I've decided that today's Cut of the Day will actually be a medley. Today, you will hear nothing but songs from South Park episodes. And why? Because I'm easily amused like that. The first one is dedicated to the L.A. Galaxy and Real Salt Lake...Let's flip the channel to ESPN for both a preview of Sunday's final and a stroll down MLS Cup memory lane. Click to continue reading...

With Uruguay seeing off Costa Rica, the field for World Cup 2010 has been completed.Africa - Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South AfricaAsia - Australia, Japan, North Korea, South KoreaEurope - Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, SwitzerlandNorth America - Honduras, Mexico, United StatesOceania - New Click to continue reading...

It will be talked about for a long time: a World Cup berth "handed" to France. Thierry's Henry helping hand assist (and a blown offside call) teed up William Gallas for the extra time clincher to leave Ireland feeling backhanded...... but that was hardly the only drama on hand.Earlier, Algeria, Greece and Slovenia procured invites to South Africa via upsets, with Portugal closing out a tidy sweep Click to continue reading...

Il calciomercato impazza. Mentre ci avviciniamo al mese di gennaio e alla riapertura delle liste, circolano già indiscrezioni su alcune interessanti operazioni di mercato che potrebbero prendere piede tra qualche mese. Una delle società pronte ad investire è il Chelsea di Abramovic. Finita la sospensione del mercato, il club londinese è pronto a mettere mano al portafoglio e a tentare l'assalto a qualche pezzo pregiato. Click to continue reading...

The securities have been tightened, people has been pouring in from all circles and the atmosphere has started to be nerve wrecking as Egypt will face Algeria at Khartoum, Omdurman. This is going to be highly tense encounter between these two African nations and both are ready to fight it out again after a tense [. Click to continue reading...

As you might expect, we have plenty of things going on today. Two or three plenties worth, actually...#1 - Let's begin with my double interview with Real Salt Lake strikers Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan.Other RSL tidbits:- Rogue Cavaliers Brigade blog Denz's Sopabox has interview videos- Have a ticket but no flight yet? Click to continue reading...

I was watching Eastbound & Down again, and it hit me: we need a soccer equivalent, perhaps set in England to raise the likelihood of someone being that big a star at one point. I'm gonna think about this more, you watch TV...The ESPN Press Pass crew look ahead to a few of the remaining World Cup qualification battles. Click to continue reading...

VS. ,,
In the modern world of football, Europe is the most powerful confederation in FIFA and its a shame that FIFA's most powerful confederation doesn't lead the way in how it runs its World Cup qualification.
When it comes to World Cup qualifying, Europe can look to other FIFA confederations on how it should be done. Click to continue reading...

Not since the famous rumble in jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire has there been so much excitement in Africa over a sporting event.As Sudan gears up to host the second leg of the Algeria - Egypt world cup qualifier security seems to be in place on a war footing.15,000 police will be deployed to prevent a repeat of Saturday's violence in Cairo.

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Vote for the African Premier League player who has been the best ambassador for Africa here...The winner will be declared on the 30th of November 2009
Drogba signed a new advertising contract with Pepsi and pledged the entire £3m he earned from the deal to the setting-up of a hospital and orphanage in Ivory Coast.

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The African teams are mostly set. After last weekend's final qualifiers, we know that Cameroon, Nigeria, and either Egypt or Algeria will join hosts South Africa, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana as Africa's representatives at the first African World Cup. But those qualifiers also served to decide the field for a more immediate event: the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Angola in January (shorthanded as CAN2010—for the Campeonato Africano das Nações em Futebol Angola 2010).

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A few NSC programming notes: there will be no Who likes goals? today, there will be a U.S. v Denmark LIVE post on Wednesday and I will name my own MLS Best XI at S365 later in the week. And now, your Monday morning croissants, juice and papers...#1 - The World Cup finals field for South Africa is now at 26, with Cameroon capping their glorious table comeback with a 2-0 closing day win (as Click to continue reading...

It may have been a lighter weekend slate than usual, but we still woke up with a smoldering farm shed on Sunday morning. This week's prize match saw Nigeria rally from behind to take the lead and then require a late winner at Kenya.And all they got for their WCQ closing day troubles was a place at World Cup 2010. Click to continue reading...

With five playoff first legs beginning, we now have 25 teams already qualified for next summer's World Cup in South Africa.Early today, New Zealand finished of Bahrain in the Oceania/Asia playoff. Rory Fallon became a household name in his land forever by nodding home the lone goal of the tie to send the Kiwis back to World Cup for the first time since 1982. Click to continue reading...

Here are all the results and final scores from the African ( CAF) World Cup 2010 third round Qualifying games played on Saturday, November 14, 2009. The marquee game of the evening is obviously Egypt vs Algeria, but we have a few other intriguing qualifiers too. Group A Morocco vs Cameroon ( Kickoff time 15. Click to continue reading...

It's the World Cup 2010 qualification finale in Africa this weekend, with three spots at the big show still up for grabs. South Africa are qualified as hosts. Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire join them having already won Groups D and E respectively.

That leaves three groups undecided with just one round of games to go, and those games are this weekend.

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What can I say? Stuff is goin' on all over. It's relentless. You can't fight stuff...#1 - I've posted a capsule preview of the four UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs over at S365. Who is my upset pick this time? Bosnia, baby. And in case you missed it yesterday, my chat with Houston Dynamo ace Geoff Cameron. Click to continue reading...

United States striker Charlie Davies has left hospital nearly a month after being involved in a fatal car accident.

Davies, who plays for French side Sochaux, broke bones in his right leg and suffered a lacerated bladder and is almost certainly sure to miss next summers World Cup Finals in Sputh Africa as his injuries are expected to take to 12 months to recover from.

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Imitation is the highest form of flattery and UEFA will know they've done something truly remarkable, when football federations around the globe start naming competitions Europa League. For the time being though, the Champions League remains the blue print for glamorous international club competitions. Click to continue reading...

The mere fact that the 2010 World Cup is to be staged in Africa for the very first time has added special significance to qualifying for all the African nations. 53 countries were reduced to 20 through two preliminary rounds. From five groups of four, there are five group winners progressing ... Click to continue reading...

The World Cups have, especially in the start, been the complete dominance of South America and Europe. Therefore, throughout the 1950's and 1960's, the "rest of the world", that is, Asia, Africa and Australia had to play between them for one meager qualifying spot.For the 1966 World Cup in England, this "rest-of-the-world" spot went to the small and closed Communist dictatorship of North Corea. Click to continue reading...

Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi has come under heavy criticism in recent months despite Italy's success in qualifying to the World Cup in South Africa. La Nazionale went through an alarming goal drought and was only able to overcome it after two unfortunate own goals from returning Georgia captain Kakha Kaladze.

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This is november Update to Africa world cup fixtures, take a look(source fifa.com):
14/11/09TBARepublic of Ireland-France14/11/09TBAPortugal-Bosnia-Herzegovina14/11/09TBAGreece-Ukraine14/11/09TBARussia-Slovenia14/11/09 15:00MaputoMozambique-Tunisia14/11/09 15:30FesMorocco-Cameroon14/11/09 15:30LomeTogo-Gabon14/11/09 15:30KigaliRwanda-Zambia14/11/09 16:00NairobiKenya-Nigeria14/11/09 16:00OuagadougouBurkina Faso-Malawi14/11/09 16:00AbidjanCôte d'Ivoire-Guinea14/11/09 19:30CairoEgypt-Algeria14/11/09 20:00San JoseCosta Rica-Uruguay14/11/09 20:00WellingtonNew Zealand-Bahrain14/11/09 20:00OmdurmanSudan-Benin15/11/09 17:00KumasiGhana-Mali18/11/09TBAFrance-Republic of Ireland18/11/09TBABosnia-Herzegovina-Portugal18/11/09TBAUkraine-Greece18/11/09TBASlovenia-Russia18/11/09 21:00MontevideoUruguay-Costa Rica Click to continue reading...

It was a 54th minute Alex Shinsky that the keeper should have done better on that won the day for the U.S. Under-17's.The World Cup group win moved our boys level on points with second place UAE, their closing day opponent. Here are the highlights.- Greg Seltzer Click to continue reading...

Tonight on 30 Rock, Liz and jack visit Kenneth's hometown. Oh my, this should be good...#1 - Via Columbus Dispatch all-star Shawn Mitchell, Crew defender Chad Marshall has been suddenly upgraded all the way to probable. Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake have picked up a few small knocks here and there.An upset course diverted? Click to continue reading...

Football in Namibia, October 12th, 2009

Photo credit: Mr. Curiousity on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Related posts:

1. Photo Daily: Football in Ghana
2. Photo Daily July 30 Football Fans in Jakarta
3. Photo Daily | September 12 | Football in Pakistan

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After Samuel Eto'o's alleged statements against Pep and others at Barca, he adressed the subject as expected at the presentation campaign for "Shoe Aid In Africa" which he's the face of. And Samu's statements were far from any sort of lashing out at the club:
"My relationship [with Guardiola] has never been bad. Click to continue reading...

Há vida para além do futebol.
Relatório da Amnistia Internacional sobre Angola.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in Africa are forced from their homes. Despite regional and international law, African governments continue to evict people without any due process, consultation, adequate notice or compensation. Click to continue reading...

Better late then never, right? Enjoy some TV...Let's begin an overstuffed edition with Harkesy and JPD breaking down the MLS awards races. As usual, I skip all such clips and articles for several weeks ahead of the voting. Right or wrong, I'm gonna go with my brain's output on that ballot.Sticking with ESPN, Revs coach and Liverpool man Steve Nicol offers no quarter in laying the current "crisis" Click to continue reading...

Photo credit: sarahebsgaard on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Related posts:

1. Photo Daily | January 24 | Accra, Ghana
2. Photo Daily | January 31 | Ghana Fans at the ACN
3. Photo Daily | January 21 | Security in Ghana

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Brent Latham from ESPN Soccernet checks in with a story on the U.S. U-17 team for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. A good portion of the team the U.S. is taking to Africa played here at our Swope Park Training Center last week, falling to a team made mostly of KCW Reserves 3-0.
In full national team news, Jermaine Jones has been cleared by FIFA to play for the United States after initially representing Germany in three friendlies. Click to continue reading...

I love a World Cup (any World Cup) for the rare opportunity of putting whole imagined nations on public display. Though the main event in South Africa is still eight months away, one junior version (U-20) just finished in Egypt and another (U-17) is just about to begin in Nigeria.

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger highlighted Alex Song's performance in victory over Birmingham City.
Song was again outstanding in his defensive role and Wenger told arsenal.com: "He is strong and smooth. He is not rigid, he is agile.
"He is a slalom player and is not a straight-line player. Click to continue reading...

Congratulations to Ghana for getting to spot kicks after going down a man late in the first half and rallying there to defeat Brazil for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup title.I have to admit, Black Satellites, you fooled me. I didn't think you could lock it down, I thought you'd resort to a toe-to-toe slugfest. Click to continue reading...

(video di Ghana-Brasile, i rigori)
La prima volta del Ghana, ma soprattutto la prima volta dell'Africa. Il continente nero, dopo quattro finali perse, sale finalmente sul tetto del mondo, nel campionato Under 20 di calcio. A trionfare, contro il Brasile, è un Ghana decisamente "europeo", molto solido, preciso, tatticamente intelligente. Click to continue reading...