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During the EURO 2008, German director Detlev Buck and the YouTube community created the first fan movie made out of user generated videos. The movie was shown in cinemas across Germany. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYzNpgaXa4

The Hunt for American al Qaeda The United States is turning up the heat in the hunt for the California boy turned al Qaeda operative, Adam Gadahn, who has been charged with treason and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. If caught and convicted, Gadahn could face the death penalty. The State Department along with the Department of Diplomatic Security announced the beginning of a publicity campaign in Afghanistan urging locals to provide any information on Gadahn's whereabouts, with a reward if the information leads to his capture. Radio advertisements with information concerning the $1 million reward have...

Note: Orlando Sentinel material is excerpt only--that means no photos! I WILL ASK TO HAVE THE PHOTOS REMOVED IF YOU POST THEM Posted for informational purposes only. who? unknown what? 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying where? Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Florida when? March 15, 2008 why? why ask? how? who cares?

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...

Police officer killed in riots; all Serie A and B matches suspended Maria Sanminiatelli Canadian Press Friday, February 02, 2007 In this frame made from SKYTG24, fans clash with police outside Catania's Angelo Massimino stadium after the Italian first division soccer league match between Palermo and Catania, in Sicily, southern Italy, Friday. (AP/SkyTG24) ROME (AP) - A police officer was killed Friday when fans rioted at a Serie A game between Sicilian sides Catania and Palermo, prompting the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) to postpone all league matches this weekend and cancel next week's friendlies involving the national teams. Fans rioted...

... a black police officer seeking to protect a Jewish fan of a visiting Israeli team shot and killed one man and wounded another.Antoine Granomort, 32, rushed to the aid of a French fan of the Hapoel Tel Aviv club late Thursday after the Israeli team defeated Paris Saint-Germain ... About a hundred fans cornered the two men ... shouting racist and anti-Semitic epithets at them and making Nazi salutes ...Both victims were identified by the police as members of a far-right group supporting Paris Saint-Germain ...Overt racism is a common occurrence at the ... home stadium of PSG, with...

A supporter of the French football club Paris Saint Germanin was shot and killed by police Thursday night after a UEFA-cup game against the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv. The tradgedy occurred outside the stadium Parc de Princes in Paris after PSG had lost against Hapoel with 2-4. According to police sources a lonely Hapoel fan was surrounded by 150 fans from the Parisian club on a street outside the areana. A policeman hurried tthere and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. He then fired two live rounds. Two PSG suporters were hit and one of them was killed....

ROME (AFP) - Italy defender Marco Materazzi has broken his silence over the verbal exchange that led to his violent World Cup final clash with French star Zinedine Zidane. Materazzi was sent crashing to the turf by a Zidane head-butt near the end of extra-time of the July 9 final in Berlin following a verbal altercation. Mystery has surrounded the exact nature of the abuse directed at Zidane by Materazzi ever since the incident, which subsequently earned the Inter Milan centre-half a two-match ban from world governing body FIFA. But in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport here Tuesday,...

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

Berlin — Was it something he said? With France and Italy tied in extra time of Sunday's World Cup final, Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in the chest and was ejected. France went on to lose on penalty kicks. The day after, still no one knew what the Italian defender might have said to the French star. "The Italians did everything they could do to provoke Zidane," France defender William Gallas said. Seconds before, Materazzi had grabbed a handful of Zidane's jersey just as a French attack on goal passed harmlessly by. The two exchanged words as they walked back...

Our correspondent finds out what may have caused a great player to lose his head in such spectacular style WITH his monkish mien backed by a sense of brooding menace, Zinédine Zidane has always been something of an enigma, so it is perhaps fitting that the final act of his career should be the source of such mystery. Just why did a man blessed with complete control of a football lose his head in such a violent manner at such a crucial moment, boring it into the chest of Marco Materazzi? As L’Equipe summed up the moment of madness with...

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...

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).

Flopping, Diving, and Timewasting: The World Cup Way Mis amis footballeurs: How do we stop the madness? (In my best French accent...) In this World Cup, especially in the group phase and 2nd round, huge numbers of the fittest athletes known in team sports have apparently suffered more life-threatening injuries than in an entire season of ER. In an amazing coincidence, many of these mortal wounds occur near their opponents penalty area; the rest seem to occur to players (victims, really) on teams holding a one-goal lead. In fact, it seems every one of Italy's opponents was tought Pai Mei...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in Berlin said on Wednesday they had arrested two men on suspicion of placing cement-filled soccer balls around the city and inviting people to kick them. At least two people injured themselves by kicking the balls, which were chained to lampposts and trees alongside the spray-painted message: "Can you kick it?" Police said they had identified a 26-year-old and a 29-year-old and had found a workshop in their apartment where they made the balls. The two are accused of causing serious physical injury, dangerous obstruction of traffic and causing injury through negligence, police said. Berlin hosts...

Father William Maestri with the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana makes this damning (at least to soccer moms nationwide) remark in his latest column on The Clarion Herald, the Archdiocese's newspaper. The quote is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg as he rants in no uncertain terms against this sport which he mockingly calls "kickball". But then, what is the Padre's sport of choice? Not basketball, not football, not even "the national pastime" of baseball. It's tennis; Wimbledon tennis! The article is available only in .pdf format, so I urge fellow FReepers to access it through the source...

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Radical Islamic militia fighters in Somalia shot and killed two people who were watching a banned World Cup soccer broadcast, a radio station reported Wednesday. The hard-line Muslim fighters, who have banned watching television, opened fire after a crowd of teenagers defied their orders to leave a hall where a businessman was showing Tuesday's Germany-Italy match on satellite television, according to Shabelle Radio, an independent local station. It said the businessman and a teenage girl were killed. Hard-line Muslim fighters, who wrested control of the Somali capital from warlords in June, have forbidden people from watching television...

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

Report: Manchester United to show Ronaldo the door, Rooney irate at teammate's role in sending off LONDON – Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, criticized for his role in Wayne Rooney's sending off at the World Cup, won't be back at Manchester United and can expect payback from the star England striker in the future, a British newspaper said. Quoting an unnamed source, The Sun reported Monday that Rooney threatened to “split him in two” when the two next meet. Ronaldo may be wearing a different uniform when that happens. The British tabloid says United will show Ronaldo the door “because of...

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).

World Cup Scores Only Small Audience Only 6% Following Tournament Very Closely Despite a high level of media coverage for the World Cup soccer tournament, three-fourths of Americans (78%) are not following the action very closely if at all. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 adults found that just 6% are following the tournament very closely. Nine percent (9%) of men are paying close attention along with 3% of women. The Super Bowl remains the biggest sport championship in terms of fan appeal. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Americans say it’s their favorite championship to watch. The World Series is the...

Australia was beaten 1-0 by Italy in a dramatic finish A Chinese TV football commentator has apologised for on-air remarks made during the World Cup match between Italy and Australia earlier this week. Huang Jianxiang lost his cool when Italy knocked Australia out of the World Cup with an injury-time goal. Shouting support for Italy, he made comments such as "I hate Australia" in a rant which lasted several minutes. After complaints from Australian fans, Mr Huang apologised, saying his emotions had got the better of him. Comments such as "long live Italy" initially caused amusement. But after several...

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.

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...

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.

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...

Mexicans Doing Jobs Americans Don't Want: Kicking Iranian Butt! With their exciting 3-1 victory over Iran in the World Cup Sunday, the Mexican national team unwittingly breathed new life into President Bush's amnesty plan, fictitiously called immigration reform. How so? Well, those Mexican fellows proved skilled at kicking Iranian butt----at least on the soccer field. And it's not too much a stretch to assume that that skill set---kicking Iranian butt---is also prevalent among the 20 million or so illegal squatters now in America. President Bush should seize the initiative and use his 'Bully Pulpit' to broker a deal with...

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

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.

The U.S. will continue their final preparations for the 2006 FIFA World Cup on Friday, May 26, when they take on Venezuela at Cleveland Browns Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN2. CHAVEZ is watching! C'mon boys!Let's go USA!!!!!!!!!!!!

February 15, 1998 in Los Angeles, USA - "During a game between the US and Mexico February 15, the US soccer team was not only booed and jeered throughout the entire game by Mexican fans, but were continually pelted with water, beer and in some cases solid objects like fruit from the over 60,000 fans in attendance. One player was hit during with a water balloon during a corner kick attempt. As the team left the field at the end of both halves, beer and other debris rained down on them as they tried to run through the tunnel to...

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.

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11, 2005 – The sky over this city lit up with "celebratory gunfire" as Iraq beat Syria in a soccer match Dec. 10.As time ran out in Iraq's 4-3 victory, many Baghdad citizens ran outside and fired weapons in the air. "It's typical," an Air Force colonel who was caught outside during the beginning of the celebration said. "This is what happened when Iraq had the success in the Olympics last year. And Eid al Fitr (the celebration of the end of Ramadan) sounds like the Tet Offensive." An Iraqi linguist at the Ministry of Defense said he...

A footballer had to have six stitches in his penis after it was ripped open in a tackle. Chavdar Yankow, 21, sustained a three-inch gash playing for Hamburg 96 in Germany. His shorts were "soaked with blood" but team doctors managed to patch Yankow up. Amazingly, after the painful incident Yankow returned to the pitch and played on. And the German went on to score in his side's 2-0 win over Frankfurt.

Northern Ireland score shock 1-0 victory over England By Trevor Huggins BELFAST, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland beat England 1-0 to seriously dent their old rivals chances of winning European Group Six and qualifying directly for the World Cup finals on Wednesday. Striker David Healy scored the winner with a powerful angled drive past England goalkeeper Paul Robinson in the 73rd minute after Steve Davis chipped the ball over a static defence. The win, Northern Ireland's first over England in Belfast since 1927 and only their seventh win over England in 98 meetings, is a huge embarassment for England...

BOGOTA (AP) - Rival fans clashed at a domestic soccer match in the Colombian capital late Wednesday, killing one person and wounding 23. Edison Andres Garzon died of injuries sustained during the riots that erupted after America de Cali defeated Santa Fe 5-2 in a Colombian first division game, firefighters said. Garzon, 20, was struck in the head and his body thrown over a balcony in Bogota's El Campin stadium, Garzon's cousin, Andrea Hernandez, told local radio. Most of the wounded were treated on the spot. The violence started when up to 100 Santa Fe fans angry over the referee's...

When: Sat September 3, 2005, at 19:30 pm ET Where: Columbus, OH, USA Ticket Info: Info Coming-watch this space for more details. You will need to be quick on these ones folks.