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USA has plenty of choices for World Cup
Posted by Paul Kennedy on Apr. 9, 10:00 a.m.
Most of the 11 bidders for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup will be happy to show FIFA in concrete or on paper the minimum of 12 stadiums seating 40,000 or more fans. The USA Bid Committee has set the minimum capacity at 50,000 seats and come up with 70 stadiums it has targeted in the initial step of outlining ...
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World Cup 2018/2022 Bid Report
Posted by Paul Kennedy on Mar. 31, 11:00 a.m.
Long before American soccer had celebrity fans like Drew Carey, Spike Lee or Kobe Bryant, there was Dr. Henry Kissinger. Long before it was fashionable to follow soccer, Kissinger was America's most famous soccer fan. His appointment to the USA Bid Committee marks the third time in the last quarter century he ...
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World Cup 2018/2022 Bid Report
Posted by Paul Kennedy on Mar. 10, 3:45 p.m.
U.S. STADIUMS. Concacaf's decision to play the 2009 Gold Cup in 13 different U.S. cities over 13 dates is an ambitious undertaking -- it's a record for a continental championship and one less than Spain 1982's World Cup record for a single host -- but it says a lot about the availability of U.S. stadiums for ...
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World Cup 2018/2022 bid report
Posted by Paul Kennedy on Feb. 24, 8:00 a.m.
The war of words over Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed Bin Hammam's seat on the FIFA executive committee reached a new level when the Korea Football Association threatened to file a complaint about Bin Hammam with FIFA after he said he was ready to cut off the head of Cho Jung-Yeon, the KFA president.

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World Cup 2018/2022 bid report
Posted by Paul Kennedy on Feb. 13, 3:30 p.m.
(Soccer America debuts ongoing coverage of the 2018/2022 World Cup bid process with the return of its World Cup Watch e-newsletter. Let us know your thoughts on the possibilities of the World Cup returning to the United States.)

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Section 1: What provoked Zidane?
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 10, 5:34 p.m.
By Paul Kennedy
Managing Editor
Soccer America

Just what did Marco Materazzi say or do, if anything, to provide France captain Zinedine Zidane to viciously head-butt the Italy defender and get sent off in Sunday's World Cup final?

"According to several very well informed sources from the world of football," the anti-racism group SOS ...
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WOITALLA: Italy shrugs off the jeers
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 9, 10:40 p.m.
By Mike Woitalla
in Berlin

The fans who watched the World Cup final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium probably enjoyed the final more than the estimated 1 billion who watched on TV.

The festive atmosphere began an hour before kickoff. Fans belted out competing chants. They danced and sang along to the piped-in ...
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MAHONEY: Italian pragmatism reigns supreme
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 9, 9:26 p.m.
By Ridge Mahoney
In Berlin

On a night of finely balanced tensions, set under darkening skies and poised between two teams replete with heroic storylines and marvelous players, a great career ended in disgrace and a grand tradition prevailed once again.
Italy, purveyor of defensive efficiency, rode out numerous French attacks to end regular play tied at 1-1, then ...
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Section 1: Klinsmann wants more time to decide
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 9, 3:03 p.m.
By Paul Kennedy
Managing Editor
Soccer America

Juergen Klinsmann wants more time to decide whether he will remain as Germany coach.

Klinsmann is considered the leading candidate to replace Bruce Arena as U.S. national team coach if Arena's contract is not renewed, but he's under heavy pressure to remain as Germany coach, despite objections ...
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Section 1: Zidane lets feet do the talking
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 8, 9:45 p.m.
By Paul Kennedy
Managing Editor
Soccer America

Retiring Zinedine Zidane is letting his feet doing the talking.

In what would be unheard upon in American sports, Zidane has refused to speak to the press since before France's opening game of the 2006 World Cup. Even before the final game of his career, he didn't talk to ...
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Section 1: Seven Italy players picked to World Cup All-Star Team
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 7, 2:18 p.m.
Seven Italians and four Frenchmen head the 23-man MasterCard All-Star Team, as selected by FIFA's Technical Study Group.

World Cup semifinalists Germany and Portugal also had four players apiece on the all-star game. Argentina had two, and Brazil and England one apiece.

The MasterCard All-Star Team:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Ricardo (Portugal).
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WOITALLA: A Tabloid Trip
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 7, 1:34 a.m.
By Mike Woitalla
in Munich

Even the Germans who would never admit to reading the Bild newspaper can't escape its giant headlines. They jump out from the newsstands and can be easily spotted if someone's reading the tabloid at the far end of a subway  car.

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Section 1: Zidane nominated for MVP award that eluded him in 1998
Posted by Soccer America on Jul. 6, 3:00 p.m.
Retiring France star Zinedine Zidane heads the list of players on the short list for the 2006 World Cup MVP award -- the adidas Golden Ball.

Zidane is one of seven players in Sunday's final who were nominated for the award. Three Frenchmen -- Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Zidane -- and four ...
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