a season-best winning streak with another triumph in tonights divisional matchup. The Capitals opened November with four consecutive wins, but then dropped two in a row before getting back on track with their current hot streak. Washington has scored four goals in each of its wins during the three-game stretch and the club last played on Sunday when it downed the visiting St. Louis Blues by a 4-1 count. Alex Ovechkin continued his terrific start to the season with a two-goal performance against the Blues. The Russian superstar has 17 goals on the season, tying him with Alexander Steen of St. Louis for the NHL lead. Ovechkin, of course, led the league with 32 goals in 48 games last season and won his third Hart Trophy at the end of the lockout-shortened campaign. Ovechkin enters Wednesday on a three-game goal-scoring streak and has four markers during that stretch. The 28-year-old winger has registered 22 goals and 40 points in 31 career games against the Penguins. John Carlson and Mikhail Grabovski each scored a goal while Nicklas Backstrom posted three assists for the Capitalls on Sunday.dddddddddddd Braden Holtby made 46 stops to earn the win. "I think weve been playing decent hockey and hopefully well continue to grow," said Washington head coach Adam Oates. The Capitals have won six straight home games and havent been defeated in D.C. since dropping a 2-0 decision against the New York Rangers on Oct. 16. Pittsburgh enters Wednesdays showdown having won two of its past three games, but the club is just 2-4-0 since winning four in a row from Oct. 28-Nov. 2. The Pens last played on Monday when they recorded a 3-1 home victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Brian Gibbons, Brandon Sutter and Sidney Crosby each scored third-period goals to back 27 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury in the triumph at CONSOL Energy Center. Gibbons, making his NHL debut after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on Monday, added an assist on Sutters marker that came just 62 seconds after the rookie snapped a scoreless tie. Evgeni Malkin delivered a pair of helpers for the Penguins, who had registered only eight goals in dropping four of their previous five coming into Mondays tilt. "I think I am just taking it all in right now," Gibbons said. "I dont usually show a lot of emotion, but on the inside I am really happy." Crosby is tied with Steen for the NHL lead in points with 26. Like Ovechkin, Crosby has fared well in tonights matchup during his career, posting 14 goals and 43 points in 25 career games against the Capitals. Fleury is 13-7-2 with a 2.60 goals against average in 23 career games against Washington. Holtby is 0-3-0 with a 4.53 GAA in three outings versus the Pens. Capitals defenseman Mike Green has missed the past two games with a lower-body issue, but was able to practice on Tuesday. 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