Soccer America Archives

The third place game clearly meant more to the Germans than the negative Portuguese, who despite flashes of Cristiano Ronaldo and 10 dazzling minutes from Luis Figo, never looked that interested. In many ways, it was a standard third place game, delivering 4 goals (the World Cup average), an openness of play (by the Germans […]

So Zidane’s career ended in disgrace. And maybe we deserve it, too, for the pedestal we placed him on. After the media spent all week lifting the man beyond demi-god status, he came crashing down to earth in a moment of madness reminiscent to that other self-destructing French geniusyou know, Eric Cantona, the man who’s […]

Reuters has an interesting report about bookmakers’ unimpressive record in their tournament predictions. As much as the favorites always seem to do well at the World Cup, the final is seldom between the top two favorites prior to the tournament’s start. France began the tournament as 14-1 outsiders to win before dropping to 25-1 after […]

AP columnist Nancy Armour says after watching World Cup 2006 she’s convinced whining, crying and diving are acceptable behavior in soccer. It’s been said by pundits before: “Players ought to forget about wrangling new contracts from bigger, better teams and focus instead on their true calling: Hollywood.” Every World Cup there’s a multitude of variations […]

The Guardian ponders whether we owe the re-emergence of Zinedine Zidane to the Spanish media for taunting the old master ahead of Spain’s second round clash with France. “Spain’s sporting press has always worn its power like a badge of honour, but even by its standards this was something else — this was playing God.” […]

David Hirshey, a well-known New York editor and former soccer reporter and match official, gives an honest account of his own experiences refereeing at the highest level. When calling a match for the U.S. women’s national team, Hirshey admits to blowing several offsides calls, and being called out for it by Tiffaney Milbrett, one of […]

Sports Illustrated columnist Bill Syken says MLS was the biggest loser at this World Cup. Case in point: New York Red Bulls’ Youri Djorkaeff appearing in the stands of the France-Brazil quarterfinal after taking a leave of absence from the team for “personal reasons.” That’s embarrassing for both the team and the league — Djorkaeff […]

With just two games remaining, the World Cup handover ceremony took place in Germany on Friday. Franz Beckenbauer handed the baton off to South African Thabo Mbeki. World Cup 2010 organizers said they viewed the first African World Cup as a chance to transform the world’s perception of the whole continent. South Africa President Mbeki […]

Ever since the demise of the North American Soccer League, many of us have been patiently waiting for the resurgence of soccer in the United States. However, such a resurgence would require a great deal of winning on the part of the national team, particularly at the World Cup, a feat that continues to elude […]

Two years after the Greek national team stunned the world by beating the likes of France, the Czech Republic and Portugal (twice) en route to its Euro 2004 triumph, Greek soccer is in disgrace due to its government’s insistence on running the national soccer federation (HFF). The Greeks are now likely to be denied the […]

There was a time, many of us forget (others were too young to remember), when soccer in the U.S. was the chic thing, the metropolitan thing, attracting many of the world’s stars to U.S. soil. Once upon a time, 77,691 people packed into Giants Stadium to watch the likes of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer play […]

“France is on fire again,” writes The Australian, “but this time it is not angry youths rioting and torching cars in protest against an out-of-touch political elite.” No, this time, it’s Zinedine Zidane, the most gifted player the world has seen since Argentina’s Diego Maradona, who’s lifted the nation out of social, economic and spiritual […]