The United States lost to Morocco 1-0 in Nashville on Tuesday night. Mohamed Madihi scored the game winner in the 90th minute. The big concern for US fans is the health of captain Claudio Reyna. The much injured midfielder for Manchester City pulled up lame with a strained hamstring and was taken out of the game in the 17th minute. The US looked merely average in its first of three friendlies this week. The Yanks next face Venezuela on May 26 before taking on Latvia on May 28. Somewhere Italy and the Czech Republic are smiling right about now.

It probably isn't any different than previous World Cup years, but this time around I feel like I am getting in education in medicine as the teams prepare for Germany. Much of the news has been focused on player injuries with terms like 'metatarsal' and 'plantar fasciitis' become part of my dinner time conversation. The group that has most improved my medical knowledge is Group B, which has multiple teams hanging on every word of their medical professionals.

Category: World Cup 2006 , Group B

Tags: Group B , injuries , Wayne Rooney , Roque Santa Cruz , Cornell Glenn , Freddy Ljunberg , Wayne Rooney , England , Sweden , Paraguay , Trinidad and Tobago , Tag Index

Croatia Crush Austria in World Cup Tune Up

Ivan Klasnic scored a pair of first half goals to lift Croatia past Austria 4-1 in a friendly played in Vienna. Marko Babic and Bosko Balaban added the other goals as Croatia looked solid in a tune up for the World Cup. The 79th-ranked Austria team was short on experience and mustered a lone goal by Andreas Ivanschitz in the 14th minute. The most impressive thing about this is that blog reader Marco nailed the score with his prediction . We'll be asking Marco for World Cup betting advice for sure. In action earlier today, South Korea tied Senegal 1-1 . In a few more hours the US take on Morocco. Join us for a LiveBlog during the match.

Category: World Cup 2006 , Group F , Friendlies

Tags: Croatia , Austria , friendlies , Ivan Klasnic , Marko Babic , Basko Balaban , Andreas Ivanschitz , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

Goleo: No. 1 Hit Recording Artist
Bob |
1 Comment

The lion without trousers might have brought down a German business , but that doesn't mean Goleo is going quietly into the night without one last roar. I was reading some FIFAspeak over on the official site about how great the truly horrific music will be at the World Cup, when this phrase jumped off the computer screen: "Before a ball has even been kicked at the tournament, GOLEO has scored a No.1 hit with his first single from the album, 'Love Generation', recorded with Bob Sinclar."

Category: World Cup 2006 , General Banter

Tags: Goleo , Bob Sinclair , Love Generation , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

More Stuff to download so your Computer is World Cup Ready

Bob |
5 Comments

I memorized the entire World Cup schedule a few months back (go ahead, test me), but for those of you who aren't as anal as me, this site has any number of ways for you to get the games on your calendar with the starting times in your time zone. There is also a new World Cup FootieFox extension for those of you who use Firefox as your browser. I've used it for a few months to follow games in the European leagues while I work and it is always exciting when a goal announcement pops up unexpectedly. The World Cup version is a bit buggy, but I imagine it will be improved in the next few weeks. If there are other ways for the World Cup to take over our computers, let us know.

Category: World Cup 2006 , General Banter

Tags: FootieFox , Calendar , World Cup plugins , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

From Korea to Iran, World Cup Fans will be dancing in the Streets

Bob |
No Comments

The World Cup fever continues to spread across the globe. In South Korea, one in six people are expected to be out on the streets cheering on their team even though the Red Devils games don't start until after midnight local time. In a repeat of World Cup 2002, South Korea will set up giant television screens in public squares including one near city hall in Seoul where more than one million gathered four years ago. You can expect a whole lot of Vertex dancing this summer in Seoul.

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Category: World Cup 2006 , General Banter

Tags: Iran , South Korea , Street Celebrations , photo contest , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

South Korea Ties Senegal; Croatia and US in Action Later

Bob |
1 Comment

In the first of their four exhibitions leading up to the World Cup, South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Senegal in a game played in Seoul. The host country got on the board first with a goal by Park Chu-young in the 74th minute, but Senegal's Moussa Ndiaye scored the equalizer five minutes later. "I was very happy with the game because we are, as you know, in the middle of preparations for Germany," South Korea coach Dick Advocaat said after the game. "It was an excellent exercise for us especially on the physical side." South Korea next faces Bosnia-Herzegovina on May 26.

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Category: World Cup 2006 , Friendlies

Tags: South Korea , Senegal , Friendlies , USA , Croatia , Morocco , Bosnia-Herzegovina , friendlies , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

Portugal Players have Bad Taste in Counterfeit Films

Bob |
12 Comments

A couple of players on Portugal's World Cup team are being investigated for allegedly bringing pirated movies to the team's training camp. This is a minor scandal at best, but since it is the World Cup we might as well make it into a huge deal. Benefica striker Nuno Gomes is reported to have brought copies of Basic Instinct 2 and Mission Impossible 3, a pair of movies not yet out on DVD. Both movies are said to suck according to my friends with pirated copies. Midfielder Armando Petit is reported to have had a copy of The Producers in his bag, which was a much better play than a movie. Both players could face legal troubles, but there is no way Sharon Stone is going to ruin Portugal's chances in Germany. She's not that devious in the sequel.

Category: World Cup 2006 , Group D

Tags: Portugal , Nuno Gomes , Armando Petit , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

Daily Dose 05.23

Bob |
No Comments

All World Cup news, all the time....

•  One billion reasons bookmakers love the World Cup (Reuters)

•  Salomon Kalou gives up on Dutch dream (BBC)

•  Another spectacular offer that probably won't ever happen (Firstrung)

•  Many nerves for the men who will ruin your summer (New Paper)

•  Thai sex workers told to face abuse at home instead of in Germany (All Headline News)

Category: Daily Dose

Tags: Daily Dose , Tag Index

May 23rd, 2006

Big Question: Which team outside of Europe and S. America will do the Best?

Bob |
46 Comments

You might have heard by now that the World Cup has only been won by teams from Europe and South America. With the tournament being played on European soil and with a numbers of debutants representing the other regions, there aren't too many people predicting the next champion will be anyone other than a European team or Argentina/Brazil.

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Category: World Cup 2006 , Big Question

Tags: CONCACAF , Africa , Asia , Tag Index

Einrücken in Feusisberg

Die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft hat ihr traditionelles Quartier in Feusisberg bezogen. Am Abend absolvierten die Spieler ihr erstes gemeinsames Training vor der WM.

Der ersten Einheit in Freienbach vor rund 800 Zuschauern blieben Fabio Coltorti, Xavier Margairaz und Johan Vonlanthen fern. Während die Blessuren von Coltorti (Beckenprellung) und Margairaz (Adduktoren) nicht gravierend sind, und sie deswegen in der Physiotherapie waren, droht Vonlanthen das vorzeitige WM-Aus.

Das Training - mit dem offiziellen WM-Ball - verlief wie gewohnt im lockeren Rahmen. Nach einem kurzen Aufwärmen sowie einigen Technik-Übungen in Dreier-Teams vergnügten sich die Nationalspieler beim beliebten Fussballtennis. Dabei glänzte vor allem Marco Streller direkt vor der Haupttribüne des Sportplatz' mit einer «Bicicletta», die ihm spontan Applaus einbrachte. Nach rund 60 Minuten beendete Köbi Kuhn das Training und die Spieler begaben sich auf den Autogrammmarathon, der bis zu einer halben Stunde in Anspruch nahm.

Der Geist von Feusisberg

Nach einem turbulenten Auftakt zur WM-Kampagne war gestern Nachmittag zumindest gegen Aussen wieder der Alltag eingekehrt. Kurz nach 13.30 Uhr erreichte die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft mit dem Car am dritten Tag ihrer WM-Vorbereitung das bevorzugte Hotel Panorama & Spa in Feusisberg, wo das Nationalteam seit vier Jahren jeweils während der Vorbereitung logiert.

Als Willkommensgruss hatte die Belegschaft ein grosses Transparent mit der Aufschrift «Viel Glück wünscht der CH-Nati der Geist von Feusisberg» an die Fassade jenes Trakts gehängt, den die Schweizer Nationalspieler nun wieder belegen.

Und nach dem eher anstrengenden Teil am Morgen mit einem Besuch bei Sponsor Puma und der gestrigen 9. Nacht des Schweizer Fussballs waren die Spieler froh, in Feusisberg wieder ihre Ruhe zu haben. «Es ist gut, den ganzen Trubel nun hinter uns zu haben», sagte Kuhn. Dies sei auch seine Bedingung gewesen bei der Fixierung dieser Termine.

Begehrte Schweizer Trikots

Die Euphorie um die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft spürt auch Ausrüster Puma. Rund 60 Prozent mehr Schweizer Nationaltrikots als vor der Euro 2004 seien bestellt worden, sagte Stefan Kropf, Chef von Puma Schweiz. «Wir gehen davon aus, dass die Trikots bis zum Beginn der WM ausverkauft sind.» (ret/si)