Soccer-Brazil denies entry to five Argentine hooligans

SAO PAULO, June 15 (Reuters) - Brazil has blocked five Argentine soccer hooligans known to be violent from attending the World Cup, the justice ministry said on Sunday, shortly before Argentina played Bosnia in the country's first match of the tournament. One "brava" was deported on Monday shortly after landing at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport. Two more have been intercepted in Rio de Janeiro, the site of Sunday's Group F game, a spokeswoman at Brazil's justice ministry said. Another two Argentines were declined entry in Foz do Iguacu, on the Brazil-Argentine border, she added. Brazilian authorities are taking no chance with the club fans known as "barras bravas" in neighboring Argentina. They passed a law to deny entry to fans with a history of violent behaviour in soccer stadiums and plan to beef up security outside stadiums where Argentina will play. Argentine barras bravas have a history of violence at World Cups, from stabbing English fans in Mexico in 1986 to fighting each other during the last tournament in South Africa four years ago. Brazil has ramped up security in its 12 host cities. Incidents by the fourth day of the tournament had been limited to reports of theft in several cities, arrests for vandalism during anti-World Cup protests and two cases of attempted rape in Cuiaba. (Reporting by Caroline Stauffer; editing by Justin Palmer)