"We're working in conditions where the cement is not yet dry," said Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke as preparations for the 2014 World Cup move towards the final straight.
The strain is showing on Valcke. Fifa wanted all 12 stadiums ready by December, to give plenty of time for test events. Sao Paulo, scene of the opening game, may not be handed over until May.
Curitiba got itself so far behind that there was a real danger of the city being cut from the schedule.
At a news conference a couple of weeks ago to announce that the city had been reprieved - "We're going to trust Curitiba while also mistrusting it," said Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo - Valcke cut a short-tempered figure.
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