And For Downtime Between Games... A Special World Cup Crossword.

ACROSS

1 It is often followed by the word “number,” redundantly  

4 Bikini tops

8 Amass over time

14 Atilt 

16 Two-time NBA MVP Karl  

17 The theme of this puzzle—and this week's cover

18 Only team to qualify for every 17-across to date

19 Put in a tizzy     

20 U.S. territory whose state national flower is the bougainvillea    

21 Kind of gas or gear    

22 Westernmost city in France  

24 Extra for Estaban?

27 Adjective for the 2014 17-across

30 Count on  

31 Cobbler's tools

32 Holy book for 23% of the world population

33 Coach of the 17-across national team for five different countries, a record

39 Dean Martin song topic

40 Italian painter Guido

41 Landon Donovan got one for 2014's 17-across, according to many fans

42 Loser in the final of the first 17-across (and winner of two since then)

47 Of the 19 17-acrosses to date, the number of times it was won by the host country               

48 Acrosses and downs, for some

49 Wyo. neighbor

51 It might be in a garage or a yard

52 Synonym for 62-across

54 Team with the record for most 17-across games lost in a row (9)

57 Player with the record for most 17-across games played (25)

59 Botanic disease

60 Put off, perhaps

61 Organic compounds

62 Synonym for 52-across

63 Winter hours for 49-across

DOWN

1 Energy divided by time

2 Co-conspiring, as with a joke

3 Straight's partner

4 REIT purchase, often

5 Scoot

6 Babylonian sky god

7 NASCAR sponsor since 1969

8 Surprise party

9 Unit for Kay

10 Dollar, say                

11 Calvin's babysitter, to his parents

12 Fan's collectible, colloquially                

13 Unagi                

15 Washington Post property not sold to Jeff Bezos

20 See

22 Dollar, say

23 Rise again

24 Producer Griffin

25 Jai ____

26 Coordinate

28 Accuse

29 Light appetizer?

30 Kanga's son

32 Make, as a scarf

33 Flea plays it

34 Boxy Dodge

35 Louisiana chefs add “the holy trinity” to it                

36 Kind of desk at an investment bank (abbr.)                

37 Small stands

38 The Green Dragon, in The Hobbit                

42 Distributes specifically

43 District 11 representative from The Hunger Games

44 Carl with an estimated net worth of $24 billion

45 Butler's decline?

46 Natives of the Bering Sea

48 Nook

50 Beginning

51 Make meaningful hand motions?

52 Hullabaloo

53 Times off from écoles

54 Shaquille O'Neal received one in 2005 (abbr.)

55 The "Liberty Tree" of the American Revolution was one

56 Roman lunchtime?

57 Bikram accessory

58 ___ mode

Answers at wweek.com/worldcupxword

WWeek 2015