The United States dropped three places to 14th in the latest FIFA Rankings. FIFA once again extended the rankings period, this time to include the playoffs for the final six World Cup slots. The United States played twice during the rankings period, losing to Slovakia and Denmark. Mexico moved up three places to 16th. Click to continue reading...

World Cup Qualifying is completed is completed. I've updated the 2010 World Cup Eliminations Timeline, which tells you exactly which date each team was eliminated and in what order. That won't require another update until June.
But the real exciting news is that with all the qualifiers completed, we can now focus on the World Cup seeds and the draw. Click to continue reading...

By Clemente Lisi - NEW YORK, NY (Nov 17, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- The United States continues the European tour this week, playing Denmark on Wednesday in another test against a mid-tier team headed to next year's World Cup. The US will be looking to reverse Saturday's 1-0 loss to Slovakia. Denmark may actually be an easier opponent than Slovakia, even though they're six places higher in the FIFA Rankings. Click to continue reading...

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At least if the latest FIFA rankings are a guide. USA earned a few more points, but remains at 11. The Red, White and Blue still have a chance at cracking into the top 8 by December, but it would take more failures from France and Portugal, a win at Denmark, and probably [...] Click to continue reading...

1) The 2010 seeding formula. Using the previous formula (from 2006), it appears that Portugal's resurgence may see them get seeded after all at the expense of France. They were always in good shape as long as they managed to qualify, and that looks very likely now. The same eight teams have been in the running ever since July 2006, so one good team is going to get let out no matter what. Click to continue reading...

Apologies to Ireland, Slovenia, Ukraine and Bosnia. FIFA does not want you at the World Cup in South Africa next summer. So fervent was its determination that the rules of the competition were changed midway through it with the introduction of a seeding system in the qualifying play-offs.

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The UEFA (Europe) region has finished its group stage of qualification on Wednesday with nine teams earning automatic qualification. The teams that have already qualifed from this region are England, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Denmark.

Here are the final Group Stage standings for the UEFA region along with the top 8 second place teams that have qualified for the play-off round where there are four additional spots available.

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No major firm of bookmakers anywhere in the Far East is willing to price up the Asian Handicap on tomorrow's England versus Belarus FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 Qualifier.
Now, why would that be the case now?
Our primary Hong Kong broker will enlighten you.
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Our broker makes the following comparison. Click to continue reading...

Since the brilliant US win over Honduras on Saturday, the internet has been abuzz with discussion of the potential for the USMNT to receive a top seed in the World Cup. Assuming a victory on Wednesday, the US is likely to be ranked ninth when the new FIFA ranking is released.Â

However, the chances of the US being a top seed are remote based on the criteria used by FIFA.

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There are just two rounds of qualifying left in the European World Cup qualifying groups and there has been some mixed news for all the sides still with a chance of making the tournament in South Africa from Fifa this week. The ruling body have announced that the teams who finish second in their Euro qualifying groups will be seeded before their play-off match.

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Once again, it's that time of the calendar. I expect the US to take care of business, so I'll be looking at how the other matches will affect us.
If you haven't heard, the big news is that Sepp Blatter announced a week ago that teams will be seeded in UEFA's World Cup qualifying playoffs. The eight playoff teams will be split into two pots based on their FIFA ranking. Click to continue reading...

FIFA doesn't easily forgive or forget when it comes to World Cup seedings.
If the U.S. goes to South Africa next year, hanging over its head will be losses to Germany, Iran and Yugoslavia (1998) and to the Czech Republic and Ghana (2006). And, even should the U.S. remain high in the FIFA rankings and win the CONCACAF qualifying group, it has almost no chance of being selected as a seeded team. Click to continue reading...

New Delhi, India - Since there is not much to offer youth soccer players here in India, Deeksha Sports Management (DSM), a group of professionals engaged in promoting sports events, organized the first ever Italian Soccer Clinic this past September to help popularize the game of football.
In cooperation with Soccerkix, Italian Premier Soccer School, one of the most respected Italian Soccer Program in the world, DSM had the chance to bring its Director, Mr. Click to continue reading...

Image by footyfactor.com

What happens when Sepp Blatter and his cronies see millions of dollars and plenty of prestige in danger of disappearing? They change the system.

That's the conclusion drawn by many after FIFA last night announced they were altering their planned World Cup 2010 qualification play-offs system to seed teams based on their FIFA world rankings, a decision which clearly favours the traditionally strong nations.

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Labor Day has come and gone, the sun is setting earlier, and, even here in Houston, the air contains a slight fall crispness. Yes, the Summer of Soccer is over, and what an interesting summer it has been. Back on Father's Day, like a Phoenix, the US National Team rose from the ashes of its first two group stage matches in the Confederations Cup to advance to the semifinals where it shocked the football world by easily beating Spain, which was ranked by FIFA as the top national team at the time.

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The release date for the October FIFA Rankings have been moved to October 16th, meaning the current rankings period will be covering six weeks instead of the usual four. For the United States, it also means the rankings will include the September and October World Cup Qualifiers. The release date for the November rankings has also been rescheduled, now set for release on November 20th. Click to continue reading...

World Cup qualifying is getting real and some serious games are at the ready for this weekend.

Grant Wahl has writtenabout how Argentina and Portugal are both on the precipice of World Cup qualifying failure, which could deny fans of two of the best players in the world, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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El Salvador literally translates to "Land of the Savior". So, I guess who owns El Salvador is dependant on who your personal savior is. Mine is Jeffrey Lebowski, so I like to think of El Salvador as the "Land of the Dude". It's a fitting title too. It's a laid back country, definitely not reactionary.

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- For cutting-edge, up-to-the-minute news about QPR, mixed in with "flasback" looks at QPR of a year ago or forty years ago, visit the combination blog and messageboard, QPR Report Messageboard. Add items of general football interest and posters' opinion - All views welcome.
- QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER! Click to continue reading...

The United States Women will play Germany at the new Impuls Arena in Augsburg on October 29th. This is the first meeting between the two since 2000. The United States are currently first in the FIFA Rankings with Germany in third. "I am very pleased about the opportunity to play Germany in Germany," said US coach Pia Sundhage. Click to continue reading...

The August FIFA Rankings were released on Wednesday, with the United States improving by eight points to stay in 12th-place. The US played six Gold Cup games during the rankings period, finishing second in the competition. Gold Cup winners Mexico improved three places to 30th. Top Twenty Click to continue reading...

Laugh about it, shout about it / When you've got to choose / Every way you look at it, you lose
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Lost in the whirlwind tour of South Africa and the Confederations Cup, which brought outlets from Harper's to Deadspin to what seemed like every newspaper in the country out for a week-long soccer columning festival, was the demise of Brad Friedel's once heralded (here at least) soccer academy in Ohio.

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                            Photo by ISIphotos.com

BY DYLAN BUTLER

SEATTLE -- The United States National Team did something on Saturday night that it failed to do a week ago in South Africa -- protect a two-goal halftime lead.

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                            Photo by ISIphotos.com

BY DYLAN BUTLER

SEATTLE -- The United States National Team did something on Saturday night that it failed to do a week ago in South Africa -- protect a two-goal halftime lead.

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Alfredo Pacheco is flying the MLS banner high in CONCACAF these days. At a time when less high profile, national team players from the region play in MLS than arguably any time in the league's history (look back at the hexagonal and World Cup qualifying for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups for comparison) Pacheco, of the New York Red Bulls, has helped lead El Salvador from the depth of CONCACAF existence, to the hexagonal and Gold Cup front runner in less than two years.

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Americans Abroad / USMNT
Bob Bradley From Training In Seattle - The MNT Blog
USA Moves Up To 12th In FIFA Rankings - Soccer By Ives
Team USA Earning Respect - Press-Enterprise
Pacific Time, Day 1 - The MNT Blog
Americans Abroad: Maurice Edu's Wild Ride - Soccer America
Deconstructing Bradley - Unprofessional Foul
American Soccer Is Fine, Thank You - Three Wise Men
More On The Awful American Soccer Team - Harper's Magazine
Cup Run Was A Lift, Says Benny - Soccer365
Barnes, Grella Excel From Start - Duke Chronicle
More Choices For Bradley At Gold Cup - Goal (NY Times)
Report: Clint Dempsey To Quit Fulham For Everton - Goal. Click to continue reading...

After the United States surprising success in the Confederations Cup, they move up to 12th in FIFA rankings, Spain drops to 2nd and Brazil moves up to number 1. Best of all is Mexico is 33rd, behind Costa Rica at 30. So DC United beat he Ocean City Barons 2-0, but it sounds like DC struggled with the amateur side. Click to continue reading...

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                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. men's national team's run to the Confederations Cup final has helped boost it into uncharted territory in the world rankings.

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                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. men's national team's run to the Confederations Cup final has helped boost it into uncharted territory in the world rankings.

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It's fortunate that there are so many coffee shops here in Seattle. Despite arriving last night after a 25+ hour journey from Johannesburg, Bob Bradley and some of the travel party are up and about to head to Day 1 of training for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. opens at Qwest Field on Saturday night against Grenada. Click to continue reading...

As both a fan and observer of American Soccer in general and the US Men's National Team (USMNT) in particular, Confederations Cup 2009 has been a rollercoaster with amazing emotional highs and lows. As we all know, the US started this tournament with back to back losses, first losing to Italy, 3-1, and then Brazil, 3-0.

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South Africa put up a world-class performance, but went down to a late goal in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil in Confederations Cup semifinal defeat at the Coca Cola Park Stadium on Thursday night.

There are 67 FIFA rankings between the two sides, but you wouldn't have thought it as the home side put up a performance which tested the star-studded South American champions to the fullest and bodes really well for the future.

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Stuff to read while you witness some Cesc accusations with accompanying photo.... There have been some strange, and possibly unsanctioned, changes to the FIFA rankings. (The Beautiful Game) Paris Hilton calls Cristiano Ronaldo a sissy, world doesn't bat an eye. (Dirty Tackle) Tough times for Italian football. Click to continue reading...

So the United States Mens National Team or USMNT (14th in the FIFA rankings) just beat the World's number one team, Spain, in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup. Amazing. Amazing? Not really. Lets put it this way, its like Portsmouth beating Manchester United (or any other clubs in the bottom-half of the table for [. Click to continue reading...