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Chaos in Honduras has not created such safety risks as to force the movement of a scheduled World Cup qualifying match against the United States, FIFA officials said here Tuesday. Hours after Honduran officials protested any notion of moving their October 10 home qualifier against the US squad, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said the crisis would not force relocation of the crucial match. FIFA does reserve the right to revisit the issue should conditions change. The issue became a concern after Mexican side Toluca announced Monday it would not travel to Honduras for a CONCACAF Champions League match, citing...

'Keep God out of football' - Fifa tells Brazil's soccer superstars DANIEL KING 12th July 2009 Football’s governing body has sparked controversy after disciplining the Brazilian team for overt displays of Christianity during a match. Stars including £56million Real Madrid forward Kaka and captain Lucio revealed T-shirts with devout slogans such as ‘I Belong to Jesus’ and ‘I Love God’ during the Confederations Cup final last month. Now Fifa has risked accusations of being ‘anti-religious’ by reminding Brazil of its guidelines banning players from making displays of a personal, religious or political nature on the football pitch. AC Milan star...

A cuddly leopard with a green afro has been unveiled as the mascot of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Zakumi World Cup 2010 Mascot The character, called Zakumi, has been given his own biography and name to reflect the country's aims and hopes. Organisers said the character was 'born' on 16 June, 1994 - the year in which apartheid ended. The date is celebrated as Youth Day to mark the 1976 Soweto uprising when young protesters struck a blow against white rule. At the mascot's introduction at a state TV studio, a performer in a Zakumi costume kicked...

Brazil honoured the great Pele on Thursday and the other eight surviving players from its maiden FIFA World Cup™ triumph in 1958, a victory that put the nation on the football map and paved the way for four more titles. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gave the nine men medals of honour at a banquet dedicated to their 5-2 final victory over hosts Sweden 50 years ago. "You helped us understand...we could make Brazil a winner," Lula told the players at the ceremony. Brazil, the most successful football nation with five FIFA World Cup titles, is now in a...

"All right," was the assessment of legendary Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos as he left his luxury box following Mexico's 2-2 tie with the USA on Wednesday. "Next time we'll win," he said, before cracking a smile and sticking his tongue out to reveal he wasn't so sure. El Tri failed for the 10th straight time to beat the USA on U.S. soil, but this time the dominating contingent of Mexican supporters in the Houston crowd of 70,103 wasn't left as disappointed as usual. In the previous nine U.S.-hosted Mexico games, the USA won eight and tied once while outscoring the...

FIFA bans high-altitude matches without acclimatisation by Shigemi Sato Sat Dec 15, 8:51 AM ET Football's governing body FIFA on Saturday banned all matches it sanctions at an altitude of more than 2,750 metres (9,022 feet) "without acclimatisation", relaxing its earlier limit. It also set up a 40-million-dollar referee training project and increased from 10 to 15 percent the share of FIFA's subsidies that must be spent by each national association to promote the women's game. The decisions were made by the body's executive committee, which met on the sidelines of the Club World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said....

HANGZHOU, China -- As they left the stadium, two Brazilian players were banging out samba rhythms on drums, a third was slapping a tambourine and the rest of their teammates were singing. They sashayed past Kristine Lilly, the last player still active from the teams who created the golden age of U.S. women's soccer -- an age that ended for good Thursday night, when the drums weren't the only thing Brazil pounded. "It hurts," Lilly said, referring to her psyche, not her eardrums. "It just hurts." Lilly has played in World Cups since the first in 1991, played with the...

CHICAGO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Ronaldinho scored the decisive goal from a free kick as Brazil came from behind to beat a feisty United States 4-2 in a friendly on Sunday. The Barcelona forward curled the ball through a gap into the wall to put Brazil 3-2 ahead in the 75th minute, two minutes after Clint Dempsey had scored for the hosts to make it 2-2 in an entertaining game on a hot afternoon. A last-minute penalty converted by substitute Elano completed Brazil's win in a match between the respective Copa America and CONCACAF champions. Brazil head coach Dunga said...

2006 SIERRA MIST MLS ALL-STAR GAME Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill. Saturday, Aug. 5, 2005 (6:30 p.m. ET; Live on ESPN)

You'd Never Know Franklin Avenue Was Halfway Around The World Fabio Grosso connected with his left foot and booted them right out the door. Ten of them, 50 of them, hundreds of them, all of them, everyone of Italian heritage in south Hartford raced out onto Franklin Avenue at 4:30 Sunday afternoon. They popped from their homes. They ran from their favorite restaurants. They sprinted from their social clubs. They ran screaming, arms aloft, as if they had scored the final penalty kick themselves at Olympic Stadium in Berlin and were still running, searching for hugs halfway around the world....

BERLIN (AP) -- Zinedine Zidane cut short his dazzling World Cup and closed his career with an ugly head butt -- and a loss. The France captain was given a red card for slamming the crown of his bald head into the center of Italy defender Marco Materazzi's chest after the two exchanged words while walking down the field in extra time. The game was tied 1-1 when Zidane was sent off, head bowed, in the 110th minute Sunday. Without their sharpshooting captain, France couldn't unlock Italy's defense and went on to lose in a shootout, 5-3. Zidane's strike was...

Yippie!!!

The World Cup Final will be held Sunday in Berlin at 2 p.m. ET (ABC). Germany will face Portugal to play for third place on Saturday in Stuttgart at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN).

Portugal takes on France at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Munich. Discuss.

The Germans and Italians meet in Dortmund on Tuesday (2:55 p.m. ET, ESPN) to play for the right to go to the World Cup Final on Sunday. The loser will play in the third-place game Saturday against the losing team of the other semifinal to be held Wednesday.

The quarterfinal round concludes with a pair of enticing match-ups. The day's first match pits England against Portugal (10:30 a.m. ET, ABC) in Gelsenkirchen, while a rematch of the 1998 final between Brazil and France (3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN) will wrap the Round of 8.

The Elite Eight!! The quarterfinal round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany gets underway Friday with a pair of highly-anticipated matches. The hosts kick things off against Argentina in Berlin (10:55 a.m. ET; ESPN). Italy will face Ukraine in the day's second game (2:55 p.m.; ESPN2). Two of the quarterfinals are rematches of championship games: Brazil-France (1998) and Germany-Argentina (1986 and 1990).

Defending champs Brazil encounter surprise Group E second place finishers Ghana (10:55 a.m. ET ESPN). Then, at 2:55 p.m. (ESPN), European powehouses Spain and France meet.

In two more days, only 8 teams will remain in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. TODAY'S GAMES: Italy-Australia (11:00AM EST) followed by Swiss-Ukraine (3:00 PM EST).

My theory is that Americans have neither the belief system nor the temperment for such a sisyphean sport as soccer. We are a society of doers, achievers, and builders. Our country is dynamic, constantly growing, and becoming ever bigger, richer, and stronger. We do not subscribe to a “zero sum” mentality. We do not labor for the sake of laboring. And we like our sports teams to score.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!! The World Cup field has been trimmed to 16. The opening round of the 2006 World Cup is complete, as Groups G and H wrapped up play on Friday. Victories allowed Spain, Ukraine, France and Switzerland to move into the Round of 16. Knockout play begins on Saturday as hosts Germany face Sweden and Mexico meets Argentina.

NUREMBERG, Germany - They fell behind. They complained about the referees. They scored only one goal. That's what the U.S. men's soccer team did here in Thursday's 2-1 loss to Ghana, and that's what the Americans accomplished in a winless World Cup. The team that reached the quarterfinals four years ago and entered this tournament ranked fifth showed it isn't one of the world's top five or eight teams. "We've got a long way to go to be consistently competitive with the best teams in the world. We know that," said Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. Soccer. "We can play...

Spain will open the games, playing against Saudi Arabia in Kaiserslautern at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN and Ukraine will face Tunisia at the same time in Berlin (ESPN2). Ukraine goes into the game against Tunisia knowing that it determines its own destiny. A victory will guarantee passage, but a draw could set up the possibility of another tie-breaking situation on goal difference. Tunisia, meanwhile, which hasn't won a World Cup game since its debut in 1978, has to defeat Ukraine and hope that Saudi Arabia does not defeat Spain by a large margin. France will play against Togo in...

UK jihadists attack 'religion of soccer,' warn Muslims against taking part in 'colonial crusader scheme' A British jihadist website has warned Muslims against being drawn in to what they described as "the new religion of soccer." The Saved Sect website, which calls on Muslims to work to establish an Islamic state in Britain, has attacked "football fever," saying that soccer has "captivated the masses, dedicating their time and effort towards it." Comparing the allegiance of soccer fans to Islam and jihad, the organization said: "Football is the deen (religion) by which people live their lives by and are willing to...

The U.S. national team goes into Thursday's Group E finale against Ghana (9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN) knowing that it must come up with a win to have any chance of moving to the Round of 16. All four teams in Group E, including the USA, still have a chance to advance. The U.S. must beat a tough Ghana side to have any chance of moving to the knockout phase. Should Bruce Arena's team be able to secure three points against the Africans, whom they meet at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN, they will need Italy to beat the Czech Republic...

Switzerland and Togo meet in a Group G match at 8:55 a.m. ET (ESPN2) in Dortmund. Saudi Arabia and Ukraine match up in the day's second game, a Group H affair that starts at 11:55 a.m. (ESPN2) in Hamburg. In the final match of the day, Spain encounters Tunisia at 2:55 p.m. (ESPN2) in Stuttgart.

A heroic defensive display by nine-man USA held Italy to a 1-1 draw in Kaiserslauten in their Group E clash on Saturday.

Sunday games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup will kick off at 9 a.m. ET (ABC) in Nuremburg with a meeting between the only two winless teams in Group F, Japan and Croatia. They will face each other knowing that a defeat will put an end to their World Cup adventures. In their opening match against Australia, the Japanese could not maintain a 1-0 lead and they were scored on three times in the last 15 minutes. Croatia's debut was not any better, as Brazil's Kaka scored to give the South Americans a 1-0 win over the Europeans. In Sunday's...

The U.S. national team faces a must-win situation Saturday against Italy (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The U.S. lineup could see some changes, including adding Eddie Johnson. Czech Republic and Ghana play earlier in the day (11:30 a.m., ABC), while Portugal advanced by beating Iran 2-0.

June 15, 2006: Anti-Americanism has reached a new low. FIFA, the international sports organization for football (soccer to Americans) refused to allow U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (and warships at sea) to view any of the current World Cup games being played in Germany. The U.S. AFN (Armed Forces Network) has no budget for sports programming, and usually gets a free feed for major sporting events, in the same spirit that movie studios and TV networks provide free access to their product for troops in combat zones. FIFA demanded money, and would not budge on that. While soccer is...

Friday's World Cup action begins at 8:55 a.m. ET as Argentina meets Serbia & Montenegro. The Netherlands and Ivory Coast follow that match at 11:55 a.m. If the Dutch and Argentines both win, both advance to the Round of 16 from Group C. Mexico and Angola conclude the afternoon at 2:55 p.m. Full ABC/ESPN schedule | Standings | Viewing parties |  

Starting off the day will be Real Salt Lake's Douglas Sequeira and his Costa Rican teammates, who play Ecuador at 8:55 a.m. ET in Hamburg (ESPN2). The ticos showed pluck in their Group A opener against Germany on Friday, making a game of it by scoring twice against the hosts before falling 4-2. The Central Americans will need to have more players get involved in the attack against Ecuador, as Paulo Wanchope provided their only offense. The Ecuadorians got a huge weight off their shoulders by downing Poland 2-0 in their group play opener Friday. Previously, the side had been...

The first cycle of group play in the FIFA World Cup comes to a close on Wednesday with all four Group H teams in action, Spain taking on Ukraine at 8:55 a.m. ET (ESPN2) and Saudi Arabia facing Tunisia three hours later (also on ESPN2). Then Cup hosts Germany start the second series of matches in the groups when they face neighbors Poland in Dortmund. Spain finally get a chance to get the ball rolling in Leipzig, facing a Ukraine team looking for a result in its first-ever World Cup match. But just because the Eastern Europeans are new on...

World Cup favorite Brazil will kick off its World Cup campaign on Tuesday as the opening round of the tournament continues in Germany. The defending champions will face Croatia at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2) in Berlin in the second Group F match, following Australia's come-from-behind victory over Japan Monday. The match will feature the highly-anticipated debut of FC Barcelona great Ronaldinho as he looks to lead the South Americans to a record sixth championship. But the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year is hardly the only weapon in coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's arsenal. Also at his disposal are Ronaldo,...

The wait finally comes to an end Monday for 11 of the 15 MLS players at the 2006 World Cup as the U.S. national team opens Group E play against Czech Republic in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan will lead the U.S. team into action starting at 11:55 a.m. ET on ESPN2. In other action, Australia meets Japan in Kaiserslautern at 8:55 a.m. (ESPN2) for a Group F match. Italy and Ghana clash in the third match of the day, a Group E affair in Hanover at 2:55 p.m. (ESPN2).

The opening round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup continues on Sunday with three matches, including the first match for CONCACAF side Mexico, which takes on Iran at 12 noon ET, live on ABC. The other two Group D sides, debutants Angola and a dangerous Portugal, will also be in action, closing the day's action with a 3 p.m. ET meeting in Cologne (ESPN2).

One of the most fancied teams in Germany, England will open their FIFA World Cup™ campaign against Group B rivals Paraguay today -- LIVE NOW on ABC: England v Paraguay

So you Think Soccer Sucks? Fine. I am honestly surprised that you could find the energy to type it, or its equivalent. I am not surprised that you are probably the same person complaining that soccer is being “rammed down your throat,” or other such nonsense. Do you realize how silly you sound? In what sort of universe can a professional sport, any professional sport, be forced upon anyone? Just turn off the sports media. That enough should be understandable to every member of this website, even the re-treads, trolls, disruptors, and shills. But we need to get a few...

Germany, the hosts of the 18th FIFA World Cup™, kick off the tournament on Friday against Costa Rica in Munich (LIVE on ABC at 11:00AM ET). This represents a change to a tradition established back in 1974 which saw the defending world champions having the honour of getting the proceedings under way. The other two teams in Group A, Poland and Ecuador, will fight it out later in the evening.

Now that Shakira will be performing at the World Cup in Germany next month, she has decided to learn everything there is to know about the game. The Columbian singer will be performing her new hit My Hips Don't Lie, before the championship final on July 9 at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

<p>Israel is used to being singled out for unjust criticism and subjected to startling double standards by the United Nations, the European Union, much of the Western media and numerous academic bodies. But now FIFA -- the supposedly non-political organization that governs the world's most popular sport, soccer -- is getting in on the act as well.</p>

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has urged Germany to declare Iran's president "persona non grata" if he decides to attend this year's World Cup. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has drawn international outrage for labeling the Nazi Holocaust a myth and calling for Israel's destruction. He has not said whether he will travel to the World Cup, where Iran is one of the 32 teams competing. The German government has said a visit would be problematic but that, like other heads of state, he has a right to attend. The Simon Wiesenthal Center expressed its concerns in a letter to Foreign Minister Frank-Walter...

Israel is used to being singled out for unjust criticism and subjected to startling double standards by the United Nations, the European Union, much of the Western media and numerous academic bodies. But now FIFA — the supposedly nonpolitical organization that governs the world's most popular sport, soccer — is getting in on the act as well. FIFA has condemned Israel for an air strike on an empty soccer field in the Gaza Strip that was used for training exercises by Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. This strike did not cause any injuries. But at the same time...

World soccer's governing body has raised concerns with the Israeli government after the IDF targeted the main soccer stadium in the Gaza Strip with artillery fire. The shells, which reportedly left a large crater in the center of the field, were fired early last Friday morning in response to Kassam rocket attacks. Those attacks included one rocket that landed on a soccer field at Kibbutz Karmiya, south of Ashkelon, the day before. The IDF has acknowledged that the stadium was specifically targeted to "send a strong message to the Palestinian people against terrorism." "Knowing the stadium was unpopulated, artillery fire...

ZURICH, Switzerland - The U.S. national team improved to fifth in FIFA’s monthly rankings — the highest it’s ever been placed by world soccer’s governing body. The Americans, who broke out of a three-way tie for sixth with Spain and Mexico despite dropping a point to 764 in Wednesday’s latest poll, also moved ahead of France, which dropped to eighth. ...

ROME (AFP) - The World Cup in Germany is set to become a battleground between facists and Muslims, an Italian member of a new European neo-Nazi movement warned. In a statement published by Italian daily Repubblica, the memeber of AS Roma's notorious ultras hooligan group claims neo-Nazis across Europe met in Braunau in Austria to plan attacks against supporters from Islamic countries during the World Cup in Germany from June 9 to July 9. "We are united. For the first time we are talking and planning together, with the English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Spanish, everyone with the same...

This is a vanity preview. We have a few months before the world's most popular sporting event - football or soccer as misnamed by Americans who ought to know better. The games get underway during World Cup 2006 in Germany. Team USA is in Group E. Begins in June.

LEIPZIG, Germany -- German authorities should be especially vigilant after recent fan violence, and world soccer chief Sepp Blatter wants a full inspection of all stadiums six months before the World Cup finals. FIFA's president also called Monday for a rethinking of the ticket system and a ban on standing-only places at German venues. "The red alert is on for Germany's World Cup committee," said Blatter, in Leipzig for Friday's World Cup draw. Two players were pelted with objects thrown from the stands by fans during Saturday's Bundesliga matches, leaving one with blood streaming down his face. Kaiserslautern's Fritz-Walter-Stadion, set...

LEIPZIG, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Hosts Germany and defending champions Brazil were named among the top eight seeds for the World Cup finals as expected on Tuesday, along with England, Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina and Italy. FIFA decided the rest of the draw, which takes place on Friday, would group teams in pots according to their geographical locations rather than their current world ranking or previous World Cup performances. The USA and Holland have both just missed out on being seeded. • Follow the draw for the World Cup live on Soccernet this Friday The second pot will contain Australia,...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There was no better way for the United States to make the World Cup than with a shutout victory over Mexico. The Americans are headed to next year's soccer championship in Germany after beating the Mexicans 2-0 Saturday night thanks to goals by Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley five minutes apart in the second half. "We had one blemish on our record when we lost in Mexico City," coach Bruce Arena said, "and it was nice to get that back, and it was very special to qualify against our archrivals." U.S. star Landon Donovan said it more...