Aaron Lennon, the player expected to keep David Beckham out of the England starting lineup at the World Cup if he hadnot been injured, is doubtful for South Africa with a groin injury that has sidelined him for four months. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp saysLennon, England’s No. 1 right winger, isn’t ready to return. “He’s […]
world cup
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spain's Fernando Torres doubtful
[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] Fernando Torres underwent knee surgery Sunday night and will miss the remainder of the season forLiverpool, putting his participation in the World Cup finals in doubt. Liverpool expects him to be sidelined for six weeks. Such a layoff would put Torres out until June 1,the deadline for World Cup teams to submit […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ashley Cole's return boost for Chelsea and England
Ashley Cole will return to the Chelsea squad for Saturday’s game at Tottenham. The England left back, who fractured his ankle in February, willbegin the game on the bench. The Blues may arrange a friendly game next week for Cole and fellow defender Branislav Ivanovic, who has also beeninjured. “I’m not surprised how quickly he’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ching's rehab ahead of schedule
U.S. World Cup hopeful Brian Ching kicked a ball in Houston Dynamo practice for the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury in the Dynamo’s homeopener and feels good about his progress, albeit slow. “I’m still limited,” he said. “I still cannot swing my left leg with too much force right now. We’retwo weeks […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Good and bad news on World Cup front
World Cup organizers have cut their estimate of foreign visitors to South Africa from the original forecast of 450,000 down to around 200,000. On a more positive front, they saidFriday that tickets for 29 of 64 matches are no longer available and fans had bought 130,000 tickets in the final phase of ticket sales. Over-the-counter […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
23 World Cup games sold out
FIFA announced that 53,000 tickets World Cup games in South Africa were sold in the first eight hours of over-the-counter sales in South Africa. Of the 64 games, 23 are now sold out,including the opening game, both semifinals and the final.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Big camp for U.S. World Cup hopefuls
The USA’s final training camp ahead of the World Cup will include more than 23 players — the tournament roster limit. Team spokesman Michael Kammarman said it hasn’t beendecided exactly how many players will be brought into the East Coast camp, but Coach Bob Bradley could call as many as 30 when camp opens May […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Will ESPN keep its eye on the ball?
By Paul Gardner Impressive is the word for the panoply of World Cup stuff that ESPN put on show — briefly — during a New York press conference earlier this week. Wegot clips of the promos, peeks at various documentaries, plus all sorts of news about just how seriously ESPN is taking this event. Certainly […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying
“I’m going to kiss my ticket when I get it. The last time I waited in a line like this was when I voted for Mandela.” — A Soweto man named Godfrey, purchasing WorldCup tickets on the first day of over-the-counter sales in South Africa, recalls the elections won by Nelson Mandela at the end […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spots 21-23 on U.S. team remain up for grabs
[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] FIFA’s deadline for World Cup finalists to submit their short list of 30 players is May 11, and the deadline to cut that list down to 23is June 1. That’s good news for U.S. coach Bob Bradley. While 20 spots on the U.S. World Cup team seem to be set, no one […]