On the eve of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, David Beckham predicted Argentina as the winners during the last episode of adidas’ live streamed “The Dugout” series.

Hosted by KICKTV’s Jimmy Conrad and Layla Anna-Lee and streamed live from adidas World Cup headquarters in Rio, the final live featured Beckham giving his thoughts on this year’s tournament, discussing the most exciting players and detailing his storied history in adidas’ Predator cleats, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary next week with a new launch.

adidas and Funny or Die have actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse go on a quest to discover the best World Cup party. Filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro, and featuring cameos from adidas stars and legends including Fernando Hierro, Juan Mata, Cafu and Patrick Vieira, Mintz-Plasse is a roving reporter searching for a party with hilarious results.

Along the way, Mintz-Plasse joins Fernando Hierro for the adidas miCoach Smart Ball Power Challenge, receives soccer tips from Juan Mata and trains with the Flamengo youth team, before talking Brazil and Argentina with Cafu. Feeling disappointed with not being able to find any parties, it is left to French legend Patrick Vieira to explain that the World Cup and going to a match is the biggest party of them all.

When you’ve made it this far and it’s win or go home and the whole country’s skipping out of work to cheer their brains out, there’s only one other thing you need: AN EPIC HYPE FILM. Watch the new Budweiser World Cup 2014 commercial for the USA vs Belgium round of 16 match. Let’s do this. Go USA.

With summer heating up and soccer viewing parties in full swing, folks around the country will be celebrating the World Cup by having parties with family and friends. Tomorrow as the US Men’s National Team takes on Belgium I thought it might be nice to try some cool new recipes for the game.

Here are some recipes by Chef Rick Bayless featuring Negra Modelo and Frontera Brand salsas, sauces and mixes.  A creamy, full-flavored dark brew with a pleasant malt aroma and dry hop flavor, Negra Modelo is the perfect beer not only to enjoy  on its own but to use in these great recipes while entertaining guests during summer celebrations.

The following recipes feature a variety of dishes including Bacon & Beer Queso Fundido, Smoky Negra Modelo & Chipotle Meatballs, Bison Burgers, Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos and Frontera Guacamole.

BACON & BEER QUESO FUNDIDO

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

3 strips thick-sliced bacon

1 small red onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped

¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup Negra Modelo beer

8 ounces Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Warm corn or flour tortillas or tortilla chips

Frontera Jalapeno Cilantro Salsa for topping

Cook bacon in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove bacon, cool and then crumble and set aside.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook and stir until golden, about 6 minutes. Add jalapeno and sun-dried tomatoes; cook until chile softens, about 1 minute. Add beer; cook and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the onion mixture. Stir slowly and constantly until just melted, usually 2 minutes. Immediately scoop into a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with bacon and cilantro. Serve in warm tortillas or on tortilla chips topped with salsa.

SMOKY NEGRA MODELO & CHIPOTLE MEATBALLS

Makes approximately 100 meatballs

3 pounds ground beef

1½ cups Panko-style breadcrumbs

3 eggs

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon salt

1½ teaspoons Mexican oregano

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 jar of Frontera Chipotle Salsa

1 bottle of Negra Modelo beer

1 20-ounce can of tomato puree

2  tablespoons dark brown sugar

Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, cilantro, mint, salt, oregano and black pepper together in a large bowl until well incorporated. Form the meat mixture into balls, about 1–1½ inches in diameter. Bake the meatballs about 10–15 minutes at 400° on 2 foil-lined baking sheets until nicely browned and fully cooked. Combine the salsa, beer, tomato puree, dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt in a slow cooker and turn on low. Add in all the meatballs. Once hot, the meatballs are ready to serve and can be held in the slow cooker on low for 3–4 hours.  Serve individually with toothpicks or let guests help themselves with a spoon.

BISON BURGERS with beer-caramelized onions

Makes 6 burgers

2 pounds ground bison or ground beef sirloin

1 pouch (8 ounces) Frontera Texas Original Taco Skillet Sauce or Frontera Chipotle Garlic Taco Skillet Sauce

½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large (10 ounces) red onion, halved, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sugar or agave syrup

¼ cup Negra Modelo beer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 slices Monterey jack cheese

6 hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted

6 thick tomato slices

Baby arugula leaves or baby spinach

Put ground bison, 1/2 of the Frontera Sauce pouch, cilantro and ½ teaspoon salt in large bowl. Use clean hands to gently mix, then shape into 6 burgers each about 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate covered 30 minutes or up to several hours.  Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and cook until onion is nicely caramelized, 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in beer and Worcestershire; heat to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ½ of the Sauce pouch, then season with salt.  Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill burgers directly over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Flip and grill until medium-rare, about 3 minutes more. Top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last minute of cooking. Serve on toasted buns topped with a couple of spoonsful of the onions, a tomato slice and a tuft of arugula.

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK TACOS with Frontera Salsa and Negra Modelo

Makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds trimmed beef skirt steak

1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa

½ cup Negra Modelo beer

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

2 medium white onions, sliced into ½-inch rounds

Vegetable oil

Chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges

12 fresh, warm tortillas

Cut steak into 4- or 5-inch portions. Mix 1/2 cup of the salsa, the beer, garlic, lime juice, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt in a large zippered bag. Add the steak. Close the bag tightly and turn gently to coat the steak. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire. Brush or spray the onion slices with vegetable oil. Grill onions over a cooler section of the grill, turning carefully until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Oil the steak well on both sides, and lay it over the hottest part of the grill.  Grill, turning once, until richly browned and done to your liking, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cut skirt steak across the grain into thin strips. Mix with the onions, season with a little salt. Serve steak and onions with the remaining Frontera salsa, cilantro, lime wedges and hot tortillas, for making into soft tacos.

FRONTERA GUACAMOLE with sun-dried tomatoes, beer & roasted corn

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup Negra Modelo beer

4 to 5 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

3 large ripe avocados

½ cup Frontera Tomatillo Salsa or Frontera Original Guacamole Mix

½ cup fresh or fire-roasted corn kernels

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Salt to taste

Put beer and sun-dried tomatoes in medium-sized microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH power for 2 minutes.  Remove from microwave and let sit until tomatoes are softened, about 10 minutes.  Strain off beer, then coarsely chop tomatoes. Remove the stem at the top of each avocado.  Cut each avocado in half by slicing straight down through that spot where the stem was attached, until you reach the pit, then rotate the knife all the way around the pit.  Twist the two halves apart, then scoop out the pits.

With a spoon, scoop out the soft avocado flesh from the skins, collecting it in a large bowl as you go.  Coarsely mash with the spoon (or you can use an old-fashioned potato masher or large fork).  Gently stir in the salsa, sun-dried tomatoes, corn and cilantro.  Taste and season with salt.  Scoop guacamole into a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve with tortilla chips, slices of cucumber or slices of jicama.

Ever since Olympic gold medal volleyball player Kerri Walsh donned the colorful kinesiology therapeutic tape on her shoulders during the Olympic Games, it has been as commonplace to see it on athletes– from gold medalists and world champions to amateurs and weekend warriors.

You probably saw the US Men’s National Soccer Team wear it as they play in the World Cup. KT Tape has been chosen as The Official Kinesiology Therapeutic Tape Supplier of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) through 2016.  The 3-year partnership ensures that all USSF players – from its Development Academy through the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) competing in the World Cup will gain support and relief for their aches and pains from KT Tape.

In addition to sporting the colorful KT Tape in their ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hamstrings, necks and backs during training and competition, USMNT players will be featured in advertising, promotion and marketing for the brand.  KT Tape will produce a special USSF logoed KT Tape – exclusively for USMNT players to wear during the 2014 World Cup.

We had the chance to chat with the Jim Jenson the founder of KT Tape about their product.

Art Eddy: What does it mean your company that you were selected by the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team to use your tape for the World Cup?

Jim Jenson: As the category leader, we are excited to serve as the official kinesiology tape for the U.S. Men’s National Team over the next three years. Since the 2008 Olympics when Kerri Walsh appeared on the sand wearing our tape, athletes from a variety of sports have been using KT Tape to help with for muscle, ligament and tendon pain relief and support.

AE: How does your tape help athletes?

JJ: Competitive athletes don’t like to be weighed down by anything that can slow them down or hinder their movements. KT Taps is great for these athletes because it enables them to perform their best by providing pain relief and support to sore muscles or injuries before, during, and after activity without restricting motion.

AE: What about people who may not be all-star athletes. How can they get the benefits from the KT Tape?

JJ: Everyone can benefit from KT Tape, from Olympians to ‘weekend warriors’. KT TAPE is lightweight, comfortable to wear, and can be used for hundreds of common injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow.

Follow @brazuca for ongoing tournament updates, news and insights directly from the official match ball and for further information please @adidasSoccer #WorldCup #allin or nothing.

Before the United States Men’s National Team departed for Brazil they received a surprise in Jacksonville following their 2-1 win against Nigeria.

With help from fans across the country and soccer legend/ former USMNT player Brian McBride, Allstate Insurance, sponsor of the USMNT, surprised the US team with a send-off video that was unveiled at EverBank Field.

Their reaction to the send-off is being brought to life in the “Surprise send off for the U.S. Men’s National Team” video (see below), which truly highlights the passion that fans have for the USMNT and soccer.

Every four years when soccer takes to its biggest stage, one group of teams stands out as having the fiercest, most intense competition in the big tournament. Known as the “Group of Death,” the talent among these four squads is often so overwhelming that it becomes impossible to predict its outcome.

This year, the USA is part of this group. Since it will inevitably be an exhilarating ride throughout the tournament, we wanted to provide you and your readers with some fun and easy cocktails with a twist to enjoy while they cheer on the Red, White and Blue! The twist? Each of the cocktails listed is unique to one of the Group of Death teams.

Below are the cocktail recipes to enjoy responsibly when you are watching the World Cup!

Black, Red and Whisky- Germany

1.5 oz. George Dickel No. 8

1/2 oz. orange juice

1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz. homemade grenadine

Instructions: Pour ingredients into Shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into Coupe glass.

Stars & Strikers- USA

1.5 oz. CAPTAIN MORGAN WHITE RUM

2 oz. cranberry juice

2 oz. orange juice

Instructions: In a shaker half filled with ice, add CAPTAIN MORGAN WHITE RUM, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Shake well and strain into highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime.

The Black Star- Ghana

1.25oz Crown Royal XO

.25oz Dry Curacao

.25oz Lime Juice

Bar spoon kumquat cordial

The Shield

1.3 oz. Bulleit Bourbon

1 oz. Orange juice

1 oz. Lemon juice

½ oz. Simple Syrup

½ oz. amaretto

Instructions: Garnish: orange & cherry. Shake ingredients and strain into an ice filled tumbler.

World Cup football legends David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane take on Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura, who seem more interested in a video game than the beautiful game, and school them, turning Beckingham Palace into their own personal football pitch.

It’s time to make a choice. all in or nothing? http://www.adidas.com/go/MakeaChoice

The adidas Football channel brings you the world of cutting edge football. Gain exclusive access to our players, go behind the scenes with our teams and be the first to see the latest innovations in football. adidas Football’s mission is to push the limits of the game forward, driving the performances of Messi, Bale, Van Persie and Sunday League players around the world.

Bud Light’s ‘Up for Whatever’ video series has enlisted U.S. Soccer legend Cobi Jones for yet another wild and unpredictable fan experience!

This latest installment in the series was shot in Arizona prior to the U.S. vs. Mexico friendly match this past spring. Led by Cobi Jones, fans who agree to be “Up for Whatever” are taken on a wild adventure that eventually leads them on the field at the match in front of thousands of fans.