Soccer

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July 2008
- Forget Stocks: Invest in Soccer
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 19, 08 8:59 AM CDT
  
  The hottest new commodity in Brazil is its soccer stars, and investors are taking note. Companies like Traffic are buying up the contracts of the next wave of potential Ronaldinhos and then lending their acquisitions out to poor but visible Brazilian teams. When European leagues come knocking with huge offers, the investors then cash in, explains the New York Times. More »
- Soccer Star Wambach Breaks Leg, Will Miss Olympics
  
  newser | Democrat and Chronicle | Jul 17, 08 6:01 PM CDT
  
  The US women's soccer team's hopes for a gold medal in Beijing took a devastating blow yesterday when star Abby Wambach broke her leg in an exhibition match. Wambach, the team's leading scorer, underwent a two-hour surgery today that went "perfectly, beautifully," her mother told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle . Wambach, though, will have to be a spectator for the Beijing Games. More »
June 2008
- Spain Claims Euro '08 Title
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 29, 08 4:23 PM CDT
  
  After beating Italy and Germany to win its first title in 44 years, Spain no longer needs to think of itself as an underachieving soccer nation. The "Red Fury" won their second European Championship, playing with flair, finesse, and a determination that the team had lacked in so many previous competitions. More »
- Croatia Fans' Nazi Taunting of Turks Under Scrutiny
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 27, 08 5:01 PM CDT
  
  European soccer authorities are looking into allegations Croatian fans held Nazi banners and made racist comments during a June 20 match with Turkey, the AP reports. The Croatian Football Federation denounced the bad conduct, saying it “is not a characteristic behavior of true Croatian fans, who showed good behavior and friendly relation to other fans.” More »
- Spain Pummels Russia to Reach European Final
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 26, 08 4:25 PM CDT
  
  Spain scored three second-half goals today to beat Russia 3-0 and reach the European Championship final, giving the team a chance to shed its status as one of soccer's biggest underachievers. Xavi Hernandez, Dani Guiza and David Silva each scored to give the Spaniards a shot at their second European title when they play Germany in Vienna, Austria. More »
- Solo Saga Quieted, Women's Soccer Eyes Beijing
  
  newser | Sports Illustrated | Jun 26, 08 12:22 PM CDT
  
  Hope Solo's infamous criticism of her coach got her booted from practice and competition at the end of last year's World Cup, and depression almost kept the 26-year-old from returning to soccer at all. But now the US team has a new coach, a rejuvenated Solo, and a fresh plan for winning in Beijing, Sports Illustrated reports. More »
- Russian Soccer's No. 1 Fan? The Kremlin
  
  newser | New Republic | Jun 26, 08 8:51 AM CDT
  
  Russia's soccer team takes the field against Spain today in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals with an unlikely and ardent cheering section—the Kremlin. The team, resurging after years in decline, can thank the hefty monetary backing of an oil magnate afraid to run afoul of Moscow. And, as Josh Patashnik writes in the New Republic , "This is Vladimir Putin's team through and through." More »
- Germany Wins Soccer Thriller After World TV Feed Fails
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 25, 08 5:09 PM CDT
  
  Soccer fans around the world missed a thrilling finish today as the international TV feed pooped out during a Germany-Turkey matchup that featured two goals in the last 5 minutes, the AP reports. Germany scored a goal in the 90th minute to win 3-2 and advance to the finals of the European Championship. Turkey, an underdog unexpected to advance as far as it did, had tied the game just minutes earlier. More »
- Soccer Is Key to Get S. Africa to Play Ball on Zimbabwe
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 24, 08 8:37 AM CDT
  
  The last few weeks have further exposed Robert Mugabe as a tyrant—and Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president, as a "vacillating, dithering, morally compromised figure," writes Peter Godwin. In an op-ed for the New York Times , the Zimbabwe-born author says that the West must force Mbeki to act by playing its trump card: threaten to take away the World Cup, which South Africa hosts in just two years. More »
- Did Armani Give Becks a Package Deal?
  
  newser | MSNBC | Jun 20, 08 4:30 PM CDT
  
  Some skivvies sleuthing has a British tabloid wondering if San Franciscans are seeing a larger-than-life David Beckham in 100-foot-tall Armani underwear ads dominating downtown Union Square, MSNBC reports. The Daily Mail compares Armani's images to some 2006 pics of Becks beachside which show his Speedo decidedly less … full. “There wasn't any enhancement to that said region,” a Beckham rep counters. More »
- Controversy Erupts Over Dutch Goal
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 10, 08 11:38 AM CDT
  
  When Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the Netherlands' first goal in yesterday's Euro 2008 match, Dutch and Italian fans alike waited for the offsides call. It didn't come, leaving the Italians incensed, the Dutch warily pleased, and the officials defiant. UEFA confirmed today that van Nistelrooy wasn't offsides thanks to a little-known rule, AP reports. More »
- Gruesome Soccer 'Joke' Kicks Off Outrage
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Jun 6, 08 11:55 AM CDT
  
  The coach of Poland's soccer team has apologized to Germany after a tabloid paper printed doctored photos making it look like he was holding the severed heads of Germany's coach and captain, the Guardian reports. The countries face each other in the Euro 2008 tournament on Sunday, and elements of the Polish media have been playing up their troubled history. More »
May 2008
- Manchester United Wins Russian-Roulette Club Final
  
  newser | BBC | May 21, 08 5:04 PM CDT
  
  Manchester United beat Chelsea in a sudden-death shootout to win tonight's European Champions League Final in Moscow, with goalie Edwin van der Sar saving a shot from Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka to seal the all-British encounter, the BBC reports. "The first penalty shoot-out I've ever won in a big game," exhaled Man U boss Sir Alex Ferguson. "I think there was a bit of fate about it." More »
- Days May Be Numbered For ESPN Classic
  
  newser | AOL Sports | May 19, 08 12:47 PM CDT
  
  ESPN has been hyping its coverage of Wednesday's European Champions League final, and the reason might be a soccer fan's dream come true, writes AOL Sports blogger David Warner. An ESPN columnist repeated rumors that the company might be planning to scrap its Classic channel in favor of a new ESPN3, which could revolve around English Premiere League. More »
- Scottish Soccer Fans Riot After Loss
  
  newser | Times (UK) | May 15, 08 3:02 PM CDT
  
  Fans of a Scottish soccer team rampaged in Manchester, England, last night, attacking the police and civilians after their team lost in the final of a European championship match played there. One fan of the winning Russian team was stabbed, the Times of London reports; police noted 52 assaults, and more than a dozen officers were treated for injuries. More »
April 2008
- British Soccer Fans Ready to Invade Russia
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Apr 30, 08 9:48 PM CDT
  
  The May 21 Champions League soccer final in Moscow will feature two English powers—but cost might be the least of the worries for British fans hoping to make the trip. An overwhelmed Russian embassy is already farming out applications for visas, and demand was crashing Web sites even before Chelsea won today's semifinal to clinch a meeting with Manchester United for the title. More »
- What a Drag! Ronaldo In Transvestite Flap
  
  newser | Reuters | Apr 29, 08 8:07 AM CDT
  
  Soccer virtuoso Ronaldo was questioned by police in Rio de Janeiro yesterday after an altercation in a motel with transvestite prostitutes, Reuters reports. The star of AC Milan and the Brazilian national team took three call girls to the motel, only to discover that they were men in drag, according to cops. Ronaldo then offered them $600 each to close the affair, but one of them demanded $30,000 to keep the story from the media. More »
- Soccer Scouts Look Into Genetic Testing
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Apr 26, 08 10:00 AM CDT
  
  Scouts for the world's leading soccer teams spend millions every year trying to spot the next Ronaldo or David Beckham but they could soon be turning their attention to genetic tests as well as training grounds. DNA tests that identify genes associated with top athletic ability are already being marketed in Australia, the Guardian reports, raising no shortage of legal and ethical issues. More »
March 2008
- 7 Cuban Soccer Players Defect to US
  
  newser | Miami Herald | Mar 13, 08 12:27 PM CDT
  
  Seven Cuban soccer players defected from the national team over the last two days—five on Tuesday and two last night—slipping from their Tampa hotel after a game to seek asylum in the US, the Miami Herald reports. The first five have contacted a lawyer and are in discussions with a second-tier soccer team, Miami FC; they may start training as soon as today, Reuters reports. The loss of seven players could be the team’s downfall in Olympic trials. More »
- College Sports Don't Pay Off
  
  newser | New York Times | Mar 10, 08 2:15 PM CDT
  
  Parents believe sports are their kids' golden ticket to college, but athletic scholarships rarely cover full tuition—and there aren't enough to go around. Football and basketball do pay off, but otherwise the average NCAA scholarship is worth $8,707, at schools that can cost up to $50,000 a year. Plus, the sacrifices demanded of a student athlete aren't always worth the free ride. More »